85 Years Ago - Teachers Association reject plan to force married teachers out

Brian Fulton, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·2 min read

Jan. 21—Jan. 21, 1938

Association backs married teachers

The members of the Scranton branch of the Pennsylvania State Education Association took a stand against a proposed plan by the Scranton School Board to ask married teachers to take a voluntary leave of absence without compensation to allow for the retention of teachers who were to be laid off on Feb. 1.

The school board was looking to lay off 23 teachers and 15 substitute teachers in the district's elementary and middle schools due to declining student enrollment.

Professor Richard McNichols, principal of North Scranton Junior High School and secretary of the teachers' association, proposed two resolutions to the membership at a meeting at Central High School on Jan. 20.

The first was if the association should take a position on how the school board was applying the state tenure law in the layoffs.

The second was if the association would support the district's plan to ask the married teachers to take a leave of absence to help save the jobs of the teachers selected to be laid off.

Both resolutions were voted down by the membership.

Following the vote, the membership agreed to seek guidance on the situation from the officials with the state Department of Education and from PSEA attorneys.

Armed bandits hit two shops

Two Pittston Avenue businesses were robbed Jan. 20 by three armed bandits.

The first robbery took place at Charles Harris' Delicatessen at 1016 Pittston Ave. Later, Andrew Brown's Drug Store at 1502 Pittston Ave. was hit.

The robbers made off with $50 from the deli and $20 plus a toy bank from the drug store.

At the deli, the robbers also stole the clerk's trousers and Harris' coat. At Brown's, they tried to get Robert Brown, son of the owner, to remove his trousers but he refused.

The victims said they believed the robbers were in their 20s and they escaped in a vehicle.

In the morning, Scranton police took four men into custody for questioning. The four denied knowledge of the South Scranton holdups.

Shopping list

Rib roasts were 22 cents per pound, 2 pounds of fresh ground hamburger were 33 cents, two dozen eggs were 59 cents, 3-pound can of Crisco was 48 cents, a dozen Florida oranges were 25 cents, storemade chocolate fudge cakes were 27 cents and a storemade 13-egg angel food cake was 29 cents.

Brian Fulton, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune's expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140.

Brian Fulton, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune's expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140.