Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1909-02-11
Teachers Fight for their Rights
TContinued from First Page.]
School Superintendent Boards Office
Row

Boy
81 would consider that cause suffi-
cient for dismissal. A superintendent
is really the office boy of the board
which would have cause to dismiss
him if his policy differed from theirs
wouldn't this bill prevent a board
from getting a better MANI asked
Mr.. McKeag.
mo; this bill would allow board
to get rid of an inefficient man.
When Mr.. McKeag asked the speak
er if the bill would not prevent boards
of education from obtaining the ser
vices of more capable man, espec-
tally university graduate with new
er educational methods, Professor
Maxson aroused a storm of applause
when he replied that bargain
counter plan of hiring and dismissing
instructors at frequent intervals had
not yet come into practice in this
State.
Counselor Gustav A. Hunziker, rep
resenting a taxpayers association of
Paterson, was the first speaker against
the bill. He said that he did not know
of any teacher who had ever been re-
moved for inefficiency, and did not
even if the bill became law.
In opposing the provision in the bill
prohibiting the reduction of teachers
salaries, he stated this would be an
interference in local affairs in that it
compelled municipalities to shoulder
an expense which possibly depleted
treasury would not permit.
Frederick F. Guild, president of the
IL n - " Ton, On
posed the bill, said that there never
has been removal for inefficiency in
the history of his city's schools.
Mr.. Gould handed to the committee
a substitute bill, providing that teach
ers be represented by counsel when
charges are made against them; that
the teacher charged may compel the
attendance of witnesses; that school
boards may administer oaths in such
proceedings and that dismissal will
only be legal by majority vote OF
the board.
President Hill Would Change Bill.
George Hill, president of the sum
NIT Board of Education, stated that
the bill should not read that a teach
err be removed only on Just cause" "
but "for a cause satisfactory to the
board of education He said that it
was unjust to compel a school board
to keep a teacher on the pay roll or
to maintain her present salary rate
if the municipality was bankrupt.
1.-THE good, the moral, the efficient
teachers do not ask for this sort OF
legislation he declared.
Mr.. Hill said that the advantage is
now all on the side of the teachers,
who could leave the profession on so
DAYS notice. He argued that nat
ural diminution of pupils" as speci-
fed in the bill as cause for a Yeduc-
ton in teaching force, could not be
determined. He said that no teacher
feared or worried about dismissal un-
less she was incompetent.
DIR. G. S. Sexton, member of the
Bayonne Board of Education, admit
ted that there was large number of
ssgreat things" in the bill, but that it
would work injury in the impossibility
to prove inefficiency. He said that
onlv 2h per cent of the 240 teachers
of Plainfield were inefllclent, accord
ing to the principals markings, and
that the bill would only beneft the IN
efficient teachers. He also opposed
the bill because it contained no age
limit of service, stating that there
were some teachers over 70 years OF
age who were not in sympathy with
uD-to-date educational methods, but
who could not be proved inefficient.
Professor Chadwick. of Paterson,
and Professor Mackey, OF Trenton,
summed up for the supporters Of the
bill.