New-York tribune., 1920-02-12

There are now 348 teaching
impossible to fill, for the same reaso
"The salary is the whole trouble, -
says DR.. William L. Ettinger, City Su-
perntendent of Schools. "The business
world is bidding for our best teachers
and getting them. We must set the
current the other way. Unless we have
something with which to pull against
the commercial competition we can
never do this. 1t is not that the teach
ers do not love their work-they simply
cannot stand up under the present
pressure" i.
Teachers Lose by Fidelity
Every teacher who has stuck 70 his or
her post through the last five years has
lost heavily, and every teacher who has
gone in has received a smaller return.
The buying power of the salaries of the
new teachers, who stand at the bottom
OF the scale, has dropped from $720 in
1914 to S512 to-day, even after all in
creases have been figured in, while that
scale, has fallen from $500 to s2,0o1.
| The result of this actual reduction in
pay shows in the following facts
Almost fifty thousand New York
J school children are being sent home
from the schoolhouses every week be-
cause there is no one to teach them.
Twice as many are doubled up"
with other classes, condition which
almost destroys the educational value
of the school day for them, as we'll as
for the equal number with whom they
are doubled"
The efforts of the Board of Examin-
ners to keep up the tremendously in~-
creased supply of teachers needed has
resulted in lowering the qualifications
demanded to the point where people
are receiving certificates who five
years ago would not have had a fight
ing chance.
Children Poorly Trained
This degeneration in New York's pub
lie school system has already gone so
! far that thousands of children are get
ting almost the poorest possible instead
of the best possible training, SO far that
in spite of modern science and progress
in the art of teaching the education
provided for many of the city's young
sters is little better than that which,
footed sufferers in log cabins by the
hickory rods of jean clad school marms
and masters.
New York is not alone in this degen-
Grafton.
The whole country is affected The
actual shortage of teachers, when the
schools opened in the fall, was above
6 per cent-from $4,000 to 100000; while
nearly 10 per cent, or about SIS 900, were
"below standard" More than % per
cent of all teachers in the United States
roc Crno
900. Everywhere low pay is given as
the cause.
AS a result Of these conditions the
gravest alarm is felt not only in New
York, and not only by professional edu-
Gators, but throughout the country,
and by all who are familiar with
the situation. Tho fact that she very
foundation of democracy is education,
and the further fact that this country
is facing. menacing problems in the
Amcricanization Of foreigners and their
children which can be solved only by
education, are emphasized by educators
and public men alike.
eve need to tackle the problem as
a great national ISSUE" said Profes-
sor George D. Strayer, of Teachers
College, yesterday. "Does our Amer
lean democracy promise equality Of op-
portunity? If it does, are there to be
some children who are not taught, or
who are taught by illiterate and incom-
| joying the maximum of opportunity
| Are we to face a steady deterioration
in our public school system without
a protest that will rescue our democ-
racy and our ideals from the tremen-
dous danger that now threatens them
Situation Called Desperate
"The crisis is here. The situation
| is desperate. If America is to be saved
and democracy is to prevail, it will
be because the public school system
provides us with trained and intelli-
gent citizenship"
The fact that New York's danger is
| intensified by the vast proportions OF
the Americanization problem center
| local political and educational authori-
ties.
eve can afford to economize better
on everything else for which the. city
spends money than on our educational
SYSTEM" declared President La Guardia
of the Board of Aldermen. "The teach
ers are the most important of all per-
sons in a democratic system of govern
ment. Without education, and educa-
tion of the highest type, education
that will make our future citizens fl
to meet the responsibilities as well
as to enjoy the privileges Of democ-
racy, our democracy will fail. 1t has
been lack of education that ruined
Russia, leaving her people prey tc
demagogues. Lack Of education ruined
the Balkans. Give the southern Slavs
schools, and the troubles of the Bal.
kans will soon be over. Here we are
to-day failing to give decent education
to those Of foreign birth who have
come here, and allowing their children
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