The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-11-30
GOVERNMENT AID
IN FINDING TEACHERS
There Are $4,000 Vacant Places and 12o,-
600 Teaching Who Have Never
Taught Class Before.

Fifty thousand teachers places vacant
and 100000 persons are teaching this
year who have never before taught a
class. Several thousand schools have ac
tually closed or have remained unopened
because it was impossible for the local
trustees to find teachers for them. The
lowered standards in many places and
the total lack of instruction in others
mean a loss to the children of the nation
which cannot be replaced.
The shortage of teachers affects nearly
every state in the union. Many urgent
requests have been made for the assist.
ance of the United States bureau of edu-
cation, for it is clearly impossible for
some of the states to man their schools
with the teachers available in their own
borders.
President Wilson has been moved by
this condition. He has directed the es-
Enlistment in the bureau of education
of "A new division to assist local officers
in finding teachers to meet the emergen-
ey, and he has written an open letter of
appeal to all who are qualified and able
to teach, urging them to signify their
willingness to do so by registering with
the new school board service division of
the bureau of education, in Washington
Schools seeking teachers will be put in
touch with registrants, with-the expecta.
tion Of employment in the regular way.
No charge whatever will be made To
either the registrants or to the schools
for the service.
It is well known that in every commu-
nifty there are women who formerly
taught, whose husbands are now in the
army or in other branches of the govern
ment service, or whose homes do not de-
mand all their time Such women are
specially needed in the schools now
High schools all over the country have
suffered from the demand for men Of
scientific training Tor service in NUM-
ton plants, the chemical warfare branch
of the army and the like. The shortage
Of teachers of chemistry and physics is
particularly acute. 1t is pointed out that
this shortage might be met in many
cases If physicians, pharmacists and 9TH
er professional men would take classes
in nearby schools for part of each day.
Manual training departments have suf-
fered at least as much as the scientific
branches, for they require men as teach
ers more than any other kind Of high
school work. Here, too, it is suggested by
those in charge of the bureau Of educa,
tons new division that the part time
plan might well be applied There are
many skilled mechanics who have had
high school education and would make
excellent teachers if they would consent
to assist even temporarily in the work of
| the schools.
The commissioner of education calls
upon all these classes Of people to per-
form public service which would be not
only important to the nation but profit
able to themselves as well. No finer dis
play of patriotism could be made than
by teaching during the emergency that
now exists. All who are fitted for the
work are urged to heed the appeals OF
the government officers and tender their
services to the local school authorities
and to register with the United States
F, bureau of education, Washington.