by Gail Boyle, President of SDEA-Retired

Picture 1917 San Diego. Balboa Park had just been created for the Panama-California Exposition 1915-1917, transportation was by street car and horse and buggy. Women dressed in long skirts. Men wore hats. Streets weren’t paved. San Diego City Schools had 1 High School (San Diego High) and 13 elementary schools. There were no junior highs.

The old San Diego High School – the “Gray Castle”

More than 100 years have gone by since the inception of SDTA (later SDEA). Prior to the Spring of 1917, there was no teacher organization in San Diego. By the beginning of the second semester of 1918-19, the San Diego Teachers Association was a functioning organization with a membership of 90% of the teaching personnel. Something must have happened. Something had.

The story begins in April 1917 with the election of three new members to the Board of Education. During the campaign for school board, these three candidates, known as “the solid three” had a list of changes they wanted to make – some limiting academic freedom and getting rid of Superintendent McKinnon, who teachers generally approved of. At the time teachers were more timid about political action than now.

If there were any doubts about the designs of the “solid three” those doubts were dispelled when, on Thursday morning, May 24, each teacher received at his/her respective school a questionnaire from the Board of Education. The following are some excerpts:

1. Do you wish to remain in your present position at the city schools?
2. The vote of the people seems to indicate that certain changes in the schools are necessary. Do you feel that you can work in harmony with the new management and give them the loyal support necessary for success…? If not, state your reasons.
3. Kindly enclose your reply in self-addressed envelope and mail within three days.

What would your response be, remembering that there was no contract, no advocate organization and no due process rights? Question 1 seems innocuous enough. However, considering question 2, it is apparent that it implies a penalty awaiting any teacher who should fail to answer the questions with proper servility.

The letter was received by the teachers with consternation and fear. Many teachers could accede to the request of the questionnaire only by surrendering their professional ideals. On the other hand, they were under no illusion as to the probable consequences if they failed to respond.

Three teachers at San Diego High School weren’t about to return the questionnaire, but realized that as individuals they would not be able to protect themselves, so they held a meeting at the University Club and invited all teachers at San Diego High to come to make a decision about responding to the Board. Their proposal was to send a group response to the Board, rather than individual. 

San Diego High teachers met and of the 94 teachers, 91 came to the meeting. They voted 76 for the group response instead of individual responses, 5 against, 10 abstentions. Those who signed knew there might be consequences. Their letter stated they were sending a collective response, that they could not respond to question 2 without knowing what “certain changes” meant, that they wanted individual contracts abolished and that there should be tenure like others in governmental service, conforming to civil services regulations. Needless to say, there was much turmoil. The Board had never seen collective demands from teachers. The issue of tenure was particularly distressing to the Board of Education.

CTA was at the forefront of the battle for tenure for the next 20 years. Today we are used to teachers having rights along with responsibilities, but those rights were not present at the beginning. 

This action was not without consequences… learn more in our next History Corner!