The Crisis IN Public Education in Illinois CENTRAL CIRCULATION BOOKSTACKS The person charging this material is re- sponsible for its renewal or its return to the library from which it was borrowed on or before the Latest Date stamped below. You may be charged a minimum fee of $75.00 for each lost book. Tlwit, RiutllaHon, and underlining of books or* roosens for disciplinary action and may result In dlinUssoi from the University. TO RENEW CAlt TELEPHONE CENTER, 333-8400 UNIVERSITY OF lUINOIS IIBRARY AT UBBANA-CHAMPAIGN SEP 2 ^ 1995 T'^ r\ 4^ 1:35 When renewing by i^one, write new due date below previous due date. L162 The Crisis in Public Education in Illinois ISSUED BY THE Legislative Publicity Committee OF THE Illinois State Teachers' Association Carleton W. Washburne, Chair ma)i, Superintendent of Schools, Winnetka, 111. W. W. Lewton, Superintendent of Schools, Cicero, 111. President City Superintendents Association J. O. Engleman, Superintendent of Schools, Decatur, 111. Chairman Legislative Committee, I. S. T. A. MARCH, 1921 The Committee issuing this booklet wishes to express its heartfelt thanks to Dr. B. R. Buckingham, Director of the Bureau of Educational Re- search at the University of Illinois, for his invaluable aid in gathering statistics for this report. r. . LIBRAHY ^ /1»i OF THE ""/ Mg HNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS Illinois schools are running behind 515,000,000 a year. 160,000 children are being taught in unsuitable class rooms and basements. Three out of four teachers are under- trained. Almost all teachers are underpaid. The only way to prevent this situation from becoming worse is to increase the State school fund from $6,000,000 to $20,000,000 immediately. ■^- This increase is less than that which ■ California, New York, Ohio and other states have given. ^ Illinois now is 2nd in wealth — 24th in educational rank and in support of ^ its schools. ^ Normal schools, for want of support, are losing their faculties. Normal school salaries have increased _^ 15 to 20% since 1913, while living costs ^ have increased 149% and wages of labor Q^^ave risen 100 to 150%. ^ Immediate help for public schools and -" normal schools is imperative if they are - to survive. 1 0725^ Don't Block Them Courtesy of Mr. Harry Murphy, and the Herald-Examiner. ChicaRO. THE SITUATION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN ILLINOIS Summary The safety and \cry life of the state depend on an inteUigent body of voters and upon the ability and good citizenship of the people. Good public schools are our only means of secur- ing future intelligent voters and good citizens. Public schools cannot function without funds. While costs have increased at least 100% in four years, school funds have increased 33%. Schools are now plunging into debt for running expenses alone at the rate of some $15,000,000 per year. And education is not being carried on effectively. Three-fourths of the schools of the state are using undertrained teachers, 15,400 children are being taught in basements, 100,000 children are being taught in rooms not suited for school purposes, and over 13,000 children are being taught in rooms actually condemned as unfit for use. This condition is not improving. It is not even standing still. It is rapidly becoming worse. An increase in the state distributive fund sufftcient to prevent the schools from going further into debt is the least anyone dares to ask. This means an increase from the present 86,000,000 fund to a 820,000,000 fund— the difYerence, 814,000,000, is even less than the amount by which the schools are running behind in spite of all makeshifts. All public educational bodies in the state are united in their demand for a 820,000,000 distributive fund for the schools. Illinois, ranking second in the Union in wealth, is 24th in educational rank and in state support of education. California has increased its State appropriation to the schools from 86,500,000 to 814,500,000 and its county appropriations an equal amount; Xcw York has increased its State appropriation from 812,000,000 to $32,500,000; Ohio from S4,000,000 to $19,000,000. To save its schools Illinois can and must increase its State j fund from $6,000,000 to $20,000,000. \ o o o o o o © o •^ o *» i ^ ^' £ <^ S •t- *» .2 II 6Zi o « ^S Fig. 1 Certain districts in Illinois are penalized for having their high schools and elementary schools under the same Board of Education. These dis- tricts are only allowed to tax themselves locally 57% as much for their schools as the rest of the State may tax itself. Chicago is still further lim- ited, its school tax being limited to 39% of that of most school districts. The State should give these districts a square deal by making their school tax- ing power equal to that of all other districts. During the last seven years, living costs have risen 149%; wages of labor and factory workers have risen 100% to 150%; teachers' salaries have risen 75%. Normal school instructors' salaries have risen only 15%. Over half of the normal school instructors have left the normal schools during the last two years. The normal schools are asking a 50% salary increase for their facul- ties, and enough money for buildings and equip- ment to make it possible for them to function. When it is realized that upon the quality of work 6 done by these normal schools depends the educa- tion of the children of the State, can Illinois afford to refuse their requests? Per Cent. 250 210 200 190 180 170 160 150 140 130 120 110 100 Fig. 2 / / / / / \^-A .x°> ^' -S^^ fS,i ...'