Montana labor news., 1946-06-06

Teaching is not an attractive way
to earn Il living. For this teachers
must share some Of the blame. They
and their organizations have made
half-hearted. ineffective attempts to
improve the situation. There has been
little or no result. A new type of or.
ganization and a new program are
needed.
Organizations a H~odge-Podge
Present organizations Of educators,
with a few marked exceptions, include
those who teach, those who admins
ter, those who supervise and those
who establish policy. Some include
statesmen Of educational materials, EN-
ployees of commercial radio stations,
reporters for newspapers and any per-
son who possesses the small sum nee
essary to pay the annual dues. An or
ganization which is such a hodge
podge of conflicting interests, ideas
and activities can never have uniform
ly supported policies nor can it devel-
op a program of vigorous action.
Educational organizations are Meth.
er fish, flesh nor fowl. They claim to
work to improve the lot OF teachers
and yet they admit the managers Of
schools and school systems to mem
bership and to positions OF control.
They claim to speak for teachers and
yet they do not require their member
.ht,> IN .aIi1n 1u nctnlliaha6 nninfQ Of
view. They claim to influence local,
state and national legislation but the
long record Of their failures to obtain
proper legislation to eliminate inequi-
ties in the financial support of schools,
to improve educational opportunities
for youth or to make major changes
in the organization of states into dis
tricts refutes this claim.
New Organization Needed
They are neither professional or
CARNATIONS, labor unions nor political
organizations. A new organization or
an almost complete change in exist
ing ones is needed.
The new organization should estab.
lish high qualifications for member
ship. Teachers should have adequate
professional training and should pre-
sen evidence of this when applying
for membership. This evidence should
be passed upon by local examining
committees, which should consider the
quality Of the courses studied, the
quality of the institution offering them
and the grades received by the
teacher.
This local examining committee
should also consider the personality
of the candidate. his character and his
attitude toward his profession. When
it is satisfied that all qualifications
are met, it should certify this to the
national organization which would
then issue credentials of membership
in the profession of teaching.
Membership in the professional or
ganization Of teachers should be open
to them alone. Administrators, super
visors and other managers Of schools
and school systems should not be ad
mitted. They should establish their
" organizations, set their own stan.
dards for admittance to their own
profession. The failure of educators
to recognize that there is an newt
able divergence of point of view be
tween labor and management (teach
ers and administrators has been q
prime reason for the Intellectual char
acter Of most teachers organizations
Teachers are employed to teach
Principals are employed to help then
do this well. In spite of all attempts
to obtain democracy in administrator
of schools, the decision that an incom
petent teacher should be fired mus
be made by the principal. The newt
able fixing Of responsibility for this
decision on the principal is never for
gotten by the teacher. The principa
is the boss. Attempting to put all o
the bosses and all of the bossed into
one big association has produced {
monstrosity. 1t resembles an amalga
nation Of the NAM and the CLIO.
Administrators are more adept il
political activity than are teachers
They are more forceful persons. The.
have had experience as leaders. Thi'
enables them to obtain control 0
teachers organizations when the.
wish to do so. It enables them to in
fluence policy greatly out of proper
tiOn to their number. 1t puts them II
places of authority within the organl
cation even when they are not &C
lively seeking these places.
The inevitable result Is that mos
educational organizations on the stat
and national basis resemble over
grown company unions. They do no
dare to come out vigorously for tn
things which teachers need. becaus'
to do so would %antagonize the board