The Washington herald., 1918-02-19
Dc. TEACHERS
SALARY FIGHT
GETS SUPPORT
DR.. John Van Schaick k
Writes from France Urg-
ing More Money.

All the way from France comes
an appeal for higher pay for Dis
trict school teachers.
A letter written by Rev. John
Van Schaick. president of the
Board of Education. now "over
there" received yesterday by
George E. Hamilton. acting presi-
dent of the board. urges that the
District board strive for a higher
wage for its employees.
We must drive harder for
higher paid teaching force" de-
clares Dr.. Van Schaick, so that
indianapolis and Minneapolis. New
York and Boston cannot draw away
the people we need the. most. In
fact, some of the teaching blood
and idealism of every part of our
country ought to be drawn into the
schools of Washington"
DIR. Van sehaiek Back Soon.
The same letter which lists DIR. Van
schaick among the hackers of the
Grade Teacher Unions fight for more
pay also brings the news that he will
be back in May or June, unless there
is great need which cannot now be
foreseen."
Col. Percy BicknelI, in charge of the
Belgian department of the American
Red Cross, has been detailed to Italy.
In his absence, DR.. Van Schaick acted
as commissioner. THE new commits
sioner has arrived from America" :" DR..
Van Schaick writes. so he will take
up work here in February"
Directing the attention of the Board
OF Education to the need for a high
standard among Washington teachers,
DR.. Van Schaick says:
For the sake of the children we
must get away from the idea that
these places in the public schools are
Jobs to which everybody once ap-
pointed has an inalienable right. We
must tackle this problem from the
Two sides Of paying our people enough
z 30 we get the best, and keep the best,
out at the same time fearlessly put
rout the medioces as well as the in
competent 1t means pain and tur-
moil to do II, but when the people un-
derstand that we are inspired by the
love of the thing which is all com
peliing, then they will be with us.
Children Mock AeropIanes. >
Il think Of one little school in bar
racks and sheds situated within four
miles of the German guns The shells
go over it every day and one of the
favorite amUsements of the children
is to jeer at German aeroplanes. They
seem absolutely devoid of fear. In
these rough, dangerous surroundings,
a splendid work is being done because
they have a group of devoted teach
ers who believe in the thing and are
willing to endure hardships for the
cause. delieve that our teachers in
Washington as a whole are Of this
caliber.
"I want to get all the modern ap-
paFatus and helps and buildings
that we need, but 1 want first of all
to insist that our way of advance
lies along the way of cheering and
strengthening the personnel
My dear colleagues, you know
these things better than can tell
you. These convictions are not
mine as much as they are yours. /
also know something about the
enormous practical difficulties which
you are facing. You are wondering
To ka Grhnn1a without
teachers, and 1 am wondering how
to make new barracks without
wood. We are all up against it in
this war and we have just got to
push on through"
Language Study Important.
encouragement for the continuance
of German classes in the schools is
given in another section Of the letter,
for the Germans have not stopped
learning English, he wagers.
'If we do not want such an ideal
motive" DR.. Van Schaick writes,
then we ought to study German for
the very practical one that we need
il In our business, both in war and
peace. There is some very fine sery-
ice being rendered the allied cause by
boys who speak German.
II hope that we will keep up Ger
man and push hard on the study OF
French, Italian and Spanish, and get
some Of our boys and girls to take up
Russian, Chinese and Japanese.
There is going to be a great chance
for somebody to do work in Russia.
We must strive to push the CONVEX
sational end of the language study a
little more and develop some new ma
chinery to give practice"