■ 1 ii ,"** If' •• M / Af'' . ',oc. / ^ >!/"nrm-»l 9f+iAnl TP^--' rSalari A-:. es -™r.--=^ ■^^r^--\ ' — -\ Year, 1913 1914 1915 1917 1918 A graph to illustrate the table of indices of teachers' salaries and cost of living. Dotted line A represents teachers' salaries. Solid line B represents cost of living. Broken line C represents Normal School salaries. D represents common laborers salaries. We start with both salaries at 100 in 1913 because it is now supposed that the year 1913 was a normal year unaffected by the war or other abnormal causes or conditions. But even then it was generally admitted that teachers' salaries were too low. Legislation necessary to prevent these situations in Illinois from becoming worse is being recom- mended in Springfield by the State School Board Association, City Superintendents' Association and State Teachers' Association. If the facts presented in this booklet can be placed squarely before all the people of Illinois, there is no question as to the wholehearted sup- port they will give to a program that will enable their children to receive an adequate education. I— THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 1 — How Illinois Schools are Financed The schools of Illinois receive their main income from two sources. About nine-tenths of it comes from local taxation in the district; about one-tenth is appropriated by the State Legislature. Local taxation for schools is limited by law to S2.00 on each SI 00 of assessed valuation. But by referendum vote the people of a district can increase this to S2.67. Beyond this no district is allowed to tax itself, no matter how badly it needs more money. If the high school is under a separate Board of Education — that is, if it is a Community or Town- ship High School — the High School Board may levy an additional tax up to S2.00 on each SlOO of assessed valuation. But if a school system wishes to have unit control of high school and elementary schools, it must support both on the same amount of money as is allowed to other districts that support elementary schools only. Of course this is unfair. Note: (Chicago is still further limited in its local taxation. See page 22 of this report.) The State's share in supporting the schools con- sists of distributing $6,000,000 each year among all the districts of the State on a basis of the num- ber of children under 21 years of age in each dis- trict. This distributive fund would tend to equalize educational opportunities through the State if it were large enough to count materially. It takes the money wherever it is and gives it to the children wherever they are. It is raised by the State as part of the State tax. The State tax is at present S.40 on each SlOO of assessed valuation for all purposes. Only $.143^^ of this S.40 is used for the distributive fund. An increase of the distributive fund from S6,000,000 to S20,- 000,000 may involve an increase of about 34 cents on each SlOO of assessed valuation in the State tax rate. It should be clearly understood that "assessed valuation" does not mean real value for either local or state taxation. It is never more than half of the real value, usually not more than a fourth, and frccjuently a tenth or less of the real \alue of the property. The assessed valuation on a piece of property worth S10,000 would therefore range from below SIOOO up to about S2500. A 34 cent tax increase against these amounts would mean that the owner would pay S3. 40 to S8.50 per year more in taxes — 30 to 70 cents a month. Is the education of children in Illinois worth that much? This increase in tax rate will not be necessary, however, if some of the property that is now entirely 8 escaping taxation can be put on the tax books In this connection see figure 12 on page 19 of this booklet. LOCAL TAXES STATE Yo Fig. 3 Where our Elementary Schools get their money. 2 — The Financial Needs of Our Schools The Bureau of Educational Research of the Uni- versity of Illinois, under the direction of Dr. B. R. Buckingham, has collected data from over half of the city and village schools of the state. The data were obtained in January and February, 1921, and are therefore strictly up-to-date. They show the following facts: Our schools are restricting the amount and quality of their public service. "In the questionnaire submitted to superintend- ents, data were secured merely on the question whether or not curtailments due to financial short- age had been made. 