The present status of rural teachers in the South

Chapter I

The Present Status of Rural Teachers in the South in Regard to Tenure Introduction

Experience of Rural Teachers

1. As shown by data obtained from educational literature

2. As shown by data obtained from personal interviews with six

county superintendents

3. As shown by data obtained from questionnaires sent to rural

The Number of Different Schools Taught by Rural Teachers

The Effect of Educational Training of Teachers on Their Tenure in One Position

1. In one- and two-teacher schools

2. In schools employing more than two teachers

Consecutive Years in Present Position

1. As shown by data obtained from educational literature

2. As shown by data obtained from personal interviews with six

county superintendents

3. As shown by data obtained from questionnaires sent to rural

The Greatest Number of Consecutive Years Taught in Any One School

Three Types of Changes Made by Rural Teachers Tenure of the Median Rural Teacher Conclusions

CHAPTER II Why Teachers Leave the Rural Schools Reasons Given by Various Educators Reasons as Shown by Data Obtained from Six County Superintendents

Reasons Given by Teachers Themselves

CHAPTER III Why Teachers Change from One Rural School to Another Rural School

Reasons Given by Six County Superintendents Why Rural Teachers Change Positions

1. Why teachers in the one- and two-teacher schools change

2. Why teachers in schools employing more than two teachers

change

3. An explanation of a graph

4. Conclusions

Reasons Given by Rural Teachers Why They Change Positions

1. Why teachers in one- and two-teacher schools change

2. Why teachers in schools employing more than two teachers

change

A Comparison of Data Obtained from Teachers of One- and Two- Teacher Schools with Data Obtained from Teachers of the Larger Schools

A Comparative Study of the Reasons Checked Twice by the Teachers and the Principal Reasons given by the County Superintendents

1. Teachers in one- and two-teacher schools

2. Teachers in the larger schools

3. Rural teachers as a whole

A Comparative Study of the Reasons Given by Six County Superintendents Why 68 Rural Teachers Changed Positions the Last Time, and the Reasons Checked by These 68 Teachers

Conclusion

The Evil Effects of Frequent Changes

Some Suggestions Which May Tend to Reduce the Number of Changes Bibliography

INTRODUCTION Purpose of the Study

The aim of this study is to secure data in regard to the tenure of rural teachers, the reasons why they leave the rural schools, and the reasons why thev change -positions from one rural school to another rural school. It has been pointed out by a number of educators that the tenure of rural teachers is less than two years, and that those who do remain in the rural schools longer than two years are peripatetics. Some of them have given the causes of the short tenure, and the reasons why those remaining in the profession change positions every year, but these reasons seem to be based wholly on personal opinion. Data as a basis for their statements have not been presented.

Chapter I is a presentation and discussion of data in regard to the tenure of rural teachers; chapter II attempts to answer the question why teachers leave the rural schools ; and chapter III is a discussion of the data presented, which tend to show why teachers change from one rural school to another rural school. The last chapter, chapter IV, is a brief discussion of the evil effects of the itinerancy of rural teachers, and some suggestions which may be helpful in reducing the amount of itinerancy among the rural teachers.

Some Explanations

In this study teachers mean rural teachers, 1 unless otherwise specified. Rural teachers, as the word rural is used in this study, are teachers whose administrative head is a county superintendent. A rural school, as used here, is a school under the administration of a county superintendent. It is not the purpose of this study to define rural teachers, or rural schools, in their strictest sense. If their administrative head is a county superintendent, they are considered rural. However, all teachers included in this study are classified on the basis of the size of the school in which they teach. Teachers of one- and two-teacher schools are put into one group, and teachers of schools employing more than two teachers are put into another group. This grouping was made because it was felt that all teachers employed in one- and two-teacher schools are strictly rural, situated in somewhat isolated rural districts. On the other hand, there was some doubt as to whether the teachers in the

1 Xo negro teachers are included in this study.

larger schools could be classed as rural, using the term in its strictest sense. In other words, all data included in this study, unless otherwise specified, are in regard to teachers whose administrative head is a county superintendent, and they are classified on the basis of the size of the school in which they are teaching and not on a "hairsplitting" definition of rural teachers.

