Education: Pay Our Teachers!

A fire gong clanged in Englewood High School one morning last week and 4,500 pupils, slamming down their books, scuffled out wondering why no one had thought of it before. Chicago’s 14,000 school teachers have received only two weeks salary in cash since last June. A pupils’ strike would not only demonstrate sympathy, but provide excitement and a holiday.

The strike day was dismal and rainy, but Englewood High School, in which the word had gone around the day before, was quickly followed by Crane High School, where 2,000 responded to posted placards; by Calumet, which disgorged nearly all of its 5,000 students; by Forestville, where teachers slyly took part by reporting “sick”; by others which brought the total of strikers near 50,000, teachers estimated, most of them in South Side high schools.

Englewood got up a five-piece band, led a parade to Hyde Park High School to gain recruits. Unsuccessful, the marchers proceeded to the home of Acting Mayor Frank J. Corr, crying “Pay our teachers!” and flourishing banners inscribed “Teachers want R. F. C. payroll loans at 3%. No Banks. . . . Sixty million dollars was paid to the unemployed. What did the teachers get?”

Mayor Corr was not at home, so the strikers went on, cruising the city and hooting at “sissies” who remained in class.

To all high-school principals from School Superintendent William J. Bogan went the word: “Hold the fort and suppress, as far as you can, any insurrection.” At nonstriking Morgan Park, student R. O. T. C. members stood guard.

When the first day of Chicago’s school strike ended some students had been sent back into classrooms by their parents, but it was still the biggest and most exciting school strike Chicago had ever seen. Next day the strikers were fewer in number, but distributed among a larger number of schools. The Chicago Parent-Teachers Association worked to quiet the pupils. Twenty-seven youths were arrested for inciting and picketing. Superintendent Bogan pointed out that anyone over 16 who interferes with school sessions may be fined $100, that parents of truants under 16 may be fined from $5 to $20. Superintendent Bogan blamed the strike on 1) Spring; 2) Communism. Two “agitators” named Yetta Barshefsky and Rudolph Lapp were discovered to be members of the Young Communists League. Towards Saturday the strike dwindled, and by last Monday the normal number of Chicago’s 400,000 students were back at work.

Few normal U. S. high-school pupils understand about R. F. C. loans, but that was just what the Chicago teachers were most interested in. There were conferences with Governor Henry Horner, with Acting Mayor Corr and with the Citizens’ Committee on Public Expenditures. Teachers marched upon the First National Bank, seeking audience with Melvin A. Traylor. From Washington Illinois’ Senator James Hamilton Lewis sent word that President Roosevelt was sympathetic, would see a delegation of teachers soon. Senator Lewis announced he had a new plan for getting Federal aid.