Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1918 — FEAR TEACHER FAMINE [ARTICLE]

FEAR TEACHER FAMINE

Shortage Is Noted in Various Parts of Country. Decreased Enrollment In Normal Schools and Resignations May Bring Crisis. New York.—The United States Is facing a famine of public school teachers. The schools In various parts of the Country are already suffering from a shortage of teachers. Men and women in noticeable numbers, reports from different sections say, are resigning their positions tn the schools to take up other kinds of work. But the worst of the situation, as It is explained by Dr. William H. Allen, who has been a leading student of school problems for many years, Is the certainty of a greatly Increased shortage in the future, as evidenced by the falling off tn enrollments In teachers’ training schools. “There never was a time when good public school teachers were needed as they are now and as they will be In the immediate future,” said Doctor Allen. “The whole problem of Americanization and training for citizenship, as It must be met in the elementary public schools, is fundamental, yet from all over the country we hear of the failure of yonng men and women to register In the training schools. We are approaching a crisis.” From lowa comes the report that 160 schools have no teachers at all. In Philadelphia as many substitutes are needed In a month Hits winter as are ordinarily employed In the full school year. Men have gone to the war, and woman teachers are resigning constantly. Cincinnati reports the fear of a teacher famine. P. P. Claxton, United States commissioner of education, reports: “The shortage is constantly increasing and Is embarrassingly large In some sections.”