Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-13
The Retirement of SCHOOL, Teachers.

For several years the teachers of the
District public school system have been
struggling to maintain. by means of con-
tributions from their own meager incomes,
reinforced by subscriptions from friends
of the schools a pension and retirement
fund for the benefit of the aged and dis
abled members of their own force. Despite
all their sacrifices, they have been unable
to accumulate sufficient endowment to
support as many annuitants as the best
interests of the schools demand There are
in consequence at present in the service a
number Of men and women who have
earned retirement upon a competence and
whose further continuance in the service is
hardship upon themselves and an injus-
tice to the pupils. but who cannot step
aside because they have no other means
OF support than their salaries. In short
the plan for the teachers themselves to
maintain the retirement system has proved
only partially successful.
II is now proposed by a committee of the
board of education. of which Mr. w. "
Cox is chairman. whose report was yes
terday adopted by the board and referred
to the legal adviser, to ask Congress for
an annual contribution to the retirement
fund equivalent to 11a per cent of the total
appropriation for salaries. The teachers
are now contributing on an average about
the same percentage of the salary pay
ments. 1t is therefore proposed to ask
Congress to duplicate the sum paid an
nually by the teachers into this fund. The
present estimate is that this will call for
about 700 from the public funds.
There can be no question of the economy
of such an appropriation. 1t will mean
the relief of the teaching force from the
serious handicap of approximation. 1t
will permit the honorable and secure re-
tirement of teachers now past their Pc
riod of usefulness to the schools, whose
prolonged presence on duty retards pro-
motion and lowers the efficiency of the
system. 1t will infuse new hope into all
the workers in the system and revitalize
the entire teaching body.
Private business enterprises which have
adopted the retirement system, whether
supported in whole or in part by the cor
poration, have found that the pensioning
of the aged workers yields profitable re-
suits in increased efficiency and better
spirit on the part of the active employees.
In the educational field this is particularly
likely to be true. The work in the schools
is mental. 1t calls for constant study on
the part of the teachers as we'll as the
pupils. After the lapse of years the elder
teachers cannot maintain the pace and
fall behind. Their classes suffer in con-
sequence. The community suffers in turn.
as the schools fail to produce the maxi
mum result in the education of the new
generation Of citizens.
Regardless of administrative questions
relating to the District schools now pend
ing before Congress. this simple but far
reaching proposition to supplement the
teachers contributions 70 their retirement
fund should be given sympathetic consid-
Grafton. 1t is Endorsed by the local pub
lie sentiment. There is no difference of
opinion as to the righteousness, the justice
and the profitable economy of such a
measure, and it is earnestly to be hoped
that when the matter is formally laid be-
fore Congress it will result in legislation
putting the teachers on proper plane of
provision without hardship upon them
selves the community.