Resolved, That Local 59, Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, communicate with Minnesota Senators and Representatives demanding their active support of the bill and their vote for the bill; and be it further

Resolved, that the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council be asked to give their support to the Murray-Metcalf bill and to communicate such support to the Washington office of the AFL-CIO and to Minnesota Congressmen.

Respectfully submitted,

A. JAMES HELLER, President.

STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, SAN FRANCISCO,

CALIF.

As the hearings on the School Support Act of 1959 (H.R. 22) proceed, we of the California Teachers Association would like you to know that this bill has our full endorsement. Indicative of widespread support for this bill in California is the fact that nine of our Congressmen have introduced identical companion bills and that one of our Senators is a cosponsor to Senator Murray's bill in the Senate.

The reason for the support of this measure in California is that our financial needs in education are fantastically staggering:

(a) Our present elementary and secondary enrollment is over 3 million. It will increase 2,500,000 by 1970-71. At the present ratio of thirty-two students per classroom, this will require an expenditure of $282 million per year for school construction. Our present rate of expenditure is about $300 million per year, of which about 10 to 15 percent goes into replacement of below-standard buildings. Thus, we cannot meet the need in construction at their present standards. (b) However, this does not take care of the 118,000 students now on halfday sessions. Nor does this reduce our pupil-teacher ratio which is among the highest in the Nation. To meet this need would require an additional expenditure of $116 million per year for 11 years.

(c) To pay teachers salaries and operating costs at present levels to fill these classrooms will require almost an additional billion dollars per year at the end of the 11-year period. The expansion of our economy will probably be able to absorb this, but not through the property tax or tax base available to the State. The economic expansion will characteristically be in those areas in which the Federal Government does its taxing: corporate and personal income. (d) To raise teachers salaries to the level necessary to attract the mushrooming need for teachers would require a minimum average increase of $1,500 per year. This would require an additional $195 million per year in California with the present number of teachers. In 11 years, the additional annual expenditure would be about $350 million in the State.

Dr. ARTHUR F. COREY,
State Executive Secretary.

STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY DICK BOYD, RESEARCH DIRECTOR, OREGON EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, PORTLAND, OREG.

OREGON'S NEED FOR FEDERAL SUPPORT

Oregon's people have made and are continuing to make a sustained effort to maintain and improve the level of education in their State. Proof of the effort being made is contained in the final report of Dr. John F. Sly from Princeton University to the State Advisory Committee of the State Department of Planning and Development. Dr. Sly reports:

"By 1957 State and local taxes per capita continued upward ($203.96, exceeded only by California and Nevada) and per capita personal income declined. Taxes as percent of income had reached 10.66 substantially above other far western States and 27 percent above the national average (8.41). Oregon's tax sacrifice (5.7 percent) was 34 percent above the national average, 53 percent above California, 42 percent above Nevada, 30 percent above Washington, and almost equal to Idaho."

Although there is determined effort to supply adequate educational opportunities for Oregon's children, the forecast of needs is somewhat appalling. Attached to this statement are two graphs with accompanying explanations which picture the classrooms needs and teacher needs for the present and future years.

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Even with the high effort reported in Dr. Sly's study, Oregon school districts are frustrated in their effort to hold their best teachers. Flanked by California and Washington with much greater wealth. Oregon's effort is still unable to close the gap between salary averages in the three States.

Oregon has been able to keep up with building needs even though it has brought a great strain upon the economy of the State. On the other hand, it has not been able to gain upon the shortage of teachers. School programs are hampered because of the inability to find qualified teachers for specific positions. Although the educational level of most teachers in Oregon has increased through teachers attending college during the summer or taking courses on weekends or at night, one out of seven teachers in Oregon are still on emergency certificates.

Studies, such as that done by Frank S. Endicott, director of placement at Northwestern University, the Winnetka Citizens' Advisory Committee on Salaries, and the Committee on Executive Development of the American Bankers Association, are documenting facts long known by harassed administrators attempting to fill teaching positions. College graduates can obtain more money in practically any other field upon graduation with a bachelor's degree. Not only this, but after a period of 10 years the difference has been widened considerably to where teaching does not compare with that of other occupations requiring a college education. In our Nation where social status is largely judged by economic worth, the tax base of the Federal Government should be used to give teaching the importance as a profession which it deserves when the future of our Nation is considered

The Oregon Education Association considers the Murray-Metcalf bill the best plan to enter the Federal Government as a partner in the critical problem of support of schools without shifting or entangling the control of local school districts by local school boards.

