In many instances teachers of superior teaching qualifications and great professional growth, though preferring to work with the younger child, in the absence of the single salary schedule have actually left the elementary school and sought teaching positions in secondary schools in order to attain an increased income. This represents a distinct loss to elementary education. Many of us have remained in these elementary schools with the hope that we would some day attain the salary recognition to which we think our professional qualifications entitle us. At long last in the issue of the single salary schedule for teachers in the elementary and secondary schools in the District of Columbia it has been clearly drawn and has been brought before this committee for determination. Accordingly, elementary teachers respectfully urge the committee to establish in law the principle of the single salary schedule for teachers in the public schools of this city. The trend in public education is distinctly in this direction. The principle of the single salary schedule was not recognized for elementary teachers in the 1945 Salary Act. H. R. 2976 and S. 1088 now before this committee do recognize this principle. At this point I respectfully request the committee to turn to page 2, lines 14 to 19, inclusive, which sets up the principle of the single salary schedule for teachers in elementary schools with the master's degree, and reads as follows: Group C: A basic salary of $3,000 per year, with an annual increase in salary of $100 for 12 years or until a maximum salary of $4,200 per year is reached. Group D: A basic salary of $4,300 per year, with an annual increase in salary of $100 for four years or until a maximum salary of $4,700 per year is reached. The committee will note that these provisions for elementary teachers with a master's degree are identical with the provisions for junior high and senior high school teachers, with the same professional qualifications, found on page 3 of the bill. Second, I wish to direct the attention of the committee to the importance of establishing in this bill a beginning salary for teachers high enough to attract the service of the public schools well trained and promising instructors willing to make a career of teaching in the elementary schools. In this matter of the beginning salary, Washington is not only in competition with other public school systems in large urban communities, but also with the Federal Government. We believe that the $2,500 beginning salary carried in this bill for elementary teachers with the A. B. degree and the beginning salary of $3,000 for elementary teachers with the M. A. degree will place the District of Columbia in position to compete on favorable terms with public school systems in other large urban communities and with the Federal Government. In the third place, I desire to direct the attention of the committee to the fact that it is equally important that there be set up for teachers in the public schools of the District of Columbia a maximum salary that will hold in the service well-trained and competent teachers. The elementary teachers believe that the maximum salary provided in the bill, $4,200 for the A. B. degree and $4,700 for the M. A. degree will accomplish this purpose. These three items, the single salary schedule, a beginning salary high enough to attract well-trained and promising instructors, and a maximum salary high enough to hold well-trained and competent teachers are the provisions in this bill which are of paramount importance to the teachers, whom I represent, in elementary schools. I respectfully request the committee's approval and favorable consideration of these three items. Mr. BATES. Thank you very much. We will next proceed to Mrs. Isabel R. Ward, president Attendance Officers' Association, District of Columbia Public Schools. STATEMENT OF MRS. ISABEL R. WARD, PRESIDENT, ATTENDANCE OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS Mr. Congressman, I am Isabel R. Ward. I am president of the Attendance Officers' Association, divisions 1 to 13. I am also speaking for Mrs. Jones, our president, who has registered and is present. I represent 20 attendance officers, 10 white and 10 colored, in the Department of School Attendance and Works Permits. We are a professional staff whose duty is to enforce the compulsory school attendance law for children between 7 and 16. By law, we serve all schools in the District, public, private, and parochial. The program is carried on through home visiting, conferences with school staffs, parents and children. Referral of problem cases is made to various social agencies established to serve special needs in the District. Case histories are prepared and testimony given in the juvenile court for violation of the law. Last year this department made over 22,000 attendance investigations. For this professional job in the prevention of juvenile delinquency, we request equal consideration with other school personnel. We ask only what is already granted to all other professional staff in the schools. There is ample precedent in the District of Columbia school system for what we request: 1. Research assistance, who are nonteaching professional employees, are granted all privileges we are now requesting. 2. School counselors, who do not teach, have all holidays and the work-year that we are asking. 3. Librarians, who are not regular classroom teachers, also have all the holidays mentioned. In order to make this established policy uniform and applicable to all nonteaching professional staff, we are proposing an amendment. There is also ample precedent in other communities for what we ask. A survey of 25 large cities made in March of this year shows that 22 large cities made in March of this year shows that 22 grant all teachers holidays and vacations to attendance staff. Two cities do not grant holidays, but attendance officers receive more salary than elementary teachers in those cities. The third city is on State civil service. The 25 cities are: Baltimore, Baton Rouge-holidays not granted but extra pay is given attendance officers-Birmingham, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Des Moines, Detroit, Hartford, Kansas City, Lincoln, Los Angeles, Louisville, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Newark-on civil service of State New York-holidays not granted but extra pay is given attendance officers-New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, and Wilmington. Our request involves no additional money. The proposed amendment will add nothing to the school budget now or in the future. Under the existing 1945 act, attendance officers have 10 days of sick leave instead of the 32 days of vacation other school staff enjoy. This 10 days' leave is for illness and no other purpose. We do not consider the 10 days' sick leave an equitable leave in comparison with the 32 days of vacation granted teachers. Let me explain what has happened since June 1945 when these leave provisions were established. First, an