Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27
DISTRICT MAY GAIN
! BY TEACHER CLASH
U'nWeIcome Change in Bill
Leads to Hope of Real
Training College.

A golden opportunity, by which the
DIsJrIct of Columbia may acquire de-
gree-granting teachers college, a public
Junior college and higher academic
qualifications for its elementary school
teachers, rather than obstacles to
Washington youth ambitious to enter
the teaching profession in the home
city may be found in the House of Rep
resentatives proposal that the prefer
ence in appointing elementary teachers
be limited to the first Is per cent of the
local normal school graduates.
The act of 1873, which authorized the
establishment of normal school in
Washington, provided that the grad
yates of this school shall have prefer"
ence in all cases when appointments Of
teachers for the public schools are to be
made"
Since the yearly graduate list has
been more than sufficient to supply the
teacher needs of the system, the provlSo
Offered Washington'S own potential
teachers complete protection against
competition for the local teaching po-
Sitions, even though others may hold
academic degrees from accredited uni
versities or colleges.
But the priority thus accorded Dis
trict normal school graduates brought
humblest normal school graduate in
point of rating could be appointed over
the most accidentally brilliant college
graduate.
Educational Phase.
On the face of it, the House pro-
iposal that the 56-year-old priority &C
corded local normal school graduates
shall apply only to those graduates of
f1A of NJ
Columbia who shall at the time of
their graduation, rank within the first
Is per cent of their respective classes,
arranged in the order of their ratings
received for the entire normal school
course" would seem only to assure
Washington of receiving the best OBJ
tatnable teachers. This provision, as
the Huse passed it in the 1880 appro-
priation BILL would go into effect July
Il, 1890. Considered educationally, and
only educationally, this proposition in
all probability has very few opponents.
However, the question of justice to
Washingtons young men and young
women who desire to enter the teaching
profession, and who yet have available
to them only three-year normal school
course, arises. AS matter of fact, too,
the three-year course does not become
defective until next September when the
current two-year course is extended.
And SO the question resolves itself into
an economic problem and, considered in
that light, the House proposal has
aroused strong opposition from members
of the Board of Education and the stah
of school system officials.
The Board of Education, through its
president, Dr. Charles F. Carusi, and its
Legislative committee chairman, Henry
L. Gilligan, has announced its intention
of carrying its fight to prevent the
enactment of the House proposal to the
Senate. However the board, supported
by the expert opinions of the officials
under DR.. Frank w. Ballou, superln-
tendent, is mindful OF the two kinos
of problems-e and economic
which confront it in the imminent
enactment of the House proposal
And there lies the golden opportu-
nifty" for educational betterment in the
District.
Asks for Substitute.
In its efforts to eliminate the Is per
cent proposal. the Board OF Education
intends to ask that another clause be
substituted in the appropriation Dill,
which would permit the further extern
sion of the normal school course to
tlOuT years dk1Q GAtC CthPOWSAAAA~AAS ~ ~>~~
schools to grant degrees.
If such an extension of course were
permitted, the school authorities would
he willing to have their teacher college
graduates compete with applicants from
any State teacher training schools for
positions in the local system.
with a school which could grant de-
irrees operated at public expense, the
school authorities then would be IN a
position to demand college degree OF
every teacher in the public school SyS-
TEN. Going step farther, the f1rSt
two years of the teachers college could
be thrown open to the public IN the
establishment of public junior col.
lege. And so the whole educational
tone of the District would be elevated
through the public schools themselves.
AS a matter of fact, when the school
board members and school officials ap-
reared before the subcommittee OF the
House appropriations committee and
were invited to offer opinions on the
teacher training situation, they ad-
yised a change in the priority rule
for normal school graduates, provided
the normal school course could be ex-
tended to four years. In framing the
appropriation bill for report TO the
House, however, the subcommittee, OF
which Representative Simmons OF Ne
lbraska is chairman, dropped the pro-
posal to extend the course, and recon.
fnended an even lower percentage OF
priority protected normal school grad
yates than the school officials had sug-
gested.
Economic Problem.
n Discussing the economic bearing OF
the House proposal yesterday. DR..
Carusi declared, he did not see the JUS
tice in demanding that Washington's
own youth, trained In the only mstitu-
ton made available to it-a now three
year-course normal school-should be
required to compete with four-year-
course graduates of teachers colleges
operated at State expense in the various
states. Such procedure, he commended.
would serve to imperil their chances OF
gaining livelihood in one of the COM
paratively few fields here. Given four
year school, however, he would be will
ing to remove all priority clauses
governing appointments. At the same
time, he suggested, graduates OF a
local teachers college would be equipped
to enter the States, if they chose, to
compete on equal footing for positions
in other jurisdictions.
DR.. Ballou acquiesces with DR.. CaruSi
in the opinion that until Washington
is given a four-year course, the law OF
1873. which accordS preference to