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TEACHER SHORTAGES AND STRIKES

Poor Conditions

Teacher shortages during the 1940s were caused by poor salaries and bad working conditions. Most small communities could not afford to pay even minimal teacher salaries; the average pay was thirty-seven dollars a week. This, coupled with the idea that most teachers were usually responsible for additional activities such as overseeing clubs, athletics, or other social events, made the profession unappealing to most people. After the war there were massive shortages in all fields, so the prospect of teaching was unattractive to all but those who felt called to the profession. (Anyone smart enough to learn a skill could earn more money in another field.) This situation led to an educational crisis and general alarm about the poor quality of teachers. As one Harvard University professor noted, he had "yet to find a first-class person who was preparing to teach in the public school system."

Schools Closed

The New York Times estimated that more than six thousand schools would close in 1947 due to the lack of instructors and that seventy-five thousand students would have no schooling as a result. In 1947 teachers on average had one year of education less than their counterparts of the 1930s, One commissioner of education summed up the crisis by saying, "We no longer ask whether an applicant can read or write. If she looks as though she is able to stand up, we take her."

Striking Students

In November 1946 students of the small town of Rogersville, Tennessee, went on strike, refusing to return to the classroom until their demands for higher-quality teachers were met. Although he had interviewed candidates from all over the state, principal B. L. Hale was unable to find applicants who had four years of college training and five years of teaching experience and who were willing to work for only $149 a month. Eventually new instructors were found for all subjects except science, which he was forced to teach himself.

Particular Problems with the Job

At this time teachers were usually women; only 15 percent of all elementary-and high-school teachers were male. This gender inequity and the shortage of teachers in general were caused by the same things that created shortages after World War I and the Depression: low salaries, poor working conditions, and meager benefits. As a result, teachers often went on strike trying to force local governments to increase funding. During the 1946-1947 school year there were twelve major teachers' strikes in school systems across the country. Initially the general populace seemed to have sympathy for the teachers. A Gallup poll in 1946 showed that most Americans sympathized with the teachers, yet little if anything could be done to alleviate the problem.

The "Red Scare."

The growing movement to purge Communists from society spilled into the education field. Across the country near-hysteria raged concerning the "Red menace" of communism. Teachers were forced to sign loyalty oaths and vow that they were not Communists; those suspected of Communist sympathies were fired. Of course, this panic meant that anyone perceived as being a troublemaker was a Communist, so teachers began shying away from their demands for better working conditions and pay. When William Goslin, the superintendent of public schools in Pasadena, California, proposed a tax increase to help pay for schools and teachers, he was accused by conservatives of being a Communist and was forced to resign. Thus the teachers' demands were effectively quelled.