The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-06-02
State Education
 Commissioner Is \ Making Appeals
In Regional Discussion in Waterbury To-day Points to Iliteracy Record of Connecticut and Rhode Island as Proof That Too Much Money Is Not Be- ing Spent on Education - Can't Deprive Youth of Learning

must be opposed vigorously. In the great majority of our towns, boards of finance and boards Of education work together. Their members are citizens of the same town, interested in its protection, its progress and its schools. They join in the support of the same un- employed and they have children in the same classes. The board of finance must determine how much money shall be raised for taxation and how it shall be distributed among the several activities of the town. Before reaching its con- clusion 1t should study the plans for the schools and give credit to the judgment of the board of edu- cation, The board of education must attempt to maintain the schools within the means of the town, as understood by the board of finance, but the board of edu- cation must be thoroughly free to distribute its own appropriation ana to detremine the details of educa- ton and educational expenditures.
 4. Further educational salary decreases are not economically sound.
 Education must bear its burden in a time of depression but it must not be required to bear a dis proportionate part of the load. It does this now in many places.
 Many small towns where salaries were low and some larger towns, have not been required to decrease salaries of teachers. A ten per cent cut has been common in other towns and some have cut deeper. Except in towns where there is no other possible way of relief there should not be, at this time. addi- tional cuts. President Roosevelt has publicly declared for all work CTS and privately declared for teachers that further salary re- auctions at this time will but de- lay economic recovery. He has said that the next step is to build up the purchasing power of the people as in no other way can de- mand increase and production be- gin again.
 This Is particularly true of teach- CTS. Wages paid them are again in circulation before the end of the month. There is no hoarding for the entire salary is needed for im- mediate use. If one of our cities should reduce its teachers s100.000 next year it would mean that the city's business would lose $100,000 in trade and more than that it would mean that many of the de- pendents that in this emergency the teachers support will pass on to public aid.
 5. The schools must keep of the new development those which arc most vital to the life of to-day.
 New developments in schools are kindergartens, adult education, schools for illiterates, schools for defective children, health. music. art, manual training, domestic sci- ence and the like. Each town must evaluate these by its own needs. Kindergartens in a wealthy suburb, manual training and domestc arts for farm bred children have not the same degree of necessity that they have for children of the ten- ement sections. A college town may need less adult education than a manufacturing village where sec- ond generation parents are trying to keep step with high school chill dren in order that family unity may be preserved. A school filled with Italian music loving children from which music has been elim- mated is a calamity which can not be explained, nor justified by ex- tra time given to mathematics.
 Connecticut and Rhode Island have a greater per cent of Hitter acy than any other states except those of the extreme south and the Mexican border. Connecticut and Rhode Island have a smaller pro- portion of children fourteen to sev- enteen years in any and all classes at schools than any except a like group of states and yet some of our Connecticut schools to-day have been stripped of practically all offerings except those of the for nal college preparatory type. It may we'll be that subjects added in the last 50 years are of more value than those added one hundred fifty years ago and 1t costs no more to teach them than the traditional sub- jects. It costs no more to teach the participatory use of the violin. than laboratory chemistry and no more to teach functional taxation than Ancient History.
 We must keep school develop ments that are vital to life to-day.