Evening star., 1932-05-09

effects on the schools represents
economies" produced by various legis-
lative provisions in the bill as it has
been passed. These sums follow:
Allowance for teachers and Librarians
on probation, $500; additional allow
ance for teachers and librarians on
temporary tenure; s1s.4oo; additional
allowance for teachers and Librarians on
leave of absence, $16,031; additional
allowance for teachers promoted from
class "a to class &C, $1,836, and addi-
tional allowances for teachers promoted
for superior work, $500.
A Handicap to Ambition.
Perhaps the most vicious of this list
of economies Is the $16,031 cut for
teachers and librarians on leave of
absence. This Is the economy" which
gives the lackadasical teacher who is
content to remain quietly in her posi-
tion a distinct financial advantage over
her more ambitions sister who goes off
to college for additional training to
increase her fitness to instruct the
children of the Capital. As the salary
act is administered at present, a
teacher may take leave of absence for
educational purposes. There is no pro-
vision in law to give her any pay while
she Is on this leave, as there is in many
cities so the teacher who would seek
further training simply takes the leave
without any pay.
Now in practically every case where
this kind of leave Is taken the teacher
is either at the maximum of her salary
group or very close to it. Hence, in the
case of the teacher whose salary grade
is $1,000 to $4,000 and who Is at the
maximum, the District would save the
difference between her $2,800 and the
lower pay of the substitute teacher
while the regular instructor is at col
lege. When the regular teacher returns
to her position she returns to the same
salary she was receiving when she went
on leave.
But under the limitations and econ
omies voted by the House of Repre-
sentatives in the 1888 bill that teacher
would be obliged to return to her posi-
ton at the basic or minimum salary of
her classification! In other words, the
increased fitness to teach Washington S
children would cost that woman $4,000
in salary which she forfeited while on
leave, plus the tuition and board costs
while at college. which would approx
mate, school officials say, $1,000. Thus
the teachers year of additional prep
aration would cost her $4,000, and for
this investment, school authorities said
following study of the House bill, she
would receive thousand dollar cut In
pay on her return!
Losses would Continue.
And that Is not all, her losses would
continue. Even If Congress next year
would permit the automatic salary in
crease as provided in the act of 1924,
to return to effectiveness that more
highly educated teacher would lose 5000
her second year, $500 her third year
$700 her fourth year, and SO on at the
rate of $100 year until 10 years after
her return to the system her pay would
be back at the So 800 maximum 1t had
reached when she undertook to secure
better qualifications. The total cost Of
this improvement to the ambitious
teacher would approximate $4,000!
Meanwhile the fellow teacher who
was unwilling to raise her fitness would
be receiving steadily the $4,000 salary.
Fantastic. but that is the way the
school authorities say this particular
House saving will operate.
A Contract Abrogated.
The $500 allowance "for teachers
and Librarians on probation" is the
amount which would be required to
carry out the provisions of section
of the act of June 4, 1924, which re-
uuires that every teacher or librarian
shall receive his first longevity increase
on the date of his permanent appoint
ment. In actual practice, this par
ticular economy" works this way: The
new teachers who have come into the
service during the 1882 fiscal year are
on probation. At the end of their first
year in service, If their work is salts
factory, their appointments are to be
permanent and under section Of the
teachers salary law they are given
respect to the automatic step-up Of
S100 a year. The House now provides.
however, that this step-up shall be
eliminated and the teacher who ac-
cepted the law as a moral contract finds
herself continuing In service at her
beginning salary.
Section of this same law provides
that teachers coming into the District
system from other positions shall be
placed in the salary scale according tc
previous teaching experience. In other
words. If a teacher has taught for four
wears elsewhere when she comes to
Washington she would not be required
to start at the basic salary for her
class, but she would start at $400 above
that basis. AS the House eliminates
the provisions of the 1924 act, however,
the experienced teacher would be
obliged to come to the local system at
the beginning salary, and the authori-
ties of the system declare: I'VE don't
want beginners. we want experienced
teachers for our children, and an ex-
perieced teacher isn't coming here to
begin all over!"
inexperienced Teachers Sought.
Hence it is that the House would
permit the engagement of only mex
perienced teachers to instruct Wash
ington's children.
Section Is of the 1924 act authorizes
the employment of temporary teachers
for limited periods not to exceed three