'Curtailments' was rigidlv defined to mean essentially a retrograde movement; an abandonment of some function or organization which had already been in existence and which would not have been abandoned except because of stringent financial conditions. In 1919, 60 cities reporting to us indicated that they had already begun to curtail their service. New cur- tailments in 1920 were reported by 65 cities. In 1921 the number had risen to 83. It is our understanding that the 65 curtailments of 1920 and the 83 of 1921 were in addition to the 60 reported for 1919. This may have meant addi- tional cities in which reductions in service were put into effect, or it may have meant additional curtailments in the same cities. At any rate it is clear that the number of cities is increasing in which educational opportunities are being dimin- ished. As applied to the schools, this may mean the dismissal of a supervisor who has made the music or art a delight, or of a supervisor who has guided the primary teachers in their difficult task. Perhaps the super\'isor has resigned. At any rate, an opportunity for dispensing with such service may be seized. Special courses that have proved helpful, kindergarten, free lunches, Americaniza- tion — any one of a number of things which make the schools more than ordinary social assets — these are the sort of things which the city systems with their backs to the wall have been obliged to deny themselves. Our Children are Being Taught in Unfit Class Rooms "The extent to which emergency use is made of rooms is a partial index of the prevalence of unde- sirable conditions. The cities contributing to this report showed that 258 basement rooms were in use and that 183 other rooms were in use which were not satisfactory for classroom purposes. (See illustrations, pages 15, 16 and 17.) In addition to these, 591 rooms were in use in temporary or porta- ble buildings and 123 rooms which were not designed for school use. Thus a total of 1155 rooms were being pressed into service which in one way or another were unsuited or undesirable for school purposes. If to these were added the 931 rooms in which two classes are reciting on double-session plan, we have a grand total of 2086 as the number of units which ought to be replaced in these cities. Estimating 40 pupils to a classroom, we may infer that upwards of 80,000 children are being brought under classroom con- ditions which place them at a disadvantage in their school work. "In addition to these conditions, it is reported that 23 buildings and 41 additional rooms are being used where school houses have actually been condemned as unfit for use. The number of pupils reciting in these buildings and rooms is reported as 6512." Since these figures and those in the preceding paragraph are from only half of the State, they should be doubled to show the state- wide emergency. This means that at least 160,000 Illinois children are in unsuitable and undesirable schoolrooms. Our Teachers are Being Underpaid Long before the War teachers' salaries were recognized as being far below what they should be. During and since the War teachers' salaries have risen, but the cost of living has risen much faster (see Figure 2). Consequently, teachers are now receiving even lower salaries in purchasing power than they were in pre-war days. They receive far less after four \ears in high school and two years in normal school (when we are fortunate enough to get trained teachers) than does a car- penter, electrician, mason, or other artisan and actually less than common labor, untrained, un- skilled and with no responsibility for the welfare of the future citizens of the state. 10 If we pay our teachers poorly, we will get poor teachers. Superior men and women will tend to drift into other better pa^ung fields and are doing so to an alarming extent. Already only one-fourth of the teachers in Illinois have had the two years of normal school training that are recognized as the minimum training a teacher should have. If we think too little of the education of our children to pay for it, we don't deserve the services of the type of men and women who can give them education. Our Schools are Going Hopelessly into Debt "By means of anticipation warrants the cities have spent the proceeds of taxation before the money was actually at their disposal. Teachers' warrants ha\e also been issued. These warrants are loans constituting a lien on the receipts Avhich may subsequently accrue to the school district. "One hundred six cities reported a total of antici- pation and teachers' warrants as follows: 1919 82,530,681 1920 3,472,344 1921 5,340,269 It will be seen from these figures that the cities were heavily anticipating their receipts in 1919 and that they are doing so still more heavily this year. In fact, for the 106 cities reporting on this item for three years, the anticipation and teachers' warrants have more than doubled. "The cities involved are only about one-fourth of the total number to whom we applied for infor- mation. If the remaining three-fourths of the cities have been anticipating their incomes to the same extent, we have an estimated amount of about 820,000.000. This would represent the con- ditions for all the cities and villages in Illinois having six or more teachers." Increases in School DEBT (not counting bond issues) of 106 Illinois cities. If the .