How Data Were Collected

The data presented in this study were obtained from three sources ; namely, educational literature, county superintendents, and rural teachers. All educational literature that was easily available was consulted, and where data were found on the tenure of rural teachers, they were taken for use in this study.

The data obtained from county superintendents were secured by visiting six county superintendents. The problem and the general plan of investigation were presented to the Rural School Supervisors of Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. They were each asked to name one or two county superintendents in their respective states who would be interested in this study and who would be willing to give information in regard to the tenure of their teachers. The supervisors suggested the names of Superintendent Butler, Madison County, Alabama; Superintendent Davis, Lonoke County, Arkansas; Superintendent Cathey, Tate County, Mississippi ; Superintendent McCroskey, Greene County, Missouri ; Superintendent Jobe, Montgomery County, Tennessee; and Miss Maude Norrid, supervisor of schools in Robertson County, Tennessee. These superintendents were visited on different dates between the fifth and twenty-fifth of April, 1919.

Before going to a county, blanks were devised for the purpose of securing and recording the desired information given by the county superintendents, in the minimum time. On the following page is a copy of the blank used :

Blank Used in Securing Data from the €ounty Superintendents

Name of Teacher

Address

Consecutive years in present position

Number of teachers in the school

O

C f)

o

Did he change of his own accord?

ft.S

T3 to Q O

Reasons given by county superintendent

The county superintendent was asked the following questions in regard to every rural teacher who taught in his county during the school year of 1918-1919 : How many consecutive years has he taught in the school in which he is now teaching? How many teachers in the school? For what length of time is his contract? Did he change the last time of his own accord? Did the patrons like him where he taught before making his last change? Why did he change the last time? The answers to these questions were recorded in the blanks, but instead of recording the full reason why the teacher changed the last time, there was a list of reasons numbered from 1 to 32 lying on the table, and if the reason given by the county superintendent was one of the list, the number was recorded instead of the reason. The superintendent was permitted to give five reasons in regard to each teacher, but as a usual thing he gave only one. If more than one reason were given, the superintendent was asked which one influenced the teacher most to change the last time, and a circle was drawn around the most important reason. In a great many cases the county superintendent couldn't answer the last three questions,' because a number of the teachers had come from other counties and were teaching their first year in that county, some were teaching their first year in any school and had not changed positions, and others had been in the same school during the superintendent's tenure in office. However, a complete record was obtained in regard to 309 of the 601 teachers employed in the six counties visited.

Data were obtained from rural teachers by means of questionnaires. The basis for selecting the teachers was as follows: It was decided to send questionnaires to every rural teacher in two counties in each of the sixteen Southern States. A concise statement of the problem and the plan to be followed in regard to selecting the teachers was made to the Rural School Supervisors of all the Southern States, and each supervisor was asked to suggest two of his county superintendents who would furnish a complete mailing list of their teachers for this study. Lists were received from two county superintendents in each of eight states ; from the remaining eight states lists were received from only one county superintendent in each. Questionnaires were sent to every teacher in at least one county in each of the Southern States, but in Georgia the list was not received in time to include the replies in the study.

Questionnaires were sent to 3,226 rural teachers, and replies were received from 733 in time to be included in the study. Below is a copy of the questionnaire (see pages 8, 9, 10, 11) sent to the teachers, also a copy of the letter written by Commissioner P. P. Claxton, which accompanied each questionnaire. A return envelope was enclosed with each questionnaire.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Washington,

Bureau of Education. April 10, 1919.

S 1

Tenn.

