Evening star., 1947-01-14
D. {. Teachers
Face Pay Loss
DespiteNewBil|s
Flat Increase Due
To Lapse July l.;
Study Is Started

| Study Is Started
| District public school teachers
would benefit under the bill intro
duced by Senator McCarran, Demo-
crat, Of Nevada which proposes
Nationwide pay increases for teach
ers from Federal funds, only If the
Districts own complicated pay situ-
alton is cleared, it appeared today.
Senator McCarran's bill proposes
to assist the States and the District
in increasing teachers salaries by
sliding-scale raises Of up to $3.50 q
year for those earning $4,000. In
troduced yesterday and sent to the
Senate Committee on Labor and
Public Welfare, the bill asks for an
appropriation of $500, ,000, 900 for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 194S.
ID. C. Raise to Die
In the District, however, 3,271
teachers received fiat $3.50 raise
last year which will expire on July
/, under provisions of the Congress
sional act. Unless Congress takes
action on permanent pay raises for
the District, the McCarran bill will
not mean a great deal to teachers
here.
When Congress granted the fiat
$3.50 raise last July /, it called for a
study of the entire District school
salary structure and asked school
officials to point out desirable
changes to the House and Senate
District Committees not later than
February /. ...
The Joint Legislative Council Of
Education Organizations recently
submitted a study of the problem to
DR.. Hobart M. Corning, school
superintendent, at his request. It
is expected he soon will submit q
report based on the findings Of the
council to the Board of Education.
Then the report. will 60 to the con-
gressional committee. All this has
to be done before February l.
May Mean Salary Cut.
AL Of which means that If the
present $3.50 fiat raise is not extend
ed or bettered, about one-third OF
the District teachers would be max
ing less with the aid from the pro-
posed McCaran bill than they are
at present
For example, without the $3.50 in
crease, the base salary of a begin
ming teacher in the District is 81 900.
Under the McCarran bill, 1t Is pro-
posed the teacher get an increase Of
$685. or $65 less than the present
salary.
Without the extension of the $3.50
fiat raise, the highest raise any Dis
trice teacher would get under the
proposed McCarran bill would be
500 a year from the Federal fund.
| School officials, however, have ex-
pressed a belief that Congress will
make some sort of permanent ad-
| justment in the District teacher sal.
ary schedule.
If applied to the present salary
scale Gncluding the $3.50 fiat raise),
the McCaran bill would give the
lowest paid teacher in the District,
now drawing $2,350 a year, raise Of
$40, while about 220 teachers who
are making $4,000 or better, would
get the maximum benefit of q $3.50
raise.
! Raise Formula in Bill.
The McCarran bill, which Is
known as the School Teachers Pay
Act, provides formula for calculat-
ing the raises as follows:
For each 500 or fraction thereof
paid by the State or the District up
to the first $1,000 per year, pay
ment of $25.
For each 500 or fraction thereof
of salary from $1,001 to $4,000, a
payment of SIS.
For each 500 or fraction thereof
from s2oo1 to $4,000, a payment
of $40.
For each 500 or fraction thereof
from $3,oo1 to $4,000, payment
of IS.
The Federal money would be dis
bursed through the jurisdiction Of
the United States commissioner of
education and payable to the State
treasurer or corresponding official
for distribution to the teachers.
Guards Against Dictation.
Tue Federal payments due under
the new law would be computed by
the Commissioners Office. The Fed
eral funds would then be trans
mitted to proper State officials, in
four equal installments, for distri-
button through channels in what the
bill calls "the usual method of salary
payment"
Elaborate provision is made in the
measure to prevent the Federal Gov
eminent from attempting to dictate
any policy or curriculum which the
local schools already have In effect.
This was understood to be for the
purpose Of allaying fears which had
been expressed in some quarters
that the Federal Government, by
increasing teachers salaries, might
some day attempt to dictate or
supervise the instruction Of Ameri-
can youth.
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