Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-08
Comment on Recent Decision
of Court of Appeals.
BEGINNING OF JUSTICE
Alleged Discrimination Against the
Local Instructors.
SYSTEM IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS
Teachers on Probation When Law
of May 90. 1908, Was Passed,
Denied Longevity Pay.

A statement has been prepared by The
Washington High School Teachers As
sociation to set forth the situation with
regard to discrimination against the local
teachers of the high schools OF the Dis
trict The statement follows:
THE recent decision OF the Court OF
Appeals of the District OF Columbia in
favor Of local teacher is only a step
toward rectifying the injustice now be-
Ing suffered by some OF the teachers in
the Washington high schools. This de-
cision gives those teachers who were on
probation at the time the school law
amendment of May H. 1908 was passed
the longevity pay denied them by a de-
cfsion Of the controller OF the currency.
While this judgment satisfies the COM
plant OF the petitioners, IL serves to
bring out all the more clearly the dis
elimination now being exercised against
teachers In the Washington high schools
Examples Cited.
BY this decision. for instance the
younger Of two sisters. appointed after
May ID, 1908, will be placed la the sclred-
ule at salary Of u. TOO. on account OF
seven years experience in an accredited
high school in small town, while the
other sister. WHO happened to be ap-
pointed before May ~, i30S. is receiving
only $l,3Oc, although she has had nine
years experience I'm the hieh schools Of
the District II Columbia
examples abound o. the absufdity of
the Interpretation now being given to the
amendment of May 26. 1908. In another
case two sisters took the high school
teachers examination before MAJ ~
1908. but one Of them receiving an ap-
pointment The one not appointed Sc
cured work In q private school In The
CITY. and recently received q high school
appointment. Under the provisions OF the
amendment OF May ID. 1909. she Is &C.
credited with two years' experience, being
thereby placed at higher salary than
her sister. who has from the beginning
been doing regular high school work in
the local public high schools. These are
not isolated cases.
Examples may be found In all the high
schools OF teachers recently appointed re-
while side by side with them excellent
teachers OF ten, fifteen and even twenty
years experience are paid only $l,3Co
The only ofrense of these low-saiaried
teachers Is their years OF faithful and
emcient service. Ii Is impossible TO be-
lieve that such crying injustice is the
real intent OF Congress.
Result of Investigation.
"A committee of the Washington High
appointed
to investigate the placing of teachers in
salary schedules elsewhere in the United
States finds that the capital has the dis
tinction OF being the only city in the
land that discriminates against its Local
teachers in favor OF those outside the
system. In the various cities where SAL
airy schedules have been raised all teach
ers have been placed in the increased sal
q CrlxA Is,1a
years Of experience, and IL any discrini-
ination at all is used IL is against those
entering the system from outside. To
quote from the report Of the committee:
The chief clerk 10 the superintendent
OF the Boston public school writes as
follows:
In reply to question 3. ] win state
that the high school experience in other
cities OF teachers who are appointed to
positions in this city is seldom counted
at all. II may be counted. however, upon
the recommendation OF the superintend-
ent and vote of the school committee
I'm Pittsburg the regulations In force
provide that:
The experience in no other secondary
school will count i'm the above schedule
except where the applicant has had at
least twenty months experience in an
other secondary school. In which event
this experience may permit the instruct
or's salary to begin with that Of the SEQ
ond year.
Rule in Minneapolis.
THE superintendent of the Minneapolis.
Mimi, schools says, In a letter dated Sep
TENDER IS. 1870:
Our schedule does not apply to out
side experience and We make q special ar
rangement with each teacher new 10 our
force
THE printed salary schedule of the
board of education OF San Francisco. Cal,
for l90s-S contains the following clause:
Experience shall be reckoned from
date OF assignment TO the different posi-
tons of the San Francisco school depart
ment, but the salary of a promoted teach
er shall in no case be less than that from
which he or she may have been promoted.
Experience acquired elsewhere shall not.
far as salaries are concerned. be con-
sidered
I'm the school systems of New York,
Toledo and Los Angeles two years' out
side experience 10 required as the eouivs-
lent Of one years experience within the