New-York tribune., 1920-05-20
Nation Needs
Teachers for
100000 Pupils
Conditions Next Year Will
BE Worse With Net Loss
of 10000 Instructors i'm
Elementary Institutions
Uaxton Gives Statistics
Tells Citizens Conference
of Difficulties Facing
Education Over Country

from INC 1rfbunc'S Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, May 19. More than
100000 children in the United States
were deprived of schooling during the
last year because of the shortage of
teachers, the National Citizens Con-
terence on Education was Informed to-
day by Commissioner of Education
P. 2. Claxton. The conference opened
a three-day session, with nearly 500
educators present
American elementary schools arc
facing net loss of $4,000 teachers
next year, Commissioner Claxton said.
There will be 10000 vacancies and
only 10000 graduates of teacher train
ing institutes to fill them.
Inc new conditions require that the
schools shall be more efficient and moro
effective than they have been in the
past DR.. Claxton asserted "We are
faced with the danger that they may
not be as effective as in the past.
mere seems little chance of immediate
relief
The rapidly growing number of sub
standard teachers is another serious
problem" he said. "More than half
the teachers Of the nation-35O OOOO-
are not prepared on any reasonable
basis for the work Of teaching, a rea-
sonable basis being understood to mean
the MINIMUM standard that progressive
communities have long insisted upon
two years of professional training be-
yond the four-year high school course.
"The graduates of normal schools
this year will be 25 per cent fewer than
in 1916. They will total about 10000"
Practically all the delegates testified
to critical condition, with the excep-
ton of Kansas and Massachusetts.
George NJ. Wiley, Deputy Commissioner
for New York State, said that condi-
tons were serious in New York, espe-
cially in the larger cities, but that the
state authorities felt "buoyant" be-
cause of the new legislation making
available more than $2O,0OO,OO0 for
teachers salaries.
G. II. Reavis, Deputy State Commits
sioner of Maryland, said teachers from
his state had been attracted into the
war-expanded government departments
IN Washington and into the numerous
wartime manufacturing developments
in Maryland.
State Superintendent E. W. Butter
field, of New Hampshire, told how the
state department of public instruction
IN his state was trying to interest lead
ing citizens in teaching as profession
that only needed certain changes to
make it one Of the most attractive
vocations. For his state he was urg-
ing adequate teachers pension pro
visions, tenure Of office, recognition Of
merit and employment on a twelve
months basis. He also had recon-
mended the plan Of a teachers council
for all the districts Of his state. urban
and rural, so that teachers might feel
h1l VT ~, ,lot, -,
school policies.
+. G. Miller. recently reapponted b.
President Wilson as commissioner Of
education for Porto Rico, described tc
the conference some of the difficultie.
of education in territory where
100000 children Of school age were not
in school, whore teachers salaries were
even lower than in the United States
and whore there were frequently eighty
pupils to the class
state superintendent c. P Cary, O
Wisconsin. warned the conferencc nc.
to get too far away from the salals
problem IN attempting to remedy tn
shortage situation. Superintendent N
L. Shawkey, of West Virginia, empha.
sized the need for finding new sources
of revenue for schools.
Ask More State Aid
More liberal treatment of the schools
bby state Legislatures was urged by DR.
ClaXton at night session. He said
the conference had been called to at
tract the attention of the public to the
seriousness of the problems confront
ing the schools. There is a shortage
not only of teachers, but also of build
lngs and equipment, he said. He as
serted that 100 per cent more money
should be appropriated for educational
purposes than was needed four or five
years ago.
He pointed out that it was the best
teachers who We're leaving the schools
and their places were being filled by
less experienced substitutes.
Colonel Leonard P. Ayres, director
of education in the Russell Sage Foun-
dation, New York City, said only 96 per
cent of the children of school age arc
actually enrolled to- day