Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-25
Union Files Brief to Show
Extra Curriculum Work
Required Here.
FIGURES ON OTHER CITIES
ARE HELD INCOMPLETE
Request Follows Recent Appeal for
Adequate Time for Glass
Room Work.

Following closely the appeal OF ele-
mentary school teachers for time In
which to teach" the Teachers Union
has petitioned the Board of Educa-
ton for additional senior high school
teachers through the appropriation
bill for 1882.
In a brief received today by the
boards secretary the union contends
that statistics on teacher loads in the
high schools of various cities are un-
fair to Washington, because while they
would seem to indicate teachers here
have comparatively short teaching days,
the tahulations do not take into ac-
count the tremendous amount OF nom
teaching tasks which the high school
Instructors are called upon to perform.
ave make this request" the brief
asserts, in presenting the. appeal for
additional high school teachers, "be-
cause the work Of the teachers Of the
senior high schools is yearly becoming
heavier, and, because of the increased
work, with no extra teachers provided,
the efaciency of the teacher is being
seriously impaired, and the energy OF
the teacher, whose real business Is TO
teach, is consumed in various. tasks
which. If they are considered of SUM-
Gent value to be in the school programs,
should be carried out by an adequate
force Of teachers"
Omit Some Duties.
Commenting on the teacher-load sta
tistics, the brief contends the figures
represent only q portion Of the teacher
load" because they are based on formal
class instruction only, and omit study
hall assignments, section periods and
various other lines Of work"
It is commended that in some instances
It is shown an instructor teaches only
three actual classes during the day, but
does not point out that this same teach
er spends the rest of his time in such
activities as program making, vocational
guidance, school publication and dra-
MATES direction and college entrance
coaching or counsel. Continuing, the
plea Of the teachers union asserts that
because Of the nature Of shop equip
ment and the work itself, shop classes
and classes in domestic art and science
are far smaller than academic classes
Here again, the petition contends, rela-
lively light teacher-loads pull down the
average for the city.
I'm other words" the brief asserts,
"as modern educational tendencies force
more and varied activities into the
schools, placing on them a heavier
responsibility, the individual teachers
load, measured by the old-fashioned
standard, appears to grow less and less,
while actually it Is growing heavier"
While q study made two years ago
from Questionnaires sent In by 80
teachers IN the various high schools
showed that the teachers then spent
2 hours and q minutes day in extra
curricular activities, the union IS CON-
WINGED that similar study today would
reveal q much higher average Of time
spent In these tasks.
Extra CurrfcuIar Work.
The brief contains an itemized list
Of the extra-curricular activities to
which the teachers are objecttng. Under
the heading Of clerical work done by
high school teachers" are listed the
following:
Daily or weekly, roll book attend
ance records; 2, separation Of absence
lists for the school system ofice; 3, alb
sence and hardness notices TO parents;
4, library permits; 5, requests for ex-
aminations by doctors; 6, infirmaTy per-
mits; Z. class attendance checking; 3,
application blanks for car tickets; 8,
withdrawal and employment blanks; 10,
weekly entry Of absentees on attendance
once records; IL, requests for with
drawal Of book receipts from files, and
IL, inspection Of furniture and report
concerning needed repairs.
Six times a year,, maintenance OF
ONCE records; 2, statistical reports of
attendance; 3, pupils reports, and 4,
statistical records Of promotions and
failures.
Additional Duties.
Twice o year: /, maintenance Of or
ganization sheets; 2, teachers program
cards; 3, verincation Of pupils program
and classification cards in duplicate;
4, keeping Of permanent credit records
IN school ONCE; S. listing pupils excused
from miner subjects; 8, making copies
of section rolls for school ONCE; z. list
Ing pupils assigned to study halls;
5. compiling census cards for in
dividual pupils; 9, distribution Of
locker keys and maintenance Of
associated records: 10. maintenance
Of nativity sheets; II, prepara-
ton Of class and study hall rolls;
guidance for each pupil; 10, accounting
for books and supplies; IA, issuing
books: IS, checking and filing receipts;
le. checking serial numbers Of books for
the ONCE: II, inspection Of books and
supplies and, IS, distribution or class
room paper, pencils and notebooks.
Basideg these tasks the union has
listed also the various extra-curricular
activities in which teachers become
faculty advisors-alumni activities, ath-
Ietics. cadets, clubs. contests dramat-
ics, special equipment supervision,
financial reports, hall supervision, in
teiIieenoe tests, locker supervision,
lunch room, vario'ts faculty student and
parent teacher meetings; motion pic
lures, music, noon recess activities, pub
lications, schedule work, school banks,
semester honors. ushering and a dozen
odd miscellaneous activities.