The San Francisco call., 1906-12-26
TEACHERS COUNCIL
HIRES LAWYER
Decides to Go in Quest of
Full Salaries in Delhi
crate, Organized Manner
SATIRE UNAVAILING

The Association of Teachers Council,
an organization Of the school teachers
in San Francisco. has taken up the
matter OF the reduction in salaries
with the board of directors through it's
attorney, Stephen Costello, and the
members believe that they will sue
ceed in convincing the board that its
action in making appropriations from
the salary fund to pay for repairs to
school buildings was Illegal. The for
mer protest. which was voiced at a
general mass meeting of the teachers,
was little more than expressions of
aiMless satire at the expense of the
board. but the council is now acting
more deliberately and with greater as
surance of ultimate success. The
board has taken the protest under con-
sideratiou and the teachers hope that
the compulsory two weeks vacation
order will be withdrawn.
This association of teachers is two
years old, but its meetings, because
of the secrecy observed, have attracted
little attention. AS a consequence the
organization has attained considerable
strength without notoriety. There are
now eight councils in the city, with a
total membership of about 800 instruct
ors. The conditions of admission are
exceedingly rigid, and no teacher is
taken into a council unless he or she
has been engaged for five years in
the profession and intends to make
teaching life work
o,CONNER GIVES VIEWS
Joseph O'Conner, the principal of the
Mission High School. who is the presi-
dent of the association of councils,
said yesterday:
Our methods are better calculated
to impress the board than any sar-
castle remarks at mass meetings. The
purpose of the organization is to bet
ter all the conditions under which the
teacher works, and we shall give par
ticular attention to the salary ques-
tion, tenure of Office and the pension
question. We want to make it possible
for q teacher to look upon the work as
a life profession rather than as a step
ping stone to something else. To effect
this it is not only necessary to secure
adequate salaries but to be assured
that those who have been proved COM
petent in the probationary period will
be assured Of continuance in their po-
sitions and a pension at the end of
their work. We believe that it is best
for the pupil If the teacher is free
from worry in the present and from
fear of the future.
We are a very democratic organi-
Zation. Any cause which we under
take to further is first determined by
the programme committee and after
ward submitted to the separate coun-
cils for consideration before any ac-
tion is taken. As we have made the
membership requirements stringent so
as to admit only professional teachers,
we believe that the association will
pledges itself to a cause its voice will
be respected.
SEPARATE SALARY FUND
"One of the principles for which we
are working is directly connected with
the present question of salaries; it is
that of the separate salary fund. In
New York State they have such a
fund, to which three and a half mills
of the tax goes each year. This fund
can be used for nothing else save the
salaries of teachers, and it is noted
that the wages of janitors and other
assistants are not to be included. We
want such a separate fund here. 1t
would do away with any such trouble
as the present one.
Naturally there are many other
more technical subjects which are
discussed and acted upon by the coun-
ellis, but the main object for which we
are working is the general betterment
of the teachers position that it may
be regarded as a permanent profes-
sion rather than as a chance occupa-