Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-25
The Law and the Teachers.

To the Editor Of The Star:
In his Interpretation Of the federal Con-
| stitution John Marshall laid down two
| canons: First, that the Constitution was
adopted for the benefit of the people OF the
United States. and second. that the plain
meaning of the words was to control
| Why not apply these canons to the inter-
probation of our new public school law?
| This law was passed to remedy certain
supposed defects and to provide certain sup
posed advantages. The board of education
was denuded of extensive powers, which
were conferred upon the superintendent.
| But IL there be any one fact which stands
| out clean and sharp 1t is that the teachers
| were to be benefited, their condition i'm
proved and their salaries raised.
| Waving the necessity for the appoint
| ment of the teachers under the new law,
how does their appointment for only one
year comport with the purpose and plain
| language of the act?
The act accepts the well-defined terminol-
| ogy, and refers to the teachers, according
| to established grades as kindergarten"
| first and second grades etc, etc. These
&c." Group A." Group b. with con-
stantly annually increasing salaries.
The act provides as follows:
THAT the board of education shall ar
range all teachers in the classes and groups
| in the above schedule, except as herein
| after specified. For the year ending June
| 80, 1907, each head of department and
teacher shall receive the salary in the class
| next above his present salary, and no
| teacher or principal shall In any event
| receive less than his or her present salary.
| If promoted to higher class he shall re-
ceive the salary in that class next above his
present salary, and after June 30. 1907, IL
| his work is satisfactory, he shall receive an
annual increase within his class group,
as herein provided. without action of the
board of education; but no teacher shall in
ava sl,aya
| motion within his class or group: Provided,
| that If the salary in his class next above
| his present salary shall be less than $50 in
excess of his present salary he shall re-
ceive the next higher salary, so that no
teacher shall receive for the first year an
| increase of less than s25.
Now note the language. For the current
| year the teacher is to receive either an in
crease or mot less than his or her present
| salary"
With this instruction against dminution
| of salary, how may the board of education
undertake to reappoint teacher? If 1t has
| the power, II there be necessity to reap
| point, could 1t not appoint at a lower grade,
| or could it not mot appoint" and thus rem
| der nugatory this provision
| After June 30, 1907, a teacher, IF his
| work Is satisfactory" shall receive an an
| nual increase within his class. or group, as
herein provided, without action of the board
of education"
Does this, can this apply to teachers ap-
pointed for one year? At the expiration
of the year they are out Of office. Another
appointment has to be made. Before they
| may hold q position Of any kind, with or
without increase of pay, there must be "ac-
| ton by the board of education upon the
| written recommendation Of the superintend-
ent of schools
| Again. how may they be promoted from
one class to another when their term closes
| at the end of the year? They will not any
| longer be teachers in the schools. They must
| be appointed again. and, manifestly, they
\ will begin a new term. There will not be
| g. continuity.
| Far be 1t from me to carp at the situa-
| ton, for I think that we should all en-
Eieavor to support our school authorities,
whatever may have been our desires prior to
existing conditions, but. for one, the writer
anxiously views the position in which our
teachers are. placed. and thinks that
palpable error should be at once corrected.
| W. H. SINGLETON.