Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-06-30
CURB OF TEACHER
TURNOVER SOUGHT
Frequent Shift of Instructors
Scored in Report of
N. E. A. Committee.
POLITICAL "PULL" HIT
Educators Urged to Seek Laws
Making Tenure of Positions
More Certain.
POLITICAL "PULL" HIT

/ Y vi.
Hunter superintendent of schools of
Oakland, Calf, chairman Of the COM
mlttee of 100 on the problem of
tenure of the National Education AS
sociatlon, at the opening session to-
day OF the general assembly of the
organizations sixty-second annual
convention. in the auditorium of Cen
trail High School.
Mr.. Hunter cited statistics show
ing the appalling teacher turnover
in the public schools of the country
each year and expressed the belief
that proper legislation would check
such condition.
| The state teacher turnover-the
| number of teachers required to fill
1 positions vacated by teachers leaving
| the profession in the state-totals
| llo,5bo annually. or 16 per cent of
the entire teaching profession, he
SAID The local teacher turnover. he
declared, is much in excess of this.
| In some states, he said, it reaches a
! very high percentage, much more
than one-half the teachers being new
in their positions each year, as for
| instance IS per cent in the rural
schools of Wisconsin.
Political Dismissals Mentioned.
!
| for teacher tenure legislation has
grown out of fragrant cases of polit-
| zeal dismissal which have attained
wide notoriety," said Mr.. Hunters
gross injustice has been done to in
dlvidual teachers, principals or super
! IntendentS In almost all of them
severe injury has been inflicted upon
the schools Immediately concerned,
and in all of them the hazards of
the teaching profession have been
emphasized and fine, high minded
youth discouraged from entering the
profession.
| Those who are familiar with the
danger that confronts the American
public school system today is to be
found in the attempts of groups of
machine politicians, who seek to con-
! troll, and in many instances do con-
| troll, the local government in our
| large municipalities. These machine
politicians attempt to control the ad-
ministration of the schools and use
them for political purposes. We
mean by this for purposes of patron
| studied which constitute definite
evidence of such attempts Only a
| debased and debauched school sys-
| tenn can result when one of these I'M
/ scrupulous groups dictates the ap-
pointment of teachers in the inter-
| est of political spoils. Irreparable
| damage to the youth of such an I'M
! fortunate city cannot be avoided.
| This damage is infinitely greater than
| that which results from a too drastic
tenure law which protects a portion
| of teaching corps that has become
out of date or superannuated. 1t is
sometimes argued that tenure laws
are failing because they do protect
ed that in some cases they do. Any
parent with the American point of
view and a full belief in American
ideals would undoubtedly hold that
, system where the teachers are pro-
| tected by a tenure law than where
| their appointment is controlled by a
| political machine"
Summary of Report.
Summarizing these conditions, the
report said:
! Il. No state, city or community
| system in the interest of it's youth
! if its teaching body and its school
| leaders are subject to the dangers of
! political assault and professional
! der represented by some of the
! IS of political dismissal studied by
| t.l.s committee.
-. 1t is only a natural result that
radical attitudes should develop, and
| that a feverish tendency to organize
! for political protection should per-
/ cities and states.
"3. Neither is it surprising that
| laws, rules and regulations ensue
| which protect not only the efficient
the profession, but also the incompe-
tent and political-minded member.
Il. The need Of carefully devel-
| oped policy which will protect the
minded teacher and eliminate those
who are not is apparent to any stu
| dent of the situation
| Liquidation Needed.
! Organized movements among the
! teachers to obtain more permanent
| tenure. the report pointed out, have
| resulted in the enactment OF laws by
| legislatures of ten states. All of
| these measures have accompanied or
! followed the war period. and are said
| to be the concomitant OF the awaken
! ing period.
Five conclusions are given in the
report as follows:
Il. Undoubtedly need for sane
teacher tenure legislation exists.
That such laws protect large teach
ing bodies from political attack and
| spoliation is not open to question.
Although in the initial years of the
operation of such measures some in
efficient and unworthy teachers may
! be protected, nevertheless, legal pro-
lection without doubt is one of the
| strongest factors in stabilizing the
teaching staff of a community or
ever of political dismissal and manip-
| ulation where teaching bodies are
protected by tenure. On the other
hand, there is considerable evidence
tected by tenure they develop pro-
grams to promote professional growth
| on the part of their members In a
much more definite way and more
rapidly than before such tenure.
"2. AS the public demand for bet
ter schools increases, and the pro-
fessional consciousness Of the teach
| ing body awakenS, more tenure laws
and regulations will be enacted in
the states. cities and towns. These
thought and research by the organ
| lied teaching body Of the United
States. The facts brought out by
careful and continuing Investigation.
should be the guiding force in such
! enactmenta
Europe Ahead Of d. 8.
have stabilized their teaching bodies
| much more completely than has the.
United States. Indefinite tenure, dis
missal for cause only, age retirement
and a solidarity Of the profession
characterize the school systems of
| a. The evidence from the teach
| ing body of America and from a
! fair sampling of the layman public
would tend to show that such legisla-
ton should provide a standard of
merit for tenure and means of dis
missaI for proved cause.
"5. Investigation OF this problem
should be continued by the National
Education Association and all facts
surrounding the enactment and opera
ton Of teacher tenure laws and regu-
lations collected and made available
to organized groups of the profess