meant I could earn a living wage, at last, without having my white-collar family wory about loss of 'prestige.' I made big sacrifices to attend a teachers' college for 4 years-in preparation for a life of genteel poverty. Now, thanks to the war, nobody in my house looks down on 'manual' jobs." The same attitude was expressed by a taxi-driving teacher I encountered in Chicago. "When I got a job driving a truck for a war plant," she said, "all my friends called me a heroine. Yet the work was easier than teaching and three times as well paid. Today my family wouldn't want me to go back to the old starvation wages that a primary-grade school teacher earns." Until recently, a teacher's high standing in the community helped to overbalance the poor pay. Now even that has changed. A former teacher who heads the women's department of a Detroit bank told me, "As a teacher, I was constantly being asked to lend my name to civic committees or to get together with social workers in cleaning up slum conditions. We teachers got respect, and that kept us happy. But now teachers' salaries are so ridiculously low that everyone assumes they must be suckers to go on working for such an-amount. And suckers have never been respected in America." In addition to poor pay and loss of prestige, today's school teacher faces other hardships. Several of the rural school teachers I interviewed spoke of "ramshackle" and "badly heated" schoolhouses. One said that she herself had painted the benches because the county could not afford to pay for such labor. Last fall a group of Brooklyn high school teachers demanded a raise in salaries. To make their point, they threatened to stop all after-hours chores for which they are not paid, including supervising students' clubs, dances, shows and athletic events. A former teacher, now secretary to a Wall Street broker, told me, "People think teachers have short hours in winter and nothing to do in summer. A teacher with a class of 30 to 50 students is expected to give them individual attention. That means she has to spend hours after school preparing special tests and assignments, correcting papers and boning up on learned publications. Come summer, she has to go to school herself and gather more college credits. Since she never makes enough money in winter to pay for her summer expenses, she takes on a part-time job while she's studying.' An ex-Wac said, "When the war was over, I was tempted to go back to teaching. I really loved the work. But in my part of Massachusetts teachers aren't allowed to marry. Well, I'm engaged. So I'm taking art courses to prepare for work in a museum." The Wac had stubbed her toe against the second large obstacle which society imposes on teachers; besides half-starving them we also like to bully them. No group of women outside religious orders is asked to live as prim a life as the teacher in an American small town.1 In New York City teachers may marry and are even allowed maternity leaves. They may use lipstick and smoke after school hours. Such conduct would lose them their jobs in some sections of the country. As late as the 1930s, 11 teachers in Kansas were fired for having attended a perfectly proper country club dance. And in some counties of Virginia, clauses in the teachers' contracts forbid "keeping company with a young man." A survey made in 1933 by an educational research expert found that a large percentage of the country's teachers would be summarily dismissed if they took a drink of beer in the town where they worked. A former teacher, now working for a Midwest social agency, said to me: "The underlying idea is that the schoolmarm should set a good example for the children. So she should. But 'good example' is always defined by the strictest bluenoses in town. If a single parent is opposed to lipstick, teacher can't use it. And no teacher is expected to raise her voice in a political campaign, or even subscribe to magazines whose tone is different from that of any member of the school board." Some teachers, driven to bitterness by poverty and injustice, are moving to the extreme political left. Spearheading this movement are the CIO teachers unions. Bella Dodd, a member of the national committee of the Communist Party, has been legislative representative for the New York union. School authorities say that only an immediate raise in teachers' pay will combat this rising influence. Teachers' colleges are the logical places to look for well-qualified substitutes to take the places of the discouraged men and women who have left the schools. But today most teachers' colleges have plenty of vacancies; they are even offering 1 See A School Teacher Talks Back, the Reader's Digest, July 1942. free scholarships with no takers. Only about a third as many men and women are now preparing for teaching careers as in 1941. At a Midwest State teachers' college, less than half this year's undergraduates ever expect to teach; the rest are there because this school was easier to enter than the overcrowded liberal arts colleges. But children are being born and they must be properly educated, or their parents will want to know the reason why. When parents discover that it is because Miss Brown, who teaches the sixth grade, gets less than her gardener, they will tax themselves to raise her pay. And when the salaries are raised, the teachers will come back. That is one encouraging thing I learned in my survey. A medical aide in New York told me, "Let me make the minimum on which a man can decently support a family and I'll go back to the schoolroom. And love it." A national scandal? Something must be done? Well, what is the