^00 cities not reporting are at all like these, the totals for the state outside of Chicago are four times those shown in this chart. It will be noticed that even with a 520.000,000 distributive fund the debt increases to some ex- tent; without this increase of distributive funtl the debt will increase alarmingly next year. mmmm $8,122,914 IF DISTRIBUTIVE. FUND REMAINS AT $6,000,000 $5,340,269 $5,472,344 $2,530,681 1920 1922 Fig. 4 11 This does not, however, include Chicago. Chicago's deficit has been as follows: 1919 S 7,197,907 1920 9,541,216 1921 13,091,000 The total deficit of the schools of Illinois is, therefore, $33,000,000, exclusive of bonded indebt- edness. The percentage of increase in Chicago's deficit was 33% from 1919 to 1920, 37% from 1920 to 1921. In the rest of the cities of Illinois the in- crease in indebtedness was 37% from 1919 to 1920, and was 54% from 1920 to 1921. If the deficit increases at the same rate for 1921-1922 as during the past year, the increase in the debt of the schools (outside of Chicago) will be 810,800,000. The deficit of the Chicago schools will increase, according to the auditor's estimate, $4,800,000. The total increase in indebtedness of the schools of Illinois will, therefore, be 815,600,000 next year. The only hope of stemming this increase is to get 814,000,000 a year of increased income. It is the smallest amount that can even be considered. It does not enable the schools to pay the $33,000,000 they already owe. It does not enable the schools to increase teachers' salaries as they should. It does not provide proper class rooms for the school children of Illinois. It barely prevents the schools from having to make all of these conditions worse. See Figures 4 and 5. Increase in deficit of the Chicago Schools. There was no deficit from 1911 to 1915. Deficits from 1921 to 1923 are estimated by the auditor. S 13091 000 M7Q9I000 IF DISTRIBUIIVE f UNO BE MAINS AS IT IS 523941.000 irDSTRIBUnVE FUND REMAINS AS IT IS / S7.I97.907 $3030 297 S 245 085 5668477 1019 1020 Fig. 5 1021 To quote furtlior from the Buckingham report: "As a matter of fact the size of the anticipation warrants is only to be judged in connection with the expenditures for school purposes. Table VIII shows the estimated expenditures for 1921 for purposes other than buildings and sites and the estimated anticipation and teachers' warrants for ten cities taken entirely at random. 12 Table VIII. Relation between Expenditures and Anticipation and Teachers' Warrants for Ten Cities Taken at Random Expenditures Exclusive of Anticipation Buildings and Teachers' City and Sites Warrants Quincy $342,390 $175,000 Martinsville 17,000 7,010 Mattoon 85,000 36,000 Champaign 174,436 24,000 Urbana 120.828 95,000 Canton 91,000 75,000 Rock Island 325,000 200,000 Kewanee 129,450 95,000 Knoxville 25,000 6,000 Carbondale 43,092 33,095 Total Sl.353,194 $746,105 "Anticipation and teachers' warrants mean money borrowed on next year's taxes. Notice that the amount so borrowed is more than half of the operating expenses of the schools. One does not need to point out that any enter- prise, educational or otherwise, which is paying half its running cost by anticipating its receipts is financially on the rocks." 3 — Why the Schools are in Such a Desperate Situation There are three important reasons for the heavy debt of the schools: (1) Enrollment has increased; (2) the State and communities have made bigger demands; and (3) cost of educating a child has risen much faster than the income of the schools. The increase in enrollment has been at the rate of about 5,000 children a year. The new demands upon the schools include Americanization work and continuation schools. Continuation schools are required by law. They are schools for children above the age of fourteen who are working. These children now must attend school part time and must receive instruc- tion of a kind and at a time that will fit their needs. The law is an excellent one, but no funds are given to the schools to carry it out. The outstanding cause of the schools' plight, however, is the increased per capita cost of edu- cating children. The report of the Bureau of Educational Re- search combined with that of the State Superin- tendents of Public Instruction gives the following table of per capita costs of education in Illinois: 13 *45 S47 *49 J53 ^84 191; 1919 Fig. 6 The great increase in 1921 is due largely to a material increase in teachers' salaries (see Figure 2, page 6), partly to the marked increase in cost of all school supplies and books, partly to the fact that the schools had been holding down expenses desperately as long as they could, and finally were unable to go without supplies, equipment, repairs and buildings any longer, and partly to the fact that the partial financial relief given by the Hicks bill and bv the increase of the distributive fund from 84,000,000 to 86,000,000 two years ago, reached the schools for the first time in the spring of 1920. The increase in per capita cost of education is shown in Figure 6. It is perfectly evident that if the cities must pay 884.00 per pupil this year against a former cost of less than 849.00, there must be a sharp increase in re\enue to meet the added expense. When to the fact that each child costs over 835.00 more in 1921 than two years ago is added the fact that the enrollment is increasing at the rate of something like 5,000 pupils a year, we have a situation which will place the responsibility for the continuance of the schools at their present level of efficiency squarely up to the taxpayers of the state. 