The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-06
STATEMENT ISSUED
 BY DR. PHILLIPS Abiding to Case of Miss Amelia Warrington DUTIES OF TEACHERS Board of Education's Established Policy Is That No Outside Work
 Can Interfere With
 School Duties

pr. J. H. Phillips, superintendent of the
 Birmingham schools, issued a formal
 statement yesterday regarding the mis-
 understanding which arose over Miss
 Amelia Worthingtons attendance at the
 teachers training school.
 In some circles 1t was rumored that
 the cessation of Miss Worthngton's s
 school duties was on account of her ac- tive suffrage work. That seems not to have been the case. 1t was announced yesterday that Miss Worthington, as are all students in that work, was placed
 on the 30 days probation, and is at this
 time attending the school as she orig inally planned. Miss Warrington and pr. Phillips held a conference yester- day afternoon, and it is announced that the entire situation has been completely adjusted.
 The official statement of Dr. Philips points out that the work assumed by those in the training school demands all
 their time and as in the case of all stu
 dents Miss Worthington had been ad- monshed not to permit any outside work to interfere with her school duties That
 policy of the teachers training school to refrain from all outside work is car rled to the superintendent, principals and teachers of the schools of Birmingham and is an established policy of the board of education.
 The statement of Superintendent Phil lips follows
 "The work of the Birmingham Train ing School for Teachers is strenuous, and requires all the time of its members As only limited number can be accom- modated. those who are admitted are ad- monshed to permit no outside duties to interfere with their work.
 'It has always been the policy of the board of education to require the super intendent principals and teachers of the public schools to refrain from such ac- tive participation in outside work, wheth- CT social or commercial, sectarian or political, as would tend to interfere with the efficiency of the service, or to men ace the welfare of the schools by the introduction of factional strife. Member ship in any organization Is a personal right, with which there never has been and never should be any interference.
 There never has been any effort to interfere with personal convictions or to restrict liberty of speech, except when the indiscreet exercise of these personal rights conflicts with the larger welfare of the children of the schools, which represent all classes and cults and all
 shades of religious ana political faiths. Tn accordance with it's long estab-
 1ished policy. the board of education l insists that tho teachers in training as well as in service shall conform to this requirement. The abandonment of this policy means the ultimate destruction of the schools of the people.
 Now, as to the case of the young lady who has served a month of probation in the training school there seems to have been considerable apprehension of the facts. She has been simply requested to conform to the requirements of this general policy of the board of educa- tion, and has been very properly notified that no outside work, whatever It's char acter, will be allowed to conflict with the duties and obligations she has assumed in the school"