The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-02-16
Editorial
of the Day
THE END OF THE TEACHER
SHORTAGE
(From Dallas News)

n Drle1 ulSpatch 1rOm Denton the
other day reported that the school
teacher shortage was a thing OF the
past in that country. The school
authorities, it was stated, have more
applications for positions than po-
sitions. So it probably is through
out the state. Our war prosperity
created thousands of commercial Jobs
and fattened those which had prev
iously existed, and it was the golden
lure that these held forth which
caused so many thousands of teach
ers TO desert the schools. They are
being driven back into them by a
reversal of the cause which en-
ticed them away. 1t is n condition
which was foreseen by every one, un-
less it may be supposed that the
teachers were blithely oblivious of this
inevitable reaction. To suppose that
they were would not credit them with
that understanding of the laws which
govern our economic and industrial
life That one might regard as a neces,
sary qualification for teaching. Never
theless, they responded to the lure
with an alacrity and eagerness which
the promise of the present day as
pledge for the indefinite future.
That there is now plentiful sup
ply Of teachers relieves school autihori-
ties of sore embarrassment, but it
does not solve the teacher problem.
If 1pavnc IL funda mnntallv what Il u-aa
1t is still the problem of quality, and
not the problem Of quantity. If there
is an abundant supply Of teachers, We
may be sure that the supply Of com
petent teachers is still inadequate al
most everywhere. OF that kind the
supply was inadequate even before
the hectic prosperity of war times, and
it will not be less so even when all
those who deserted renew their fealty
to that profession. Besides. the prob
lem of assuring an adequate supply
of competent teachers will not be
solved so long as it is subject 10 in
fluences which fluctuate it to changes
in the conditions of commerce and in
dustry. A pronounced revival of pros
perity would convert a surplus into
deficiency of teachers. The teachers
have not gone back to the schoolhouss
out of desire; but out of necessity
Most Of those who have gone bacl; will
remain only so long as it is neces-
sary. To assure permanence of an
adequate supply, we must inspire
them with the desire to remail, which
is TO say that we must make teaching
at least as remunerative as clerical
work ORDINARILY is
There are not many places in our
social economy where competent serv-
ice will pay higher return on tho
cost Of getting it than the schoolhouse.
The average of competence in teaching
is probably lower than it is in any
other pursuit, and yet of all pursuits
teaching is the one in which all of us
have the largest and most important
concern. 1t Is There, for this reason.
that we should put a large part of
our supply of first class brains. To tho
service OF that kind OF brains our
schools have as high claim as any
VI Nllt IlSAlNuNIOHS anu luuuSlIltS llldl
minister to the social welfare. Ability
can render as valuable a service
In the schoolhouse as it can in the
bank, in the court, in the counting
room, in the pulpit, in the governors
office or in the legislative halls. But
the average Of ability found in the
schoolhouse is much lower than the
average ability found in any OF those
other places, ami for the obvious rea-
son That in these other places ability
is much better paid than 1t is in the
schoolhouse.
And ability, in the sense Of the
schoo,house's need, is not altogether
n matter of professional requirement.
Pedagogy is an art as we'll as a science
and one may have mastered the
science OF 1t without being able to
command the art OF It, The ability TO
teach is in large part robbed Of
its practical value when IL is unac-
ccmpanied by the ability to inspire
the pupil with interest and enthus-