The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-02-09
TEACHERS Tenure
Of OFFICE BILL
MEETS OPPOSITION
School Officials Declare to Legis-
lative Committee that It Gives
Too Much Latitude.
F. B. GUILD STRONGLY
AGAINST MEASURE.
Newark Superintendent Says
Measure Gives Too Many
Privileges to Pedagogues.
TFrom a STAFF Correspondent

TFrom a STAN correspondent
TRENTON. Feb. 9.-In opposition to
the teachers tenure of office bill, intro
duced by Assemblyman Radcliffe, o.
Passaic. for Speaker John D.. Prince
who is himself a ~pedagogue, being pro-
fessor of languages at Columbia Uni
versity. the argument was advanced by
Frederick b. Guild, president of the
Newark Board of Education, that while
the act protected the teacher and gave
him or her the right to cling onto the
teaching job until death broke the
tenure, there was nothing to protect
the public and the board of education
and insure the continuance of the serv-
ices of good teachers after they We're
obtained and protected by the tenure of
office act.
I'VE lose more teachers through
matrimony than any other cause" said
Mr.. Guild. "If you will pass a law pro-
viding thai no teacher shall marry
without the consent of the board of
education. you will be doing something
for the school system and we will think
more of the tenure of office bill"
"Matrimony provides a tenure for
life" said Superintendent of Public
Schools Henry Moxon, of Plainfleld.
mot always" retorted Mr.. Guild.
Divorce sometimes breaks the tenure
The Prince bill provides that all
teachers, principals, supervising prin-
cipals, supervisors, assistant superin-
tendents and city superintendent shall
be protected in their positions during
good behavior and efficiency" that none
of h employees of the schools NEIL
toned be dismissed or shall have his
salary reduced Except for just cause
and after an opportunity to b. heard;
save and except that nothing in the
wording of this act shall apply to cases
of dismissal made necessary by areduc-
ton of the number of teachers in any
school district due to q natural diminu-
ton Of the number of pupils"
Three Years Probation.
Before the teacher or other officer is
protected by tenure or office he shall
have served a probationary period of
three years in the school district. Dis
missals may be made during the pro-
~bationary period upon thirty days
notice. Assemblyman Isaac T. Nichols,
of Cumberland, chairman of the COM
mittee on education, presided at the
hearing. Assemblymen Edwin C. Nc
keaS IN William Z. Martin sat with
him. As3emblyman Mark A. Sullivan,
of Hudson, was busy with the judiciary
committee at a hearing on the Blauvelt
employers liability bill and could not
be present, while Assemblyman Joseph
p. Tumulty, the other member of the
committee, did not send any excuse for
his absence.
There were no Hudson County school
teachers present to talk for the bill
although asst year when a similar
measure vas under consideration Hud-
son County sent the largest portion OF
the teachers lobby. DIR. S. Fl. Sexton,
of the Bayonne Board of Education
spoke in opposition to the measure.
He said hat Bayonne had a tenure
of office provision in the rules of its
Board of Education, and hat it haC
caused so much trouble hat it was
going to be repealed. He cited the cases
of two school teachers who were con-
sidered by the members of the Board OF
Education incapable of giving efficient
service in the grades to which they hac
been assigned.
Directly opposite to the contentious
of DIR. Sexton were those of Samue'
Bullock, member of the Trenton Board
of Education, which has also acted for
Aseveral years with the tenure-of-offic
Aprovision in its rules. The rules of the
Trenton Board Of Education, he ex-
planned, provide that no teacher shall
be finally dismissed without being
given an opportunity to be heard.
This" he said. sis an advantage tc
the city and to the teacher I believe
the teachers do better work if they
don't have to work and can devote
their time to teaching and not to try
ing to please politicians and socia
leaders. The tenure of office relieves
them of the necessity of being under
obligations to politicians or social lead
ers."
Paterson Mans Views.
Professor A. r. Chadwick, of Pater.
son, who is principal of a public school
said; 1.-THE teachers of Paterson favor
the passage of this bill, first, for the
sake of the State of New Jersey.
have been a teacher for a great MANY
years, and 7 have never known thu
time when the State was not crowded
with poor teachers. The State never
gets rid of its poor teachers.
we will never get rid of the poo
teachers in our employ until We ge
good ones to take their places, and IL
get good ones We must make conditions
better, either by paying larger salarie:
or by better protecting them in theil
employment
Henry VI. Moxon, superintendent o
schools Of Plainheld, presented the ar
gument that by denying the teacher
tenure Of office the State robs them o
substantial equity which they are en-
titled to. He eaid that the law com
pels the teacher to contribute a portion
Of his salary to the retirement fund
and that at the end of twenty years o
service the teacher is entitled, for tina
compulsory payment. to three-lfths o
his salary upon retirement. provided