Evening star., 1920-02-02
M'K|NLEY SCHOOL
TEACHERS STRIKE
TALES ARE DENIED
malicious Falsehoods," Say
Faculty Members, Who
Issue Statement.

Statements that teachers OF Mchin-
ley High School have planned or con-
templated either striking or resign
ing. as a protest against overcrowd-
ing Of the school with the beginning
of the second semester of the school
year. were branded today as malicious
falsehoods.
None of the school faculty processes
TO believe that a strike or wholesale
designations could help relieve tne
public school crisis here Tney de-
clare there is only one thing Tor the
teachers to do. That is to stand to-
Eether and meet the situation as best
they can. .ioping for reinforcenenis
sent by the grace OF Congress-
Committee Statement
Repudiatior of stories that the Nc
KinIey teachers were planning 10 re-
sign was made in q statement issued
today by a special committee ap-
pointed by the faculty. Miss Lillian
McCoIrn heads the committee. which
includes also Misses Bertha BirtwelI,
Ruth Stauffer. Pneora Bunnell. VIII
helmina Hartman. ]. Elmer Zearfoss
and w. G. Myers. The statement fol-
lows:
The teachers of the Mckinley Man
ual Training School empha tically deny
the statements made in the morning
papers of February 1 and February
TO the effect that they will resign OF
refuse to teach rather than accept ex-
ira work temporarily- The statement
that the Mckinley teachers are con-
templating anything in the nature of a
strike or a refusal TO teach is abso-
lutely false.
such statements wholly riSrepre
sent the attitude of the Mckinley
teachers. They are ready to cooperate
with the school authorities, and TO 60
all in their power TO meet the present
problems arising from the lack of
teachers and of school facilities ade-
Quately to provide for the class now
entering the high school.
Lack Proper Instruction.
Although the Mckinley teachers re-
iterate their loyalty to the school sys-
TEN, they feel they must protest
strongly against the injustice that is
high school as we'll as those of the en-
tering class This means that in this
high school alone the incoming class
of over 210 pupils will be without proper
obstruction This siuation was fore
seen as early as october by both prin-
cipat and faculty. and every EFFORT was
made on their part to avert this con-
dition.
The teachers at Mckinley are as
willing as any other teachers of the
system to dc all in their power in the
present crisis. but they realize, as do
the other teachers. the impossibility of
properly meeting the needs of the
pupils of their school without an i'm
mediate increase in the number of
teachers
Cause Of Controversy.
The controversy arose as result of
q faculty meeting at Mckinley last
Friday, when the committee was ap-
pointed to take up plans for accom-
moSating the additional 225 to ESQ
pupils who would enter the school at
the beginning of the new semester
today.
Two suggestions were made One
was that the new pupils be given a
vacation until Congress provides ad-
ditfonal teachers under provisions of
a pending deficiency bill. The other
was that all new pupils be taken in.
butthat the number of~hours per week
normally given to the study of each
major subject be reduced in order to
give teachers enough time to care for
the additional teaching load.
The second plan. approved by Ernest
L. Thurston, superintendent of schools,
and other administration officers, was
considered by the committee as most
practical in the circumstances, Miss
McColm said, and a report to that ef-
feet was made to the faculty.
Charges that the rumored resigna-
tions, or strike. was instigated by the
High School Teachers Union were de-
MED heatedly by members of the Nc
Kinley faculty. 1.-THE union has moth
ing to do with such matters Con-
sideration of teaching difficulties in
this school is the business of the
faculty" Miss McColm explained.
LAW of Union Forbids strike.
II was pointed out that the constitu-
tion of the union forbids strikes or
wholesale designations. Miss Alice
Deal, president of the High School
Teachers Union, said the organiza-
ticn had nothing to do with the teach
ing problems at Mckinley where
however, about three-fourths of the
faculty are members of the union.
Supt Thurston said he had heard
nothing of proposed strike in any
school, nor did he give any credence
TO reports that any large number of
teachers contt mplate resigninng.
1t is my belief" he said, that the
teachers are going TO stay at work, and,
like loyal soldiers, do the best they can
with the difficult situation. We can
not turn children away. We cannot
give any of them vacations We've
got TO admit all of them, find room
Tor them somewhere and teach them
adequate number of instructors"
Mr.. Thurston explained that actual
conditions, following the rnidyear
shift of thousand pupils from the
grades to the high schools, would not
be known in any of the schools before
the last of the week Various MANS
Tor handling additional pupils in vari-
Gus schools will have to be put in
actual operation before results of
changes can be ntellIgentIy described
he said.