The Washington herald., 1908-05-25
HELP TO NEWCOMERS
School Law Change No Aid
to Present Teachers.
EFFECT OF THE BURLESON ACT
Welcomed by Those Seeking I'm
prOVement of Educational system
in Spite of Discrimination Result
ing from Amendment-Diffi of
Securing Experienced Teachers.

law. placing the high school teacher who
is hereafter employed in the salary sched-
ule according to the years Of experience
OF teaching. was. in the opinion Of those
deeply interested in the Improvement Of
the Washington educational system. very
much needed for the good of the schools
No present high school teacher. they say
no matter how unjust he thinks the dis
elimination against him. will begrudge
the newcomer this increment on account
Of the good that will accrue to the sys-
tenn
The school law Of 1906, which generous
ly increased the salaries. also Increased
the prerequisites for appointment Of the
high school teacher to a college degree
and written examination in scholastic and
professional subjects. The law required
all teachers TO begin at the minimum sal
airy Of the schedule. instead Of placing
teachers in the schedule according TO their
years of experience. as had been done in
other cities adopting q similar schedule.
Experienced teachers would not come 10
Washington when they could get the
benefit Of their experience In other cities
Even college graduates without expert
ence or professional training hesitated TO
accept the honOrarium OF $1,000 in ex-
change for q costly college degree. and
an examination in arithmetic, college al
zebra. plane and solid geometry. trigo-
nometry, analytics psychology, pedagogy,
and the history OF education, when he
could with much less effort exchange It
for a government position paying more
money. Every year pupils leave the high
school for the government service at
higher salaries than those of the teachers
who have made them able TO pass the
examinations. Children in the high
schools have been in the streets this year
for weeks waiting for teachers to apply
and pass examinations for this 1000
bonus.
Exodus Of Teachers.
There has BEEN" said a Washing
ton educator. "a steady exodus OF ex-
perienced teachers from the high schools.
whose places have been filled for the
most part by the young girl graduate
As a result of the saving Of $4,000 to
the nation there viii continue to be an
exodus, but at least we may be thankful
that their places may be filled by more
experienced teachers.
I'm consequence Of the concurrent reso-
luton introduced by Mr.. Burleson in the
House the teachers in the system who
have taught ten and fifteen years in
stead of being rewarded for their faith
ful services. are passed in the salary
scale by the stranger who has taught
eight years. These can Of course resign,
and get credit for their experience in
other systems or resign and be reap
pointed In their own. They probably will ;
they have been resigning.
Municipalities like New York and Chi
cagO. when a similar schedule went into
erect some years previous 20 1906, could
afford to place their old teachers in the
schedule according TO their years OF faith
ful service. but the Capital OF a great
and generous republic has not seen At
even as act OF tardy justice to reward
the faithful servers.
Germany's School system.
Germany has the best schools in the
world. In Germany the teachers in the
secondary schools must have scholastic
requirements second to none. even those
Of law and medicine; must have had, In
addition. at least two years of pedagogi-
cal study and practice; are among the
aristocracy. socially: and are pensioned
Germany makes her young people what
she wants them through a national ad-
minstration OF all the schools of Ger
many. Germany's recent rapid CONNER
cial rise is due directly 70 commercial
and industrial training inaugurated by
the state. America may learn too late
1t Is TO be hoped that in another year
Congress viii supplement its good work
Of recognizing the experience of outside
teachers by extending a similar recogni-
tiOn TO the faithful AT home. At any
rate. the worthy District teacher may
console himself with the reflection of a
recent pedagogical importation from a
Western State, who was threatened by
a Congressional financial decapitation. I
am not worried said he. I can always
go back 10 the United States.