New-York tribune., 1920-02-18
Suggestion to Eliminate
Specialized Courses and
Use Instructors in Other
Ways Called IGNORANCE"
Pay Is Greatest Need
Lack of Qualified Men
to Lead Boys Seen as
Big Menace to Public

should be remedied by eliminating "un-
necessary activities Of the present
curriculum does not meet with the ap-
proval of DIR. W. L. Ettinger, the Su-
perintendent of Schools. DR.. Ettinger
says that the suggestion reveals ere
grettably great ignorance" on the part
of the Comptroller.
Comptroller Craig's remedy, pub
lished in The Tribune, indicated two
alternatives. The suggestion was first
made that "the Board of Education
should direct its inquiries toward as
certaining definitely whether children
are being sent home from the schools
because of lack of teachers, or because
teachers have been improperly assigned
by the superintendent to schools
where they were not required and to
the detriment of the children in the
schools where they are required"
Craig Would Cut
School Activities
Then the Comptroller adds: at ap-
pears not to have occurred to the edu-
cational authorities that to meet the
conditions following deficiency of
workers incident to the war, teachers
enough to care for every child may be
provided by suspending for the time
unnecessary activities" Mr.. Craig
continues to assert that wood work
ing, bed making, corset making, sales
manship and other novelties ought not
to be continued at the expense of in
struction in the essentials of an ele-
mentary education"
The first part of the Comptroller's
statement, Dr. Ettinger says, indicates
a state of affairs that simply does not
exist.
"Mr. Craig seeks through his budget
ary influence to exercise a certain con-
troll of the school system of New York"
the superintendent said yesterday.
"This being the case, the ignorance
regarding that system which he dis
plays in this statement is regrettabe.
"The assignment Of teachers to the
schools where they are to teach is
recognized as being one of the most
important of the functions Of the Board
of Educa ton. To this end one Assooi-
ate Superintendent of Schools has been
especially designated to control this
branch Of the work. His functional
assignment and that of his staff is to
look after the distribution of teach
ers, and nothing else. The whole.1 or
ganization of his office works to the
end that such distribution should be
made solely with regard to the par
ticular and changing needs of each
school as 1T comes under considera
ton.
carried through with the utmost care.
No teachers are assigned to schools
whore they are not needed, and no
school suffers from the lack of teachers
who are improperly assigned elsewhere.
Whatever disability is suffered is d.
rectly due to the fact, so often repeated,
that we cannot get at the present
salaries, teachers of the required
caliber in sufficient numbers properly
to all the vacant assignments.
Particular Need.
Are Watched Over
mot only are the assignments of
teachers made with special regard to
the Quantitative needs of the various
schools, but especial care is also taken
TO consider the particular needs of the
different types of schools. Schools ac-
commodating the last two grades re-
quire more teachers and more specially
qualified teachers than those dealing
only with the earlier grades. All these
factors have to be carefully considered
and are carefully considered. There is
no reason or foundation for any claim
chat it is otherwise.
The idea that the domestic science
=. and vocational training classes should
be discontinued or suspended in order
ho
T. elementary classes is equally impossi-
, BILE. The suspension of the domestic
science classes and the classes in
woodworking and similar manual train
ing would not, in fact, add a single
teacher to the list of those elipible
Tor appointment to elementary classes
1T would only remove from the voca-
tional classes number of children
VINO would then be thrown back on the
hands of the already overworked force
OF elementary teachers
MS tor two reasons. In the first
place the vocational class teachers are
each OF them specialists in their par
tIcular line, and in the majority of
cases are not qualified to teach other
subjects than those in which thew have
specialized. To stop them teaching
would not help the elementary teach
ers 1t would simply work hardship
among the vocational teachers.
Transfers Barred
BY Statutes Here
But there is more important
Po'ht. These expert instructors are
llcersed to teach only their special
classes They are not authorized to
w elemental teaching, and to transfe
them from vocational to elementary
work would be illegal venture to
say that If such thing were At
,emped Comptroller Craig would be
'ne nrst man to protest the paw roll
ana ne would be right. We cannot
iegaiiy engage teachers who are quail.
ned Tor one line of work and then
switch them to line for which thev
are not licensed.
we have not the least intention Of
aoahdoning our vocational classes
winch are the result of twenty vears
or progress. We shall not turn tbe
hands OF the educational clock hack.
ward, and do not believe that fhe
people OF New York wish us to. Neu
Workers demand for their children the
best education in the world. and ws
are trying to give it to them"
Referring to the opinion expressed
by F. H. La Guardia. president of The
Board of Aldermen, to the effect that
he would favor salary increases only
under cast iron agreement which
would prevent the money appropriated
for the purpose being diverted fo1
other purposes by the educational au.