salary scale of the teachers in the school your child attends? How many of the teachers are inadequate substitutes? How many qualified teachers have left your local schools since 1941? This is a problem to be tackled in the community which pays the school bills. Better find out how things are in your town. Mr. McCOWEN. There will be no further hearings until Thursday and Friday of next week. We will attempt to have the other Members of Congress up here who have not appeared on behalf of their bills which they have introduced. We will adjourn until 10 o'clock next Thursday. (Whereupon, at 12: 10 p. m., the hearing was adjourned to reconvene at 10 a. m., Thursday, May 8, 1947.) FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1947 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE No. 1 Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met at 10:00 a. m., the Honorable Edward O. McCowen (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. McCOWEN. The committe will come to order. The Honorable Thruston B. Morton, our colleague from Kentucky is here, and we will be glad to have him testify. Identify yourself for the record, Mr. Morton, and proceed. STATEMENT OF HON. THRUSTON B. MORTON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF KENTUCKY Mr. MORTON. I am Thruston B. Morton, Congressman from the Third District of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, it is certainly unnecessary for me to attempt to point out the need for education. Because of scientific and technological developments in the fields of industry and agriculture, it is now necessary for a man to possess a substantial education in order to earn enough money to provide the necessities of life. Education is necessary if we are to assure a just and lasting peace in the world. General Eisenhower recently made the following statement: It is up to the schools to provide future generations in all countries with education, leading to a respect and understanding for the people and the problems of every Nation. This week in the House of Representatives, we are debating a bill which is the result of an international situation, caused by the existence in the world of two opposite ideologies-democracy and communism. If our philosophy is to survive, the people must have the capacity for democracy. Education is necessary for the development of such capacity. Our forefathers set forth in immortal language the doctrine that freedom and equality are the natural heritage of all men. Equality of opportunity has come to be one practical application of that doctrine. Certainly educational opportunity must precede and determine social or economic opportunity. I represent the Third District of Kentucky. Without burdening you with detailed statistics, I will briefly outline certain conditions affecting education which exist in my State. In Kentucky, we have 267 children of school age for each 1,000 of population. The national average is 227. In California, there 61040-47-vol. 1-15 are 180. Whereas Kentucky is considered a Southern State and classified with the South in per capita income and in economic opportunity, it does border the great wealthy States-Ohio, Indiána, and Illinois. As a result of these factors, Kentucky and other States similarly situated face very acute and realistic problems in the field of education. Kentucky actually spends a higher portion of the income of its people on education than Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Yet, because of our low income, we are not able to provide even half as much per pupil, as in the case of the afore-mentioned States. A major portion of money spent for education is for teachers' salaries. Consequently, we have a much lower salary scale than our richer neighbors to the north. No one can question the fact that our teachers deserve much greater remuneration than they now receive. It can be easily understood why so many of our teachers cross the river into Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois where, for the same work and often under more comfortable surroundings, they receive from $500 to $1,500 per year more money. This exodus of trained teachers is very serious at the present time, and as a result, approximately onethird of the teachers of Kentucky are now serving under emergency certificates. I fully recognize the fact that the long-term solution of this situation is increased per capita income. This can only be accomplished through the increased development of agriculture, of natural and mineral resources, and the provision of greater industrial opportunity. Kentucky is striving valiantly to accomplish this end, and is making steady progress. However, proper education of our people is a necessary factor in the accomplishment of that end. We, therefore, find that we are trying to lift ourselves by our bootstraps. Mr. Chairman, the bill presently before your committee will go far to answer the problem, not only facing Kentucky, but other States in a similar economic and social situation. This bill very wisely precludes any State from taking a free ride. It sets up certain minimum requirements which must be fulfilled by the several States. The State is not permitted to use Federal funds if local funds are available. It also wisely protects and insures State control of our educational system. People of Kentucky are willing to support education as far as our limited means permit. They also wish to control and operate the public-school system throughout the Commonwealth. (Mr. Morton's bill, H. R. 3076, is as follows:) [H. R. 3076, 80th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To authorize the