4 — Why Relief Should Come from the State, Rather than Local Districts Just south of Chicago there are two districts side by side — District 111, Stickney Township, and District 103, Lyons. In one (District HI) there are railroad yards, high property values, and few children. In the other (Lyons) there are workers' cottages, low property values, and manv children. The assessed valuation of District 111 'is 81,149,912, and there are only 51 children enrolled in the school. The assessed valuation of Lyons is 8890,530, and there arc 729 children in the schools. The lax rate in District 111 is 27 cents, and they have plenty of money. The tax rate in Lyons is 82.67, and they have not enough to run their schools. In District 111 there is 14 822,548 of taxed property for each child. Irt Lyons there is $1,222 — just one-eighteenth as much, (See Figure 7.) Fig. 7 Amount of wealth per child in two adjoining districts. In two other adjoining districts, in a different part of the State, the difference is even greater, being S3, 800 per child in one district and $85,000 per child in the neighboring one — 24 times as much. The principle of a greater degree of State support of the schools is that we tax the wealth of the State wherever it is and use the money to educate the children wherever they are. The inequalities of district taxation lead to dangerous situations. Look, for instance, at the photographs (Figures 8 and 9) of one of the schools in a mining district in ALicoupin County. We are counting upon the public schools to make good This is an old shack where they have two rooms, one over the other each containing 68 pupiils. The lighting, heating, seating, ventilation, safety from fire and several other pupil welfare safeguards and laws are absolutely disregarded. Xotice the artistic entrance and stairway and fire-escape combined. This district is a year or more behind on teachers' orders. A bank that had been cashing these orders recently brought suit against tlie district and obtained a judgment. Therefore, the people in this elementary district will pay S6.26 on the SlOO in school taxes alone this spring — S2.66 for the elementary school as the regular rate, S2.00 for the community high school, and SI. 60 on account of the judgment by the court. 15 American citizens out of the children of our im- migrants. These children will vote and help to make the laws of Illinois fifteen years hence. Can they receive the type of training that will fit them for this in such schools as are shown in the accompanying photographs? The situation is well expressed in the following letter from a big, warm-hearted Irish coal miner, who is on the Board of Education in a mining tow^n. The letter is to Judge T. A. Snell of Car- linville, a member of the Illinois Assembly: FiK. 9 Here is one room in the old shack. Notice the up-to-date, scientific heating and ventilatinK systems. Also notice the electric lights. The lightinc is so poor that on dark days the lamps must be turned on. On cold days the old stove must be kept red hot to keep the room warm. You may be sure that the little fellows within two or three feet of it keep warm enough. SawverviUc, 111., Feb. 6, 1921. Mr. T. A. Snell. Carlin\ille, 111. Dear Judge: I am writing you in behalf of the schools in this end of the County (Macoupin) w^hich, to say the least, are in a deplorable condition, and unless the State Distributive Fund is increased sufficient to help us I can see no hope for the schools in this community. We have children in basements that are injurious to their health and to the health of the teachers. We ha\e children stuck in old build- ings that have been condemned by the State Fire Marshal and which violate the state sanitary laws in every particular. The truancy laws are a farce as we can't enforce them for want of room and you would not know that school was in session, judg- ing by the children that are roaming the street every day. 16 Now we have to start the continuous school provided for in the last Legislature which spells disaster for the district school. You know the fight I have made for more taxes during the last eight years and you are acquainted with the con- ditions and I know that will appeal to your Amer- icanism and, regardless of consequences, you will be with us. I keenly appreciate the fact that anything that makes more taxes is very unpopular with the electorate at this time, but why make such fine laws for the governing of our schools and