To the Teacher:

The United States Bureau of Education has been asked many times to make a study of rural teachers and the conditions under which they do their work, with a view to offering some constructive suggestions which would be beneficial to teachers. I have asked Dr. F. B. Dresslar, of the Bureau's staff, now at Peabody College for Teachers, Nashville, Tenn., to make an investigation of this problem, and he will have a portion of the necessary field work done under his direction by Prof. Frost and Mr. Sharp, of the same institution.

In order to yield valuable results it is necessary to secure accurate information from a considerable number of teachers from counties located in several different states. The county in which you are or have been teaching has been selected as one of the counties for this study. All the teachers are asked to fill out the answers to the questions as carefully and fully as possible. Please use the enclosed addressed envelope to return these papers at once ; no postage stamp is required.

Your name will not be used in any way in connection with this study. As soon as your papers are received your name will be detached and the papers will be known thereafter by number only.

I feel sure that I can count on the hearty cooperation of all those teachers who are asked to assist in making this study a success. Very truly yours,

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Washington,

Bureau of Education. April 10, 1919.

S 2

Tenn.

Investigation of Rural Teaching Conditions Name of teacher

(To be detached here.)

1. Man or woman?

2. County in which you are teaching?

State?

2. How many months did you attend high school?

4. How many months did you attend a normal school?

5. How many months did you attend college?

6. How many years have you taught?

7. How many different schools have you taught ?

8. How many consecutive years have you taught in the

school in which you are now teaching?

9. What is the greatest number of consecutive years you

have ever taught in any one school?

10. How many teachers are there in your school?

11. How many teachers were there in the school in which

you taught before going to the school in which you are now teaching?

12. What is the length of your contract?

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Bureau of Education.

S

Tenn.

Washington, April 10, 1919.

Investigation of Rural Teaching Conditions (Concluded) Name of teacher

(To be detached here.)

Of the reasons listed below, please check (X) the five that influenced you most to change teaching positions the last time. Check twice (XX) the one of these five that influenced you most.

Note. — Do not check more than five, items before checking any.

Please read all

2. Nothing to do during Saturday and Sunday.

6. Patrons took no interest in the school.

7. The children were hard to discipline.

8. The children were slow in learning.

17. Had no place to entertain my friends.

21. Community health conditions undesirable.

27. So I could attend a church of my own denomi-

nation.

) 28. ) 29.

) 30. ) 31. ) 32.

To be closer home.

Don't think a teacher should stay too long in one place.

Difficult to get laundrying done.

To get a longer contract.

Had planned to quit teaching, and when I decided to teach again, my old school was taken. ( ) 33. Any reason not mentioned. Make this one of the five, if checked.

While devising the questionnaire, this question arose : Will the majority of the teachers check five reasons by the time they have read the first fifteen, and the results be vitiated due to the fact that all of the reasons were not considered? In other words, would not the position of the reason have more to do with its being checked than the reason itself? To answer this question, copies of the second page of the questionnaire, S 3, were handed to twenty-five students in Peabody College for Teachers; these students had all taught before coming to Peabody and therefore were considered teachers. No instructions were given them more than are given at the top of the page. Eighteen of the twenty-five checked the reasons. Some checked five, others checked only one. The following graph shows the results. It is realized that the number of cases used were too few to answer the question, but the results seem to indicate that the position of a reason would have nothing to do with the number of times it would be checked.

Per Cent of Times Each Reason Was Checked by the Eighteen Teachers

(once or twice)

Reasons ' a * 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 u a is !♦ s » n » n urn u ai* e :6 27 is Z9 so 31 32 35

Fig. 1

The questionnaires were sent, and the following graph shows the distribution of reasons as they were checked. It seems from the table that a reason was not checked on account of its position in the questionnaire, but that the teacher searched until he found the real reason and then checked it. The five reasons that were checked by the greatest number of teachers are, in order of position in the questionnaire, 6, 9, 15, 26, and 28.

Per Cent of Times Each Reason Was Checked (once or twice)

Fig. 2