New-York tribune., 1920-02-22
Inquiry Started
Into Teachers
Shortage Here
Prall Calls Meeting of the
! Board Of Education for
Tuesday; Asks Finley
for. School Survey Aid
Cut in Increase Protested
High School Instructors Say
&. They Have Not Received
All the Raise Due Them

Aiming S. Prali, president Of the
BOARD of Education, yesterday began q
! movement for an investigation into the
reported shortage Of teachers in New
York City. As a preliminary step Mr..
Prail telegraphed to State Education
Commissioner Finley asking that the
State School Survey Committee be al
! lowed to direct part Of the investi-
cation.
"The Board Of Education Of New
! York City has directed its committee
OF the whole to make full investiga-
ton of the shortage of teachers in this
city and Of the various salary increase
proposals." Mr.. Prall telegraphed. "The
! stay Of the school survey. if waived to
the extent Of allowing the survey COM
pnittec to direct considerable part Of
The investigation, would be of great
assistance. Will you remove the stay
to this extent? May we not expect a
decision now upon the right Of the
board to conduct the school survey
halted by your stay Of last October?"
{ In message to the members Of the
Board of Education Mr.. Prall calls fo-
preliminary session to take place
Tuesday, when the question Of holding
public sessions will be discussed
Meeting Called for Tuesday
"At the last meeting Of the Board
. Of Education" this message reads, "the
, committee Of the whole was instructed
to investigate the shortage Of teachers
and of substitute teachers and to con-
slider the various proposals for increas-
ing salaries. ] have decided to call the
committee into session next Tuesday
. 10 begin the investigation. At that
time l shall ask you to give thought to
the Importance Of holding public ses-
sions at which members of the Board
! of Estimate and members Of the Legis-
/. iature shall be invited to discuss plans
for taking the testimony of the Su-
perintendent Of Schools, the members
Of the board of superintendents and
examiners as TO conditions within
their knowledge and the proposals
that they have made to remedy them.
"In this way the members of the
Board Of Education will be completely
informed about the extent to which
the schools lack teachers and will be
correct conditions.
at is unfortunate that the continued
failure Of the State Commissioner Of
Education to hand down ruling upon
the right of the Board Of Education to
conduct a thorough school survey has
stayed investigation authorized by the
Board Of Education"
Meanwhile several hundred teachers
protested to Commissioner Finley
against the cut Of one-third of the
total increase due to high school teach
ers In the city, which, it is said, has
! been made in the salaries paid under
date of February IS.
Protest Against Reduction
The protest, which is said to have
been sent from every high school
under the New York board, and which
Is addressed personally to the Com
missioner, reads;
"Some time ago New York news
paper quoted you as saying that the
proposed cut Of one-third the $3.50 an
nual increase due high school teachers
in New York was illegal and could not
be done.
"This cut has been made in the sal
aries Of teachers whose increase was
due February I, as the payroll, made
out on February 10, shows, so that ii
81 monthly increase instead of the
usual $12 has been given.
This SO deduction taken from the
SIS granted January l, leaves the
actual increase over former schedules