then make their execution impossible, and that is the position we occupy at present. You know also that 95% of the children in this coinnninity are Fig. 10 Here are 77 pupils packed into the basement of the Greek Church in District 133, and a few are absent. either foreigners or of foreign extraction; children of men who left their mother country, the avowed enemy of all constituted authority and are still fed on the same dope by the radical papers printed in their different languages and which enjoy such a large circulation in this country. You can see by the daily press that 95% of the violators of the 18th Amendment are foreigners and it means that the leopard cannot change his spots. Therefore, it behooves us to see that the children of these people get an education sufificient to enable them to cope with the other children of the community in which they reside, and it is a man's job. I stand ready to do anything that I am capable of doing to assist you. If there is anything I can do, command me and I will be there, regardless of expenses or consequences. 17 Wishing you every success for the Twenty Mil- lion Dollar Drive and consequently improvement in our public school situation, I remain, Yours very truly, A photograph of one of the basement class rooms n the district here referred to is shown in Figure 10. We do not have to go to the mining districts to get such conditions. Just outside of Chicago is the Montrose School, in District 863/2- ^^ one room there are 116 pupils, sitting two in a seat and all around the walls. The district is two years behind in the payment of its teachers' orders. This year's teachers will be paid in 1923 or 1924. Banks refuse to accept the teachers' warrants. No wonder the sixth grade in that school has had six different teachers this year. Can children be trained into effective American citizens under these conditions? If children in these extreme districts were to remain isolated, the rest of the State might com- placently sit by and say, "We'll educate the children in our district; we should worry about the others!" But the children grow up and move about and vote. The safety of the State demands that every child be properly educated. The only means of securing this result is by a large State Distributive Fund — a fund collected from the whole State and distributed to the children of the whole State. When the State fund is only one- tenth of the total educational income as at present, it can do very little toward relieving the condition of the poor districts. It should be a half or not less than a third of the total amount of school money in order to bring about some degree of equality of educational opportunity. To increase it to $20,000,000 will make it about one-fourth of the total income of the schools. As an emergency measure, $20,000,000 is of some use in preventing conditions from getting worse until a really ade- quate solution can be found for the bankruptcy of Illinois schools. 5— Can Illinois Afford a $20,000,000 State Distributive Fund ? In 1856 the Illinois Legislature contributed 65% of the money necessary to run our schools. It now contributes 10%. The average of all the States in the Union is 15%. Eighteen States con- tribute more than 20%; of these nine contribute over 40%. Is Illinois, ranking second in wealth and third in population, unable to afford 25%? The Federal Government was able to collect $682,540,000 from Illinois in 1920. This amount of money would provide a $20,000,000 State Dis- tributive Fund for thirty-four years — or until the children now in school have put children of their 18 own through the public schools. Figure 1 1 shows the relation between the money raised in Illinois by the Federal Government and that raised by our own State government in 1920. $682.540.000— Direct taxes paid by Illinois to Federal Govt. 1920. ■ $16.940,000 — State taxes collectable on 1920 valuation. Fig. 11 Figure 12 shows the actual value of the real estate and improvements of Illinois, contrasted with the assessed valuation. By making our assessments cover a little more of the property in the State, we should be able to raise the money needed to give our children proper schooling. ACTUAL VM^UA-TION Q REAL estate: u.7na IMPROVEMENTS (bUJH book 1919 -20 A. 381 ) $38,000,000,000 ASSESSED \^^JL.TJA.TIOTSr rKCLJUDING - RATT . T^ OA-n q $ 1^570,000,000 Fig. 12 It is not our function, however, to determine the best means of raising the increased revenue. The wealth is in the State. The children of the State have a right to enough of it to give them adequate schools. At present they are not getting their share. Figure 1, page 5, shows how much more States with far less financial ability are doing for their schools. We people of Illinois are not quitters. When we realize that we are not giving our children a fair deal, we will use a portion of our wealth to support our schools. The only possible argument that can be used against increasing the distributive fund to 19 $20,000,000 is that this is the year to retrench- that costs and even wages are coming down and that this