New Britain herald., 1919-11-06
100000 TEACHERS
 ARE NEEDED IN Us
Training Glasses Showing Marked
 Decrease

bulletins reativc to the teacher prob fem and the junior high school to the members of the school committee, More than 100000 teaching posi- tions in the public schools or the United States are either vacant or flii- cd by teachers below standard. and the attendance at normal schools and teacher training schools has dccreaSrI 20 per cent. in the last three years. These startling facts are shoWW by the conplc,e report or an investigation Dy tho N F.. 4.
 .Letturs were sent out by the asSO- ciatioI1 in September to every county and district supcrint endcnt in the |. S. asking for certain definite information. Signed statements were sent by NOra than 1700 supCrintendCntS, from every state representing 23S.373 teachinG positions These report an actual shortage Of 14,683 teachers. Q" slightly more than per cent. of the teaching positions represented, and 23.006 teachers below standard who have been accepted to fill vacancies or slightly less than 10 per cent, It is estimated that there arc 62o,ooo teaching positions in the public schools of the U. S, and if these fig ures hold good for the entire country there are 39.000 vacancies and Go,00O teachers below standard.
 '"Thesc same superintendcntS re- port that 52.79S teachers dropped out during the past year, d loss of over 22 per cent. On this basis the total nun1- ber for the entire country would be 143,000. The reports show that the shortage of teachers and the number of teachers below standard arc great est in the rural districts, where sal aries are lowest and teaching cOndi- tionS least attractive.
 ''The states in which salaries and standards arc highest have the most nearly adequate supply of teachers. California shows a, combined shortage and below standard of 31 1-2 per cent; Massa chusetts shows 1-2 per cent. and Illinois per cent. In at least six of the southern states moro than one third of their schools are reported either without teachers or being taught by teachers below their stand ards.
 Nearly all of the uperintendents declare that teachers salaries have not increased in proportion to the in creased cost Of living, nor salaries
 
 teachers are continuing to leave the profession for other work. Classes Are Smaller. Reports received by the N E.. A. from normal school presidents show that the attendance in these teacher training institutions has fallen off alarmingIy. The total attendance in 7S normal schools and teacher training schools located in 33 different states for the year 1916, was 33, ,051. In 1919 the attendance in these same schools had fallen to 26,134. The total number in the graduating classes of 1920 in these 78 schools is 7,119 These figures show decrease of over 30 per cent. in four years in the fin ished product of these schools. The presidents of these institu- tions state that in order to induce , promising young men and women to enter the teaching profession and thereby furnish the country an ade- ! Quate supply of competent, well , trained teachers, there must be: l Higher salaries for trained teach-
 CTS;
 ''Higher professional standards, ex- l cluding the incompetent and unrra- l pared.
 "A more general recognition by the ! public of the importance of the teach , jig profession;
 More liberal appropriations to 1 state normal schools and teacher training schools in order to pay better
 Nf,laries in these institutions and fur ] nish better equipm ent; l Extending the courses and raisin Q 1 he standards in the teacher r-training i schools.
 1 Why not give the question of in
 creased saladies for teachers a rest 1 and work for higher standards and
 ideals? Answer this question yourself 1 remembering the following facts: 1 Great mum bers of the strongest 1 and best teachers are stil! leaving the l profession because of inadequate pay l The number of teachers in the , public schools this year below 2l 1 rcars of age is greater even than <, during the war.
 The attendance at teacher train ing institutions is twenty per cent Jess than in 1916. and county super l Iltendcnts report that very few young iHcn and women now look forward , 70 teaching as life career.
 Well qualified and successful 1 teachers are more capable of obscrv- | ing higher standards and of living 1 l!cals.
 The Jnn;or High School.
 'What is meant by the "Junior High school?
 The junior High school in the l AarrOW but correct sense as a special i institutiop, we should say that it is
 that portion or department of tho
 nUblic school system above the sixth 1 elementary grade, including the sev- ] rnilr and eighth, and usually the
 mint h also, which is organized under