The Daily Alaska empire., 1948-01-31
How About Our Schools?
tNew York Times

(New York Times
 While there are encouraging signs of awaken ing public opinion, thinking person be happy about the conditions public schools pictured in the nationwide survey made by this newspaper and reported in columns recently. More than half of the States believe their school conditions have improved since a similar survey made year ago. most of the others think conditions about the same while few believe they have actually lost ground
 Average pay for teachers has increased S400, to $2307 year, which amounts to a gain of about S8 week in a period of rapidly rising cost of living. There are still 10000 teachers-one in eight-at work on emergency subsandard certificates which means impaired education for several million children. The turnover in teachers is much too high in some States fourth of the teachers to their jobs EX pendures for the nations schools up 10 per cent over year ago. but here again must ask ourselves how much of this gain Is net in an 1nflationary period.
 One problem stands out demanding instant serious attention. With every State except New Mexico reporting that it cannot recruit enough elementary school teachers now something must be done quickly to prepare for the imminent in school population because of the increase in birth rate. The United States Office of Education estimates that within six years the school population will increase by 100000 The accompanying need of classrooms is also obvious.
 This is in itself vexatious problem, but it may be considered in a sense temporary and born of the
 
 there is a long term problem also and that is the question how are to equalize educational oppor- tunty throughout the nation. When the average salary is only $l200 in. Mississippi and Sl,4O0 in Arkansas and Kentucky, as against S3,400 in New York State it would be ridiculous to that the children of our Southern States being fairy treat ed or are having teachers of comparable professional standards Although some Southern States mak- ing comendable effort to correct this situation, as far as their allow there is little likelihood that the major reform necessary will be accomplished for many years unless Congress takes the initiative with Federal aid to education based the States ability to pay.
 Although New York State leads the nation in average of teacher salaries paid, we are far from having grounds for complacency about our educa- tional system in any respect The Times survey re- ports that there are 7500o teachers in the States about the same number year ago. Last February Governor Dewey's Committee on Education remarked that enrollments in the lowest elementary grades were already showing the effect of the higher birth rate; that by 1850 elementary schools in the State faced the need of providing for about 900 more pupils than they then served that besides providing normal re- placements for teachers quitting the school system, the schools would haze to recruit within three years more than 7,500 classroom teachers The figures in our survey show no progress made toward that goal It is task here and throughout the nation, that we must attack vigorously and at once.