New-York tribune., 1920-02-16

III OuGnC not TO De necessary 10 90
more than state the facts Of the situ-
declared Miss Olive Jones, secretary
of tho Federation Of Teachers Asso-
Citations, yesterday. "The situation is
desperate. Teachers are leaving the
schools in focks, and far too few are
coming in to fill their places. The
quality of those coming in, too, is 50
low that it will weaken the strength Of
the system for many years.
Children Sent Home
For Lack Of Teachers
"Children arc being sent home daily
for lack of teachers; there are not
enough even of substitutes to take
care of the work. The whole system is
golnG down hill at rapidly increas-
ing pace. There are various kinds Of
trouble in the system, but there al
ways have been, and the thing that is
making the sudden danger is the low
salaries. The conditions can never be
corrected till the school system is abl-
to compete with the business world Oh
something like even terms, and that
means more money. In fact, the in
creases ought to be good deal bigger
than those that are asked, both to meet
This plan of the federation's, in gen
eral, has the support of the higher
school officials, though DR.. Ettnger
and others in close association with
him are not committed to any particu-
lar schedule of increase. They all
agree the crisis can be met only by
some drastic salary raises, however.
and most of them believe the amount
the teachers are asking Is less than
they are entitled to.
"Salaries must be raised to point
where they wiz make teaching attrac-
tive, instead OF calling for heavy sac
rifces,"' declared Superintendent Ettin-
ger. Every competent teacher is max
ing the public forced present of
hundreds of dollars to-day.
"One Of the worst features Of the
situation is the lowering Of stand
ards. Now we have to scrape the
country in our vain efforts to keep
the force full We have to take al
most every one that comes, and can
not choose the competent and those
with proper personalities. Give us
adequate salaries, and we will have
enough applicants, SO that instead we
will be able to choose only the best
from among the lot. The increase in
the morale and the value of the teach
iiiS 1OISc Will DC lHCdlCuldDIC. Every
bit of it will be Of direct and measure
less benefit to the community, both now
and in the days when the children
whose future depends on these teach
ers become citizens.
Albany Is Expected
To Help Teachers
"Help must come from Albany. The
local authorities are too closely con-
cerned with keeping down the tax rate
to be able to give sufficient weight
to the larger view of the situation"
DR.. Ettinger did not add that the
long standing quarrel between the
Board of Education, and especially the
school administration, and the Board
OF Estimate has developed such bitter
ness that the attempt to get the school
salaries increased by action of the city
authorities would be extremely diff
dcult. President La Guardia. Of the
Board of Aldermen, for example, is
entirely convinced Of the need of
greatly increased salaries, but he is
also suspicious of the Board Of Edu-
cation, and fears that money appropri-
ated would be diverted to other ac
counts, as the city officials charge has
creases under "cast iron" agreement
only. The Mayors opposition to in
creased salaries has been stated re-
peatedly. Comptroller Craig is sus-
picious Of the whole agitation.
THE Board of Education should d.
rect its inquiries to ascertaining def
nitely whether children are being sent
home from schools because of lack of
teachers, or because teachers have been
improperly assigned by superintendents
to schools where they are not required,
and to the detriment Of the children in
the schools where they are required, !"
he said. "The school superintendents
have reported an actual shortage Of 348
teachers, and that something like 10 900
children a day are being sent home.
Such an investigation may disclose that
there Is shortage of teachers Just as
there Is shortage Of workers in every
other walk Of life.