New Britain herald., 1916-09-09

Totals 321
 Attention is further invited to these important facts:
 Of the 10 teachers employed in the elementary grades in June, 1916, only 40 or 36 3-1O per cent. were of the force of elementary teachers employed in 1909 and only sixteen teachers, or IA IA per cent of the teaching force in June, 1916, were in the same schools and doing the same grade of work as in 1909.
 During the seven years from 1909 to 1916, 213 different teachers were employed to fill maximum Of no positions, so that the teaching force of the elementary schools changed approximately 1 9-1O times in the seven years.
 In order to avert failure, place strength where it was most needed, and place weakness where it would i do the least harm, teachers have fre- uuently been transferred (some be- 1 cause of their strength and others be- cause of their weakness) making the l total number of assignments ap
 preciably larger than the number of 1 different teachers employed, namely 1 321 or 9-1O times the maximum number of positions existing. The foregoing statement with ref erence to the changes in the teaching force of the High and Grammar schools and the interesting and inn portant facts gathered from Miss Fall Ions valuable report with reference to the elementary grades, reveals situation that is far from satisfactory. It is undoubtedly true that the ef- ficiency of the schools is being af- fected by the lack of stability in the teaching much more seriously and to a greater degree than is safe or should be necessary and that the lack of stability is on the increase since the schools are losing the ex- perienced and efficient teachers faster than they are supplying them.
 A problem of serious importance IS ; thus presented for consideration.
 How are the schools to be kept sup ] piled with a due proportion of ex- perienced teachers and how are eff | cient teachers to be retained in the , schools? i
 So far as the High and Grammar schools are concerned the problem is that of the retention of the efficient teachers and two things seem to offer
 
 problem.
 To, so far as possible, appoint as large a proportion as possible, Of teachers in these schools who are resi- dents of Connecticut provided they i are able to offer the necessary qualifi- !! cations. It is true that it is not al- ways possible to carry out this policy but neverth eless the policy should be JT1j11 have some considerable effect upon tho sta biity Of the teaching force.
 To readjust the salary schedules in these schools so that they may be placed upon a fair basis for compe- titfon with other schools in this sec ton.
 The teachers who leave are, as a rule, able teachers whose services are considered by other schools of a high CT value than the New Britain schools have been able to offer.
 So long as the present differences exist between our own salary schedules and those of other towns and cities around us our own schools must continue to suffer the constant loss of able teachers.
 So far as the elementary schools are concerned, it would seem that ger ; ,ain changes in our present plan of filling vacancies in the teaching force should be given careful consideration.
 Since instability is increased by the present custom of filling nearly all va ,ancies in the elementary grades with inexperienced graduates of the local Normal school, preferably those who [ are residents of New Britain, taken rom the list in the order of rank, ! he only requirement for eligibility