The Washington herald., 1915-10-21
TEACHERS RETIREMENT
FUND Is RECOMMENDED
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

1
practically no change in their present
opportunity for salary promotion.
THE present plan OF promotion re-
quires that a vacancy In a grade shall
be filled by promoting the teacher in the
next lower grade who has a rating OF
| excellent and who has the longest rec
ord OF longevity in the grade. Under this
plan a teacher who has been six years
| in a grade and who has been excellent
the entire period must yield in promotion
to a teacher who has been seven years
in the grade and is now rated excellent,
but who may not have had so high a
rating any other year. In other words.
her one excellent outweIghs six excel
lents.'
IF We promote by classes, recon-
mend this modification of our present
procedure: Promotion to vacancy in
higher class shall be given to the
teacher in the next lower class of present
excellent rating who has the greatest
number of excellent rating to her credit
during the preceding Ave years. In case
of tie longevity in the class shall gov
ern.' This plan will bring forward for
salary promotion the teacher Of sustained
excellence. who should be so recognized.
Urges Teacher Exchanges.
Our present promotion system recog-
nizes division lines. AS a result the OPP
portunities for promotion are not uni
form. In growing divisions, and where
group of vacancies happen to occur.
promotions are rapid. In divisions with
low enrolment vacancies may be fol-
lowed by consolidation and promotion is
blocked. The exceptionally valuable
teacher is often held back because OF her
division connections.
81 favor city-wide promotion as soon
as can secure a fair degree OF uni
fcrmity in the standards of marking of
the various supervising oticials- CITY
wide promotion means the recognition OF
the best teacher anywhere in the city
II means also a wise and healthy SHIFT
ing of teachers from division to division.
Il have had the feeling for long time
that a helpful stimulus might be anord-
ed our teaching force by the occaslonai
interchange of teachers between WASH
ington and other cities. EXPERIMENTS
along this line have been started In
few other localities. The Thought Is that
a WASHINGTON teacher might be granted
leave for one year and might be placed
nv another city in a school position at
that city's expense.
I'm exchange an excellent teacher
might be brought from the city concerned
to Washington and given temporary
appointment in our service for period
of one year. During that year her work
could be observed by our teachers ana
she also could observe our teachers
work, In the meantime the Washington
teacher would be giving and gaining in
spiration, and would return TO our sys-
TEN broadened by her experience I'm
doubtedIy the plan would result in
healthful exchange of methods and
ideas.
THE countrywide demand for voca- |
tional training and guidance was felt
in Washington with increasing force |
during the past year. Marked interest
was shown by individuals and by or
in the possibilities OF vo-
cational training for this city. The |
general subject is one that must have
serious consideration.
1T should be remembered that al
ready we are doing and have done for
some time, work that prepares TOT
work in active life. Our normal schools
are vocational schools. and have done
efficient work for many years. Our
business high schools prepare for GER
tain business positions. Our nigh
schools generally, without specially
aiming to do so. give sufficient prepa-
ration for many civil service eNami-
nations Our regular vocational schools
In the colored schools are already pre-
pairing for specific occupations"
From the section of the report re-
,erring to night schols. IL appears more
oupils are being instructed in elemen-
.ary or grade work than in secondary II
,r high school courses. OF the 4.704
,tudents who went to the night schools
turing the year. 1921 were white and
1888 colored: 2.105 were receiving
instruction and 1853 ele-
nentary education.
The report reads:
The night schools should have the
strong support of the Board of Educa-
ion and of the community, they
ihould be developed. more closely or
yanized and extended Their student
population is not made up of students
tent there by law-but OF those who
eel a need within themselves for edu
ational development, and who seek
lelp in the best way open to them.
Attend school After Work.
They come to continue an educa-
ion broken off by force of circum-
tances in the past; to meet a need
lot previously realized. or in general
o extend their educational equipment.
lost come to school after doing days
work. Their presence. considering our
present meager opportunity for serv-
ce. is a sign. written large. OF de-
nand we must meet. The community
benefits out of all proportion to ex-
,enditure through the work done at
hight"
Supt Illusion advises that the night
chool term be extended TO May. rather
han close. as at present, in March. The
ERIN begins in october. He urges that
not only should the foreign class be
with extended time, but classes
hould be established for the more ma
ure foreigners. whether they need spe-