will bring relief to the schools. In this connection it is necessarv' to realize that during the last six years the combined relief of the Hicks bill and an increase from a 84,000,000 dis- tributive tund to 86,000,000 by the State have given the schools a maximum increase in re\enue of S3%, and that during this same time costs have risen over 100%. $14,000,000 added to our 86,000,000 distributive fund will bring the total maximum increase in revenue up to about 66% on the 1915 basis, and in 1915 the schools were run- ning behind, teachers were underpaid and more revenue was seriously needed. If, therefore, the cost of commodities in general and of wages should drop from the present standard of over 100% higher than 1915 to 66% higher, even a 820.000,000 dis- tributive fund would barely enable the schools to continue on the 1915 basis, without touching their enormous debts, without providing funds for Americanization and continuation schools, without paying trained teachers as much as untrained workers and without making the vitally important progress that is demanded by the reconstruction period upon which we have entered. The real question is not "Can we afford 820,000,000 for our schools? Poorly educated children become an ignorant and therefore a dangerous electorate; foreign children not fully Americanized grow into the irresponsible kind of agitators. The question becomes: "Can we afford NOT to give ample support to our schools?" 20 II— FAIR PLAY FOR UNIT CON TROL DISTRICTS When the elementary schools of the district are under one Board of Education and the high school is under another board, each board can levy a separate tax. The Elementary School Board can levy as high as S2.67 upon referendum vote of the people. The High School Board can levy another S2.00. The community, therefore, is allowed to tax itself as much as S4.67 for the support of its elementary and high schools, if it has them under two boards. But some communities feel that they can get better results and coordination by having both elementary and high schools under one Board of Education — that is, by having a unit control district. Springfield, Peoria, Decatur, Chicago and a number of other cities have just one Board of Education. These places are not allowed to tax themselves more than 82.67 for the support of both elementary and high schools together. They must run their elementary and high schools com- bined on the same tax rate as other districts have for the support of the elementary schools alone. This is grossly unfair. They should be allowed to tax themselves as much as those districts that have separate Boards of Education for their ele- mentary and high schools. 21 Ill— THE CHICAGO SITUATION Chicago's children are allowed a smaller propor- tion of the assessed valuation of their district than those of any other part of the State. Not only does the injustice described in Section II apply to Chicago, but through the operation of the Juul law the schools of Chicago are allowed even less than those of other unit-control districts. While many parts of the State may tax them- sehes up to S4.67 on SIOO.OO for the support of their schools and while unit-control districts (ele- mentary and high schools under the same Board of Education) may tax themselves S2.67 for the support of their schools, Chicago is only allowed to tax itself SI. 85. S2.00 for High Schools $2.67 for Elementary Schools $2.67 for Elementary and High Schools $1.85 for Elementary and High Schools Dual Control Districts Unit Control Districts Fig. 13 Chicago Figure 13 shows the maximum amounts other dis- tricts are allowed to tax themselves for their schools, contrasted with Chicago. Is there any valid reason why the State of Illinois should for- bid the City of Chicago to tax itself as much for the support of its schools as the rest of the State? This injustice has led to big deficits in Chicago, the continued use of antiquated buildings, con- demned as unsanitary or unfit, and to crowded classrooms. The average number of children to a classroom in the fifteen largest cities exclusive of Chicago is 36. In Chicago it is 44. When the average is 44, it means that some rooms have as many as fifty-five and sixty pupils in them. Those pupils are not being fairly treated. Chicago should unquestionably be allowed to tax herself as much for her children as any other part of the State. For a fuller treatment of the Chicago situation, send to the Chicago Board of Education for its Bulletin No. 20, January, 1921. 