The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-03-05
MOTHERS DEMAND
BETTER SCHOOLS
FOR CHILDREN
Plan Strike to Force
Better Conditions

better Conditions
BROOKLYN, March 4. - Unendur-
able conditions in Public School 14S
Of this city and insolent handling Of
the children by the teachers and the
officials brought the mothers of the
district together in mass protest, tell
ing their stories to the Organization
of Mothers and making out affidavits
to be presented to the proper author
tiles demanding changes.
The crisis came as three more chill
dren were run over and badly in
jured at dangerous crossings which
they are compelled to cross in the
way to schools to which they were
assigned outside of their own district.
In spite of the care the mothers are
taking in bringing their children to
and from school, accidents are con-
tinually taking place.
Put Children In Basement.
When the school board decided
some weeks ago to compel the moth
ers to send their children to distant
schools the mothers went on strike
and refused to let their children risk
their lives at the dangerous crossings
where many children have been killed.
This resulted in victory for the moth
ers, but a victory that was turned
into defeat by the school board and
superintendent. For tho the children
were allowed to come back to their
own school they were huddled into
the assembly room in the basement,
where there is no outside light at any
time and where the air is bad and
damp and, the room badly heated.
Here the children of Ia, lib, "a and
2B and many other grades are packed
together With change of teachers every
few minutes, and no attempt made at
all to carry on the regular school
work.
This morning Betty Zlott, organ
izer of the United Mothers of vii
iiamsburg, stated that the children are
given no lessons and are not ex-
pected to do anything. They are
made to run around and use chalk and
do some drawing to keep them from
too much mischief, but there is no
regular instruction and no order.
No Books Provided.
No books are provided by the school
and the teachers openly state that
they do not intend to give these chill
dren an education. They insult the
mothers when they call, and drive
them out, telling them that they will
let the children grow up as dull as
possible, for the mothers had no bust
ness to interfere with the decision of
the board of education when it wanted
to send the children to other schools.
At present more than one-third of
the children are home sick with colds
and from the coal gas that is always
thick in the damp basement that is
called the assembly, room. It is so cold
in the basement that children are COM
PEELED to wear their overcoats all of
the time.
DR.. Veit said to the mothers who
came to protest that they had no BUSH
ness there and ordered them out.
Insult Working Class Mothers.
When Mrs. Fanny Vigdor brought
her child to one of the classes the
teacher told her to take the child
back. In sassy way the teacher told
the mother that talk is cheap and
that the mothers could talk all they
pleased, but the children would be
kept in the assembly room just the
same. When told that by running the
children up and down they get sick
the teacher replied that it served them
right ~4H
Mrs. Gussie Kaplan was told her
boy was not in the school at all and
later she got his card that showed he
had a good grade, and at last she
was told that II he remained he would
become stupid, as they did not expect
to teach the children Of mothers who
struck If they could help 1t.
Mothers Plan Another Strike.
Kate Gitlow, who has been helping
the organized mothers to get results,
showed the parents that only by the
power Of organization and deter
mined effort could they expect to win.
It was decided that II the board Of
education does not act and give the
decent conditions and proper
teachers they will go on a strike
again and keep it up till they win
their full rights. Clarence Miller is
giving assistance to the young stu
dents as well as to the mothers organ
ization.