Evening star., 1947-01-24
Teachers Ready
To Back Corning
Pay Proposals
100 Attend Session
Held in Preview Of
Tomorrow's Hearing

Tomorrows Hearing
Little opposition to the pay pro-
posals of School Supt. Hobart M.
Corning should develop from the
ranks of District teachers and Off
GERS, it appeared today, as MEM
bers of the profession girded them
selves for a public hearing slated
for 10 am. tomorrow.
Basis for the assumption that
few complaints would be forthcom-
ing at the Franklin Building hearing
was a three-hour session yesterday
in DR.. Corning's Office. At his
invitation, nearly 100 persons, rep
most education levels in
the District aired their opinions
in an informal preview of tomor-
rows hearing.
With few exceptions, the teachers
and officers for whom DR.. Corning
has asked q $3.50 pay raise came
away well pleased. Among those
who felt they would not get all
they deserved from the superinten-
dents far-reaching recommends
tions were representatives of the
Department of School Attendance
and Works Permits.
Mrs. Ward Complains.
Mrs. Isabel Ward, president of
the Association of Attendance
Officers, complained that DR.. Corn
ing's plan to raise the pay of teach
ers and officers permanently would
allow the % attendance officers no
credit for masters degree.
This, she pointed out, would keep
"truant" officers from advancing
beyond the $4,000 level, although
they must have a bachelors degree
just like any teacher and now
receive the same pay as those
below the high school level-$3,350
maximum.
The same complaint came from
Mrs. Alice Dolhof, one of three child
labor inspectors working under the
Department of School Attendance
There were other callers, however,
who expressed satisfaction with the
proposals despite the fact that their
own pay would not be affected
These included DR.. Daniel B. Lloyd.
president, and Samuel w. Pursell,
secretary of the Night and Summer
School Teachers Association, whose
members are paid on a per diem
basis.
Calls Proposals Excellent.
DR.. Lloyd described DR.. Corning's
recommendation that greater recog-
milton in terms of supermaximum
pay be given teachers and officers
for on-the-job progress as the
"heart and soul" of an excellent set
Of proposals. He added that he felt
the subject of raise for night and
summer school teachers should be
given consideration ''in due time"
| An indication of labor's stand on
the proposals came from Raymond
Brown, spokesman for the Teachers
Division of United Public Workers
of America {CIO).
I'VE are very much in favor OF
the pay raises as outlined" Mr.
Brown said, 'tand will back them to
the limit
His statement conceded with
press release from the Executive
Committee of the District Teachers
Branch, Local 3, UPWA, pledging
unanimous support for the pro-
posalS.
Stating that DR.. Corning's efforts
to obtain $4,000 minimum salary
for teachers follow closely the pro-
gram advocated by the District
Teachers Branch since its incep-
tion," the release said the group
was launching campaign Ito see
that a bill embodying the proposed
salary schedule be passed by the
Congress now in session"
Action Due Tuesday.
Following tomorroW's committed
hearing, the pay proposals will go
to the full Board of Education for
final action at 1870 pm. Tuesday.
They will be submitted to the Com
n1issioners wednesday Or Thursday
and to the chairmen of the House
and Senate District Committees not
later than Friday.
The proposals are the result Of
the act of Congress which last
summer granted local teachers and
officers fiat $3.50 pay boost. The
act, which expires July !, required
the Board of Education to make new
pay recommendations before Febru-
ary l. -
Besides adding a fiat $3.50 a year
to the temporary $3.50 boost granted
by Congress last summer, DR..
Corning's proposals also would
overhaul the permanent pay struc-
ture laid down in 1885 10 increase
teachers pay about 27 per cent and
officers pay from 6 to 13 per cent.
New single salary scales would
raise the starting pay of teachers
with bachelors degrees to $2,50O
and their maximum to $3,700. Those
with masters degrees would start
at $1,000 and work up to $4,000.
Liberalization of provisions for
lsupermaximum pay would allow
holders of bachelors degrees to
~ ,.,, ,,, 70 "a onn orJ hoIJorc of