The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-06-03

VI I4AC DOdl u Vi COuCdJlOu Ill dQOl
schools.
What's in a Name?
The teachers find mo magic
in the name" of the new plan,
declaring that the system may
be good or bad, depending on
how it Is worked out. They ask
a number Of thought-provoking
questions which the board might
we'll answer before they attempt
the complete reorganization of
the schools.
In view of the fact that the parents
and teachers have been the most in
terested in the schools for the good of
the children and community, they
want to know what the board is go
ing to do, the Men Teachers fedora
ton asserts, especially when the par
ents vote for increased expenditures
on school buildings at the same time
they criticize board expenditures and
tax increases.
Some Of the queries in the report
are:
To Avoid New Buildings?
Are we to have junior high schools
established for the seventh, eighth
and ninth grades to avoid building
more expensive four-year high school
buildings? And are we then to have
the elementary schools of the first six
grades reorganized into the factory
platoon system, which every parent
and teacher of younger children would
oppose if the plans were known?
When an overcrowded grade school
is taken over for junior high school,
are the smaller children to be scat
tered to distant elementary schools
(where they can be housed under the
platoon system) and be required to
travel long distances, take their noon
lunches away from home, cross busy
streets, possibly street car tracks and
boulevards? Is this to be done to
save money? Or is the reorganization
being thoroly worked out to provide
better and more adequate educa-
tional system than we have ever had?
We do not know
To Increase Child Labor?
Are these junior high schools in
tended to provide means Of rushing
so per cent Of the pupils thru the
course of study in less than the pre-
scribed three years, as is done, &C
cording to the report of the educa-
tional commission, in the New York
schools? We do not know.
Are these schools to establish de-
partmental work that pupils may take
vocational subjects so that they can
become cheap help in blind alley jobs
in restaurants, stores, shops, factories,
ETC., instead of developing the ability
to think, feel, act and react as eff
cient, intelligent, sympathetic and
loyal social beings?
Speed UP System7
Will they be schools where pupils
play speed game to pile up credits
in vocational and industrial subjects,
or is the program to be enriched and
varied, provided with social studies
intended to develop truly intelligent
citizenship?
AS the building program progresses,
is it intended that we are to have
schools built that will accommodate
more than 1000 pupiIs-the maximum
limit in size that should be consid-
cred?
Are children to be subjected to a
school day longer than FIVE hours,
thus depriving them OF the freedom
and out-of-doors play most necessary
for their future health and efficiency?
VIII there be established a salary
schedule that will attract into these
schools the best teachers that can be
| had?
To all these questions and many
others no answer has been supplied
by school authorities.
The statement was prepared by the
executive board Of the Chicago FEEDER
alton of Men Teachers and authorized
by that body to be sent to the news
papers and to be printed and distrib-
uted to all high school teachers. 1t
is signed by v. o. Graham, secretary,
and e. B. Collette, president.