appropriation of funds to assist the States and Territories in financing a minimum foundation education program of public elementary and secondary schools, and in reducing the inequalities of educational opportunities through public elementary and secondary schools, for the general welfare, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Educational Finance Act of 1947". SEC. 2. No department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States shall exercise any direction, supervision, or control over, or prescribe any requirements with respect to any school, or any State educational institution or agency, with respect to which any funds have been or may be made available or expended pursuant to this Act, nor shall any term or condition of any agreement or any other action taken under this Act, whether by agreement or otherwise, relating to any contribution made under this Act to or on behalf of any school, or any State educational institution or agency, or any limitation or provision in any appropriation made pursuant to this Act, seek to control in any manner, or prescribe requirements with respect to, or authorize any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States to direct, supervise, or control in any manner, or prescribe any requirements with respect to, the administration, the personnel, the curriculum, the instruction, the methods of instruction, or the materials of instruction, nor shall any provision of this Act be interpreted or construed to imply or require any change in any State constitution prerequisite to any State sharing the benefits of this Act. APPROPRIATION AUTHORIZED SEC. 3. For the purpose of more nearly equalizing public elementary-school and public secondary-school opportunities among and within the States, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1948, the sum of $150,000,000; for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1949, the sum of $200,000,000; for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1950, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the sum of $250,000,000 to be apportioned to the States as hereinafter provided. APPORTIONMENT SEC. 4. Ninety-eight per. centum of the funds appropriated under section 3 of this Act shall be apportioned to the respective States, excluding those enumerated in subsection (G) of this section, in the following manner: (A) Multiply (a) the number of children from five to seventeen years of age, inclusive, in each State, as determined by the Department of Commerce, for the third year next preceding the year for which the computation is made by (b) $40. (B) Multiply (a) the average of the annual income payments for each State, as determined by the Department of Commerce, for five years including the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh years next preceding the year for which the computation is made by (b) 1.1 per centum. (C) If, for any State, the amount calculated under (A) exceeds the amount calculated under (B), the difference shall be the amount of Federal aid due each such State. (D) Determine the percentage ratio of (a) the amount spent in each State from local and State revenues for current expenditures (excluding interest, debt service, and capital outlay) for public elementary-school and public secondaryschool education for the third year next preceding the year for which the computation is made, to (b) the average of the annual income payments for each State, as determined by the Department of Commerce, for five years including the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh years next preceding the year for which the computation is made. When the percentage ratio thus determined in (D) for any State is less than 2.5, the amount of Federal aid due each such State, as computed under (C), shall be proportionately reduced. (E) Determine the percentage ratio of (a) the estimated current expenditures (excluding interest, debt service, and capital outlay) in each State from local and State revenues for public elementary-school and public secondary-school education for the year for which the computation is made, to (b) the average of the annual income payments for each State, as determined by the Department of Commerce, for the most recent three years, for which annual income data are available in the year next preceding the year for which the computation is made. When for any year the percentage ratio thus determined for any State, after the fourth year of the operation of this Act, is less than 2.2, such State shall be ineligible to receive any part of the funds authorized in section 3 of this Act for the year for which the computation is made, and shall remain ineligible for that year until such time as revised estimates of expenditures, as determined in the preceding paragraph of this subsection, produce a percentage ratio equal to or greater than 2.2. (F) In the event 98 per centum of the funds authorized for any fiscal year in section 3 of this Act are insufficient to pay to all eligible States the full amount of Federal aid due each such State, as computed in subsection (A), (B), (C), and (D) of this section, the amount of Federal aid paid to each eligible State shall bear the same ratio to the amount of Federal aid due each such State as the total amount of Federal aid paid to all eligible States bears to the total amount of Federal aid due all eligible States. (G) From not to exceed 2 per centum of the funds appropriated under section 3 such sums as may be necessary shall be apportioned by the Commissioner to Alaska, Hawaii, the Canal Zone, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, |