At the last two meetings of the representative council-the policymaking body representing 90 percent of the teachers and administrators in the State-the Federal legislation committee has reported upon an active program of support to the passage of the Murray-Metcalft bill. Principles contained within the Murray-Metcalf bill have been reaffirmed through the support of the following statement:

"Control of education: The NEA legislative commission reaffirms its belier that the State, local, and institutional control of education can best be maintained if Federal educational programs are located in the U.S. Office of Education. Federal funds for elementary and secondary education should be allocated to the States on an objective basis to be administered by the established educational agencies with which the local school districts are accustomed to deal."

More specifically, the Murray-Metcalf bill is supported by the following statement found within the minutes of the last meeting of the representative council held December 5 and 6, 1958:

"We encourage the principle of general aid as well as specific aid embodied in the Murray-Metcalf bill, which provides aid for schoolhouse construction, basic instructional material, and teachers' salaries."

In the light of the above statement, the Oregon Education Association strongly urges passage of the Murray-Metcalf bill.

TEACHER SUPPLY

Only one group the class of college seniors due to graduate before next September with full preparation to meet certificate requirements can be described correctly as the "new" supply.

Although the new supply of teachers is increasing, the rapidly growing school population is increasing faster.

In 1955-56 the new supply of teachers in Oregon was 216 below the demand. In 1957-58 the supply was 366 below the demand.

While the new supply increased 20 percent the demand rose 23 percent.

The problem is further amplified by the knowledge that only about 73 percent of the graduates trained to teach will take teaching positions and actually enter the profession. This is not shown in the facing graph. Supply has been pictured as all graduates trained to teach.

How are staffs filled when superintendents and school boards face this picture?

Some teachers may yet be lured from the lower paying States. This source has decreased as Oregon's ranking on salaries has slipped from 9th in 1954 to 14th in 1959, the lowest since 1950. There are indications that Oregon's best prepared teachers are going to neighboring States.'

Some people who have been out of teaching for many years may be drawn back on emergency certificates. This source has also decreased as these people have been pressed into service. In some cases elective courses such as foreign language or higher mathematics must be discontinued for lack of a satisfactory teacher. Special remedial work was dropped in two large schools this year for lack of trained personnel.

In Oregon, quality of teaching is affected by the fact that an oversupply in two or three subject areas of high school work is absorbed in elementary schools with shortages. This means that graduates trained to teach high school social studies are hired to teach a seventh or eighth grade classroom or in some area for which they did not primarily prepare. These people are shown in the supply column but are not satisfactory answers to the demand.

Some States have followed the educationally disputed practice of increasing class loads. This type of creeping solution has been used more in large cities where the increase of class load by one child per room will reduce the number of teachers needed by as much as 75 in a school system the size of Portland. As a consequence, it is estimated that 31,000 additional teachers would be required in the United States to reduce class loads in elementary schools to the recommended maximum of 30 pupils per room.

1 Oregon School Study Council Bulletin, vol. No. 1, Bulletin No. 10.

SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

In 1954 an Oregon State Department of Education official estimated that Oregon would need 3,400 additional classrooms within the next 5-year period. Such a forecast envisioned a building program which would add 567 classrooms a year to Oregon's total. The cost was estimated at $20 million per year. Considering the recession of the past 2 years, this estimate was unusually close. A 1958-59 survey shows that school construction in Oregon has been progressing at a rate of more than 500 classrooms per year for the past 5 years. The total of 11,924 classrooms in 1954 has been increased to 14,945 this year. There appears to be no let-up.

A letter from D. D. Williams, director of schoolhouse planning for Oregon, concerning this problem, states:

"The breakdown of classrooms scheduled for completion during the 1958-59 school year is as follows: Elementary, 226; secondary, 299.

"Since many of these classrooms will be additions to operating plants, it is our estimate that about $5 million will cover the cost of elementary school construction and $12 million for secondary construction. This may prove conservative since construction expenditures for the previous 2 years averaged $21 million. My estimate for the school year of 1959-60 is $19 million. I would also like to point out that school district reorganization has a tendency to delay needed construction.

"It appears that classroom needs will continue to be between 500 and 600 for the next 5 years. Children to fill them are with us now. Any prediction beyond this would be purely speculative."