Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-12
NEW VOCATIONAL
EDUCATION PLAN
WILL Be SOUGHT
Difference in Salaries Paid
TradeSmen and Teachers
Held Stumbling Block.
CARUSI WILL APPOINT
COMMITTEE FOR STUDY
Labor Spokesman Says Unions
Hope to Settle Question to Ad-
vantage of All Instructors.


artisans to instruct Washington school
children in the trades at the salaries
now paid teachers is one of the major
problems confronting the committee of
10 which the Board of Education late
yesterday authorized DR.. Charles F.
Carusi, its president, to appoint Tor
the purpose of outlining new program
of vocational education for the Dis
trict.
The school board sitting as a COM
mittee of the whole, was considering
the criticisms and recommendations
made last week by the Washington Cen
trail Labor Union, and Stephen e.
Kramer, first assistant superintendent,
presented a statement on the present
status of vocational education. The
question of pay for trade school instruc-
tors was brought pointedly to issue
when Dr. Carusi asked Mr.. Kramer:
How are you going to get competent
men to teach our boys bricklaying, for
instance, when bricklayers get from $14
to SIS a day, and when our salary act
doesn't include such figures?
Mr.. Kramer observed that the school
board president had reserved that ques-
ton as coup de grace" and admitted
frankly that he didn't know.
Kramer Has Tackled Question.
THAT'S a question I've been wrestling
with of and on now for 20 years" Mr..
Kramer said. land am afraid I don't
know yet what the answer is. I'd say,
though. that it is one of the matters
the advisory committee should take up"
The Washington Central Labor Union
last week proposed that this problem
might be met by giving the trade
schools the status of a junior high
school.
It was pointed out yesterday, how
ever, that there was only 5000 a year
difference between the two ratings. The
question was left for solution by the
committee DR.. CaruSi was authorized to
appoint. but not before John B. Col
poys, spokesman for the Washington
Central Labor Union, had declared
briefly that the question Of teachers
salaries was one which the unions pro-
posed to settle with advantage to every
educator here.
Teachers at $4,000 a Year.
He declared that the teachers salary
scale here should begin at 100000 a
year for the superintendent and scale
down proportionately, and he asserted
that the labor unions were going TO
help them get it."
In his statement on vocational edu-
cation here, Mr.. Kramer declared that
in setting up a public education pro-
gram which shall be for "all of the
children of all of the people," voca-
tional education must be considered as
those educative opportunities which
shall prepare each pupil SO that his
particular development shall enable him
to find his place and use that place TO
shape both himself and society to ever
nobler ends" Using vocational edu-
cation to mean preparation which Will
enable the pupils to enter his field OF
occupation Immediately upon leaving
| school, and that training which will
make the pupil more nearly self-sup-
porting when he leaves school, Mr..
kramer listed present vocational OPP
portunities here as follows:
Collegiate grade-The Washington
! Teachers College prepare students to
enter the teaching profession either IN
the District or elsewhere upon graoua-
ton.
High school grade-Excellent COM
merciaI courses are offered in practl-
cally all of the high schools, enabling
pupils to enter the business world I'M
mediately upon leaving school. Tech
nical courses in some of the schools
offer preparation looking not only
toward collegiate engineering courses
but train pupils to enter the VocatlonS
having to do with work in wood, metal
or brick. Electrical courses prepare
pupils to enter electrical trades with
advanced standing as apprentices. Elk
cellent courses in mechanical ana arcIh-
tectural drawing fit students to earn
satisfactory income as craftsmen i'm
mediately upon graduation. Printing
courses prepare pupils to enter the traoe
| as advanced apprentices.
Contacts Are Provided.
Junior high school grade-Every boy
is given the opportunity to experience
work in wood shops, print shops ana
Woodworking shops, and every glri Is
enabled to have experience In the
preparation of food, care Of the home
and in the designing and making OF
clothing. These contacts" are PROVIDED
to determine the pupils interest IN
vocational activities. The enlargement
of these contacts" and the provision
of a vocational course" leading 10 the
preparation of the pupil to efficiently
enter occupation Immediately upon
leaving the junior high school Is now
being considered by committee APP
! pointed by the superintendent the
| statement asserted.
Vocational opportunities set up on
trade school basis-There are now four
organized trade schools: Abbott Voca-
tional school (for boys). DenniSon Vo-
cational School (for girls), the Phelps
Vocational (boys) School and the Mar
garet Murray Washington (girls) Noca-
| tional School. Besides, the Lennox
School has certain vocational courses
on a trade basis. In the schools for
bows instruction is offered in woodwork
ing, sheet metal work, plumbing, paint
| ing, plastering, bricklaying, automotive
| work, shoe repairing and electrical wiz
ing. In the schools for girls instruc-
ton is offered in cooking, cafeteria
work. personal hygiene, including sham