Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-06
MAY TRY new PLAN
Regular Corps of Substitute
Teachers Suggested.
SCHOOL OFFICIALS VIEWS
Advantages of System Employed in
Several Other Large Cities Are
Pointed Out.

Although Congress has made provision
for the employment Of substitute teachers
in the public schools for the next fiscal
year. an entirely new plan may be tSied
the following year, according to state
ments made by some of the school au-
thorities today.
It is proposed that a corps Of substitute
teachers be regularly employed and paid
by the District. In this manner, 1t is
said, more efficient substitute service will
be obtained, the system will be more
staple. and in the end it will cost the
District government little, if, indeed, any
thing at all.
According to the sundry civil bill just
enacted by Congress, teachers during the
first thirty days of their absence receive
only one-half OF their salary, the other
half of their basic salary being paid to
the substitute. This half of the basis sal
airy which is paid the substitute teacher,
together with whatever amount is surplus
as the longevity pay, would at the end of
the year, 1t Is claimed, be enough to al
most. If not wholly. pay the substitute a
regular salary.
Stephen E. Kramer, director of inter
mediate instruction in the local schools,
in exploiting the plan today said that II
a regular salary were provided for sub
stitutes larger number Of more efficient
teachers would be available than under
the present plan and that of the next fis-
cal year.
Opinion Of Mr.. Stuart.
A. T. Stuart. superintendent Of the Dis
trict schools. confirmed this statement.
saying it was especially true in the high
schools. The graded schools. he said.
o,,II I&o ko,,- ~.
NAL School, who had not been perma-
nently assigned positions as teachers.
An extraordinarily large number are
available for substitute work this year.
In the high schools, however, it is re-
quired by law that the teacher shall
have college degree and certain other
qualifications. Hence, it is said. substi-
easily obtained. Those obtained. it is
explained, are for the most part married
women who formerly taught in one OF
the high schools. or applicants for a reg
ular appointment for a leadership who
have passed the necessary examination
to qualify them. The number of available
members Of this last class. say the school
officials, is very small, inasmuch as the
persons who are awaiting regular ap-
pointments usually seek other employ
ment.
Must Be Taught Regularly.
Furthermore, 1t is asserted, the sub
jects taught in the high schools. includ-
ing languages. mathematics and similar
studies. are such that a person must
teach them regularly to teach them eff
flciently. This qualification. it is pointed
out. cannot always be strictly required
when a substitute teacher must be had,
perhaps, on an hours notice.
The employment of regular substitute
teachers in the high schools might be
used to some extent, it is further urged.
as a probationary school. The substi-
tutes employed would be marked accord
ing to their efficiency, and when q va
cancy occurred in the high schools the
most efficient Of the substitutes would be
assigned to the position.
The plan of hiring a regularly paid
corps of teachers is most modern sys-
tenn. according to the school chiefs. 1t
IL employed in several large cities sue
cessfully. says Mr.. Kramer.