Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-08-18
TEACHERS TENURE
OF OFFICE LAW
WORKS INJUSTICE
Competent Woman Barred from
Third Year Appointment,
Lest Board Be Bound.

TRENTON. Aug. 1s.-The latest
scheme to evade the provisions of the
teachers tenure of office law was re-
Gently brought to the attention of
State Superintendent of Public Instruc-
ton Charles j. Baxter, when he re-
ceived a letter from a teacher al Penns-
grove. Salem county. stating that the
school board had refused to reengage
her on her third year so that she would
come within the provisions Of the
tenure of office law. She charges tina
the district clerk said, Let Miss -
get a position elsewhere this year and
we shall be glad to give her one next
selves by a certain law"
In appealing her case to the state
superintendent the teacher said:
1T seems that teachers who are
doing satisfactory work nj who are
desired by superintendent, parents,
children, and all others Interested In
h school and its progress are not
considered by the Board of Education,
but are dealt with as tools or toys.
They did not only refuse me a school,
but did it in such a way as to keep
me from getting a position elsewhere,
by not refusing outright, but by de-
laying 1t until the last election (July
25.) They rejected my first applica-
ton for reelection at the main meet
ing, but elected no one else. l was
then requested by a member Of the
Board to send an application for the
ext meeting to avoid the election of
an undesirable applicant, should hers
be the only application. Nevertheless,
she, a sophomore at the high school,
with no certificate to teach, only q
promise Of one should she be elected,
who, however, is a daughter of a MEM
Der OF the Board of Education, was
elected, and my application not even
considered.
aHow Can Injustice Be Remediedsv
For the July meeting 1 was advised
likewise and urged by the superin-
tendent. who offered to do all he could,
with the same results. OF course. 1T is
too late now, since every vacancy Is
filled, and l have been forced to look
elsewhere. Have I not the right to de-
mand a reason for their not giving me
a school since they claim that they
have no objection to me? /, as well as
all others who are interested. see the
injustice done, but know not how to
remedy II. l now appeal to you as one
who has the authority and is interested
for advice and aid In this matter
Superintendent Baxter, after careful
ly examining the law, concluded that
the Pittsgrove Board of Education was
acting within its legal rights and that.
therefore, he could not interfere. In
replying to the appeal he said:
THE tenure of service act was con-
ceived In the interest of the schools
and designed to make them more effici-
ent by preventing too frequent change
of teachers. 1t has, however, worked
adversely in your case, for. but for said
act, you would, undoubtedly, have beer
reemployed, in the same district, for
the current school year.
Though 1 do 30 reluctantly, I am in
clined to say that the Pittsgrove Board
of Education is within its legal rights
In declining to give you a reappoint-
ment nat would bring you under the
protection of the act in question, and
hat you are not in a position to de-
mand more specific reasons"