attendance officer wished to attend summer school. After school was over June 21 and after this officer's work was completed, she asked for leave to attend summer school. She was told that in order to go to summer school she would have to resign her permanent position and go off the rolls. All this occurred in late June after teachers, librarians, research assistants, and counselors were already on vacation. Since summer schools in this area begin before June 30 and since attendance officers cannot get any leave for educational purposes, none of us is able to take work for professional advancement. In the second instance, since the passage of the 1945 act an attendance officer with over 25 years of service in the department lost her son. In this emergency of death in her immediate family, the officer lost full pay for every day she was out because we have no substitute privileges for emergency leave. We understand that one purpose of the bills now under consideration is to abolish the inequities of the 1945 act. These inequities are still in the proposed bills insofar as they relate to attendance officers. In order to correct these inequities, raise morale, and maintain a qualified staff, I present an amendment which will repeal sick leave privileges and instead will give attendance officers the identical leave privileges now granted other groups. I repeat, this proposed amendment will add no expense to the budget. Mr. Chairman, in order to save time, I would like to leave with you these pages which show the qualifications and working days of attendance officers in different cities. Mr. BATES. They will be received. (The information is as follows:) EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF OF DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND WORK PERMITS FOR 1946-47 Director: Alice C. Sheldon, LLB George Washington University, AB George Washington University. Chief attendance officers: Harriet Roberts DeMond, AB Howard University, Certificate in Social Work (Howard University). Emilie Lassalle, AM University of Colorado, AB University of Wisconsin. 99538-47-64 Attendance officers:1 Lucinda J. Allen, AB Howard University. Mary Catlett, Teacher's certificate Scotia Seminary (appointment 1918). Catherine Davis, AB Mississippi State College for Women. Edith Eisenberg, AB Wayne University. Minnie Hall, Teacher's certificate Miner Teachers' College (appointment 1925). Dorothy Harding, AB George Washington University. Helen Harper, AM Columbia University, BS Howard University. Ralph Johnson, BD Howard University, AB Howard University. Mignon Johnson, AB Howard University. Mary G. Jones, BS Morgan College. Katherine Lockwood, LLB George Washington University. Vera McClatchey, BS University of Nebraska. Ethel Mae Milburn, AB University of Wisconsin. Catherine O. Miller, Teacher's certificate San Jose' State Teachers' College (appointment 1925). Jeune Kirmser, MS Kansas State College, BS University of Minnesota. Lillian Russell, AB Howard University. Easter W. Sampson, AB Howard University. Allegra Smith, AB Augustana College. Mary C. Taylor, AM Columbia University, AB Oberlin College. Isabel R. Ward, AB George Washington University. Child labor inspectors: Alice Dolhof, AB University of Wisconsin. John B. Finegan, BS New York University. Mary Studebaker, AB Western Maryland College. STATUS OF ATTENDANCE OFFICERS (OR OTHER STAFF ENFORCING ATTENDANCE LAWS) IN COMPARISON WITH TEACHERS IN 26 LARGE CITIES I. Qualifications: 18 cities attendance officers have minimum requirements of AB degree 4 cities do not require AB degree City A (Boston) all teacher benefits including 5-hr day, plus $30 per City D (Wilmington) truant officers with low pay and long year 19 cities give attendance officers salary credit for AM degree II. Work Year: 19 cities attendance officers have same work year as teachers 7 cities work longer (1 to 4 weeks longer) (three who work longer are paid more than elementary teachers) III. Workday: 13 cities attendance officers work the same length day as teachers 13 cities work a 7 to 8 hour day IV. Holidays: 22 attendance officers have all teacher holidays and vacations 2 who work longer have higher pay schedule 1 is state civil service Washington is requesting holidays and vacation in suggested amendment to current bill V. Sick leave: 18 cities attendance officers have same sick leave 6 have more than teachers 2 did not report VI. Salary: 13 cities attendance officers have same salary as elementary teachers 8 more than elementary teachers 5 less than elementary teachers 1 Of the 20 attendance officers listed, 16 have had teacher training and experience. Attendance officers are on an eight-hour day 8:30 to 5. The staff considers this a proper workday but wishes to call attention to the fact that the attendance officers are the only professional group not on supervisory level who have such hours; in addition, night work is often necessary in order to see working parents-and this responsibility has been accepted as a part of the job. WORK YEAR FOR ATTENDANCE OFFICERS Holidays during the school year 1946-47 granted to teachers, librarians, counselors, and research assistants were not granted to attendance officers. On the current 10-month work year attendance officers worked all these days: A total of 32 days under the present schedule is required of attendance officers and not required of any other nonsupervisory personnel. Mrs. WARD. This is the amendment I wish to propose to S. 1088 and. H. R. 2976, bills to amend the District of Columbia Teachers' Salary Act of 1945 and to be inserted as a new section on page 19 after line 24. "Section 19 of said act approved July 21, 1945, is hereby amended by striking out the entire section 19 and inserting in lieu thereof [reading]: Attendance officers in the department of school attendance and work permits assigned to class 32 in the foregoing schedule shall be entitled, in accordance with regulations made by the Board of Education, to school vacations and all school holidays granted to other nonteaching professional employees. The opening and closing days on duty for attendance officers shall be established administratively in accordance with dates established for other non-teaching professional employees. Substitute privileges for attendance officers shall be identical with those granted other non-teaching professional employees. In justification for suggested amendment to S. 1088 and H. R. 2976 I would like to say that this amendment involves no extra cost now or in the future. The amendment will affect class 32 of the bill. Attendance officers are professional employees who are asking their work-year be the same as the work-year already established for other non-teaching professional employees such as research assistants, counselors, and librarians. The Attendance Officers Association endorses the single salary schedule principle with the exception that the amendment hereby proposed be included in order to give attendance officers benefits given to other groups in the bill. |