New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-13
] ,O2l designations Were Handed In Last Year and
$50 Appontees Declined to Accept Low Salaries;
200 Vacancies Expected i'm City Next Autumn

In. some respects the breakdown of
New Yorks public school system is di-
rectly traceable to division of re-
sponsibility among several groups and
individual municipal and state officials.
But the most important manifestation
of this breakdown is the shortage of
teachers, and this teacher shortage is
nationwide.
There is trustworthy data to show
that 100000 individuals withdrew from
the teaching profession in the United
States last year because they could not
afford to remain in it. The situation is
as bad. If not worse, here than in the
other large cities. Certainly the evil
effects will be much harder to over
come.
The New York system is the largest
in Che world, numbering $50 buildings.
In this vast plant the perishable raw
material is the student body, $4,000
pupils. The $4,000 teachers are the
operators, highly skilled. and, there
fore, difficult to replace. The operators
are leaving the system faster than they
can be replaced. v ut requirements
are being obtained are not as desirable
as the teachers who are leaving.
Pupils Increasing Annually
The quality, the skillfulness, is being
| diluted dangerously. But the raw ma
terial, the pupils, is increasing an
nually, and as it increases the break
down of the system will become more
evident.
Last year 1890 teachers left the sys-
TEN. Out of this number 81 died, 155
retired because Of old age, 23 were dis
missed for ineficiency or better rea-
sons, and 1.021 resigned. These resir
nations were distributed as follows:
1856 from the elementary schools, 121
from high schools, 3 from training
schools and IL from vocational schools
Since 1915 the number of designations
has grown annually, as follows: 1856
445, $50, 826 and, last year, 1921.
The greatest number of designations
for single month was received in Sep
TENDER. the first month of the school
year. There were sos then, 249 in Octo-
Der and 1871 in November Unless the
financial condition Of the school teach
ers is altered before next September
there may be expected an even greater
number Of designations.
Schools May BE Fcminized
There are about 1000 men teachers.
and 1879 of those who resigned were
men, SO per cent of the male personnel
and S32 were women, about per cent
of the personnel. The figures indicate
that the schools will be COMPLETELY
feminized if the teaching profession is
not made more attractive to men. Dr.
John l.. Tildsley, associate supcrintend-
ent OF schools in charge of high schools,
in discussing the situation said:
ut is estimated that after all eligible
lists of teachers available for appoint
ment have been exhausted in Septcm-
Der next 1000 vacancies will exist in
elementary schools and 200 in high
schools, with no one to fill them. Of
2,52l teachers appointed to elementary
schools last year 558 declined appoint
ment because they were holding more
profitable positions in other lines of
work
"This condition promises to grow
steadily worse. Teachers for the ee-
mentary schools come, for the most
part, from the training schools and
the normal schools. These schools
everywhere report decreased enroll
ment. The training schools of New
York City have decreased their en-
rollment from 2039 students in Feb
ruary, 1915, to ,055 in February. 1920.
The students entering the training
schools have dropped from 461 in Feb
ruary, 1915, to $50 in February, 1920.
Doing Outside Work
"High school teachers come chiefly
from the colleges. In the graduating
class OF Vassar no girl is. planning to
enter teaching. Smith College, which