22 TV— THE PLIGHT OF THE NORMAL SCHOOLS Two years ago, when the need for more funds to meet increased costs had become extreme, the State granted the charitable institutions a 44% increase; it granted the penal institutions a 47% increase; it cut the appropriation to the Normal Schools 6.6%! The cost of living, according to the United States Department of Labor, has risen 149% since 1913. Teachers' salaries in general have risen just half as much — 74%. Normal School instructors' salaries have only risen from 15 to 20%. See Figure 2, page 6. Is it strange that in two years the Normal Schools have lost 123 out of 251 instructors? Yet we depend on the Normal Schools to train the teachers who are to educate our children. A deterioration of their faculties means a decay of our public schools from the very roots. The Normal Schools are asking for a 50% salary increase for all their instructors. This will barely bring their total increase since 1913 up to the increase in teachers' salaries in general — and everyone knows how seriously the average teacher is underpaid. The Normal Schools have not asked that the instructors receive as great an increase as common labor, whose wages have doubled; nor as much as factory workers whose wages have risen from 100 to 150%. They have asked for a 50% increase. Even with the falling wage scales, it will be some time before unskilled labor and factory hands drop to the level to which the Normal Schools are aspiring. Those who are to train the future teachers of the State should be the most capable men and women obtainable. Yet almost any Normal School in a neighboring State can take away our best Normal School instructors. The salaries of the best paid heads of departments at the Illinois State Normal University average S2787. In Wisconsin the maxi- mum is S4000; in Missouri, S3500 and S3660; at Terre Haute and Cedar Falls, S3960; at Kent and Oxford, Ohio, S3600; at Albany Teachers College, S4500; at Ypsilanti and Kalamazoo, Michigan, S5000. And most of these Normal Schools are asking increases. A 50% salary increase to our Normal School instructors will barely put them on a par with the Normal Schools of all the states that surround us. Disregarding the question of fairness to the people who train teachers for our chil- dren, can we get and keep the "right kind of Normal School instructors under these circumstances? 23 When these facts are brought home to the minds and hearts of the people of our State, lUinois will rise to the emergency, as she has always risen to emergencies, and bring her system of public educa- tion from twenty-fourth place up toward the top. Can we as a State afford to be penurious with our teacher training institutions, when on them depends the type of education our children receive? For a fuller statement of the Normal School situation, send to Hon. Francis G. Blair, Superin- tendent of Public Instruction, Springfield, for a pamphlet entitled "The Normal School Crisis." V— THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM of the State School Board Association, City Superintendents' Association and State Teachers' Association 1— A $20,000,000 State Distributive Fund. 2 — Increased taxing power to unit-control school districts to equal that of other school districts. 3 — Permission for Chicago to have as high a tax rate to support its schools as the rest of the dis- tricts in the state. 4 — A 50% salary increase for Normal School instructors and adequate building and agricultural funds for the Normal Schools. 5 — Adequate support for the University of Illinois. A treatment of the University needs is not included in this pamphlet because they have issued their own publicity material. But all public educational organizations are solidly back of the University in its request for a $10,000,000 appro- priation. 6 — Validation of a number of community high school districts, made invalid through court deci- sions because they included districts organized under special charters. 7 — Minor amendments to pension laws allowing retired teachers to live in other states than Illinois, and to safeguard rights of contributors. 8 — Provision for distributing the proceedings of the I. T. S. A., as well as for printing and binding. 9 — Permission for kindergartens in districts financially able to support them. The legislative committee of the State Teachers' Association is also backing the program of the County Superintendents. 24 The outstanding facts of this report are : 1 — Our schools are in a desperate financial condition. Emergency legislation granting at leasta $20,000,000 distributive fund is imperative. 2 — Unit-control school districts and Chicago are discriminated against in our State laws. They must be given a right to raise as much money for their schools, locally, as the other districts of the State. 3 — The Normal Schools and University are likewise failing to perform their proper and vitally important functions as a result of inadequate support. Any desired number of additional copies of this booklet may be obtained by writing to C. W. Washburne, Winnetka, Illinois. They will be sent free, if requested, but individuals and organizations ordering con- siderable numbers may help defray the expenses of publication by paying for them at 5c apiece, if they so desire. Lantern slides of the illustrations of the booklet, and others, will be loaned to any organization on request. Speakers will be furnished when necessary, the only charge being their traveling expenses. Address all communications concerning publicity to: C. W. Washburne, Winnetka, Illinois. UNIVERSmr OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 3 0112 061866940