Letter from "A Most Concerned Parent" to Commissioner of Education Floyd Christian Questioning the Use of Substitutes During Teachers' Strike, 1968

Strikes and lockouts--Teachers

Education--Finance

Teachers' unions--Florida

Teachers' unions--Officials and employees

Labor unions--Political activity

Education and state--Public opinion

Parent and child--Public opinion

Substitute teachers--Government policy

Teachers--Salaries, pensions, etc.

Collective bargaining

Employees--Resignation

Concerned parent of Gainesville High School students expresses support for striking teachers and questions use of unqualified substitutes. Includes Christian's response.

Stockel, Glenn A.

State Archives of Florida, Series S303

1968-02-21

Florida. Department of Education (1969-1974 : Christian)

telegrams

eng-US

Text

s303_b010_f18_57

Postwar Florida (1945-1968)

Gainesville (Fla.)

Alachua County (Fla.)

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Education And Libraries

Florida. Department of Education (1969-1974 : Christian)

Florida Education Association.

Gainesville High School (Fla.)

Christian, Floyd T., 1914-1998

Stockel, Glenn A.

Kirk, Claude R. (Claude Roy), Jr., 1926-2011

4122 N. W. 19th Place Gainesville, Florida 32601 February 21, 1968 Mr. Floyd Christian State Superintendent of Schools State House Tallahassee, Florida Dear Mr. Superintendent I write this letter in the utmost interest of Quality Education for Florida before 1975. We have one son attending Gainesville High School and one Westwood Junior High School. The latest information tells me that Alachua County is accepting applications for substitute teaching from persons with as little as one year of college education. Can this be the Quality Education our teachers and knowledgeable parents are asking for? The teachers have not walked out--they have resigned! They are forfeiting their pay for better education for our children. As of now the two schools our sons attend are closed but as a conscientious parent, I must let it be known that if these schools are opened with "certified" substitutes, our sons will not attend. I attended two years of college in a N. C. teacher's college but I am not a qualified substitute teacher! Neither is anyone else with less than a bachelors degree in education! We need Quality Education; yet some advocate putting politics first and run a big [babysitting] service. Please do not use my taxes to pay [babysitters]. We need teachers and buildings and books and materials, etc. Let parents do their own [babysitting]. After a week of this, they would be willing to support any Quality Education program. As a last point, I would add that I know one teacher who will move out of Florida this summer. She had nothing to gain by resigning; yet she has resigned! Further, she learned today that under this new bill submitted to Governor Kirk for his signature or veto, she would actually take a $300 annual cut in salary next year--she's glad she resigned! Isn't it possible for a group of intelligent men to sit down together and reach a reasonable--non political non-party favorite solution to this most urgent problem? Sincerely Yours, [Signature] Mrs. Glenn A. Steckel Mrs. Glenn A. Steckel A Most Concerned Parent

[Stamp Gainesville, Fl 32601 dated Feb 21, 1968] Mrs. Glenn A. Steckel 4122 N. W. 19th Place Gainesville, Florida Mr. Floyd Christian State Superintendent of Schools State House Tallahassee, Florida

February 22, 1968 Mrs. Glenn A. Steckel 4122 N. W. 19th Place Gainesville, Florida 32601 Dear Mrs. Steckel: I am replying to your letter of February 21. We are, of course, all concerned about the substitute teachers who fill the vacancies of the teachers who have resigned or walked out on their positions, and we are doing everything possible in all school systems to obtain the best qualified persons for the positions. We are doing this both at the county and the state level. I am hopeful that the teachers who are out will realize their mistake and will offer to return to their positions. I am concerned about your last paragraph in which you stated that if the present bill passed by the Legislature is signed by Governor Kirk, a teacher in your county would actually lose $300 annual salary. I cannot believe that this is so, and if you will give me the name of the teacher, I can run it through the records of the Alachua County System and prove to her and to you that this would not be possible. The increment for the teachers' salaries is increased alone by more than $1,300 from the state level, and how anyone would take a cut of $300 is more than I can understand. It is misinformation like this that has caused teachers to walk out on their positions. We are all working together here to re-establish the schools as early as possible on a sound operating basis. Sincerely, Floyd T. Christian pjo