The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 26

THE TAMPA TRIBUNE, Friday, February 23, 18 Christian to Survey Hard-Hit Bay Area 0 4 f.v-v. As the Teachers Strike Goes Into Its Fifth Day (Main Story, Page 1-A), there Mere a number of satellite developments In Hillsborough County. They are outlined on this page. By HOWARD CORHAM Tribune Staff Writer State School Superintendent Floyd Christian will fly into Tampa today for a first-hand look at two of the hardest hit counties in the statewide teacher strike. After surveying the Hillsborough and Pinellas systems, he will fly on to Volusia County, also hard hit by the strike He will consult with local school officials during hs stay.

Christian's visit will follow by a day a visit by another ton Florida educator. Dr. Phil of the Steelworkers were being urged to keep their children home during the strike. The meeting was also marked by an estimated several hundred students with placards supporting the teachers. There apparently were more students at the armory yesterday than before.

Bobby Martinez, executive director of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, said some schools were using honor students to staff their classes and others were using athletes to maintain discipline. The group then heard a procession of students giving testimonials to the cause of the teachers, and responded with cheers. developments favorable to the FEA in communities over the state. He also cited Jefferson County, in North Florida, where, he said, one teacher had resigned. He used this to point out that no Florida teacher would go back into their classrooms until the Jefferson teacher and all others went back.

He said this also applied to administrators, some of whom are being singled out for pressure. He said in Orange County, "they are dragging people in off the streets" and have God bless you," Constans concluded. He received a standing applause. The group had other cheers for Joe Donovan, an official of the U. S.

Steelworkers in Tampa who read a prepared statement pledging Steel-workers support of teachers in "their struggle for a more effective school sysem and better education." Donovan also blasted Kirk and the legislature for "their sorry conduct in this crisis" and called for an immediate special session of the legislature. Donovan also said members doubled the rate of pay so "it is now 30 pieces of silver." He also suggested that during the last three days "enough legal papr has been floated in the state to keep every lawyer employed for a year." Constans closed by telling the teachers that yesterday was the sixth day of the strike and cited a possible effort by the "political power structure to break the back" of the mass walkout. "I say to you no one, no one will ever break the back of the teachers of Florida. Staff Photo by Dan Fager SEARCH or a New Job? Bill Rivers, president of tne Hillsborough Class room Teachers Association, looks over new job application forms shipped into Tampa by the National Education Association. NEA is offering free relocation services to striking Florida teachers through its SEARCH cross-file index matching employers with teachers.

Florida teacher leaders have warned some teachers may leave for other states if the education crisis isn't resolved. IT -II day" night between Dade teachers and Gov. Claude Kirk and "the teachers were beautiful the most significant thing said was said late in the third hour (of the meeting) by a teaeher. She said Gov. Kirk, I want to thank you for coming here tonight and furthering our Constans also told of pressures being exerted over the state to keep teachers from meeting at various places, as well as the pressure placed on various teachers and administrators.

The FEA chief also cited HilifltMiritfiiM Toster-Bcaring i. mi" 1 M1 1 1 1 1 1 ii ii urn wi i NEA Task Force Due Here Today jranwMiiin wWf)(iVj2; 1 1 Arii ii 'f iff 1 ii i "i 1 1 1 ff 1 i ffl ix CtiKW'Mm. iiimw itiM Wf A special task force of National Educational Association is expected to convene in Tampa today to meet with local leaders of the teachers' organization staging a walkout. Bobby Brewer, former president of the Classroom Teacher's Association of Hillsborough County, said yesterday that he expects the NEA officials to meet with local CTA and FEA members "to form some kind of national-local force." Twenty rooms have been reserved at the International Inn for the NEA officials which will be coming into Tampa from various parts of the country. Brewer also said that he expects the group to move on to other sections of Florida after the meeting today in Tampa.

The time of the meeting and the exact topic of discussion was not known, Brewer said. Staff Photo by August Staebler Tupils Stage Their Own Rally on Balcony of Fort Homer Hesterly as Teachers Mass on Main Floor In Bay Crest Confrontation- Out-of -Staters Eye Teaching Jobs Here Teachers Not Breaking, CTA Official Declares Constans showed up unexpectedly yesterday at a meeting Hillsborough, Hernando and Pasco County teachers, as part of a jet tour of the state's continuing teacher strike. He got a standing ovation for his brief pep talk, then jetted out for a continued look at the state. During his talk, Constans charged schools in Hillsborough were being kept open for political reasons. "It is a real tragedy the welfare of children has not been placed higher than political expediency," he said.

He got cheers when he told the group, assembled in Fort Homer Hesterly, "we are not just standing still, we are gaining ground." He added "a lot of discussions" are taking place on the school crisis, apparently between the FEA, Gov. Claude Kirk and Florida legislative leaders. He didn't amplify on this. He told the teachers their colleagues over Florida are "steadfast, they are not going to give an inch." Constans said he was at the Miami confrontation Wednes- 10 Playgrounds Open For Roaming Kids Ten city playgrounds will be open today to children out of school in the city's disadvantaged areas. City recreation supervisors and Neighborhood Service Center aides will jointly operate them under an arrangement worked out yesterday.

The 10 playgrounds, and their locations, follow: Fair Oaks, Wilder and 34th Street; Cyrus Green, Buffalo and 22nd Street; Jackson Heights, Lindale and 34th Street; Cuscaden Park, 15th Street and 18th Avenue; Ponce De Leon, 22nd Street and 26th Avenue; Rey Park, Howard and Cherry; Durand, Brad-dock and Decatur; Edgewa-tcr, Spruce Street and Delaware. Welfare Director Rudy Spo-to said his agency contacted City Recreation Director David Barksdaie and Mayor Dick Greco to work out the plan. The action came as a method of occupying children who were roaming around the streets, unchaperoned. The recreation department will supply supervisors and the NSC staffs will undertake to get the children to the playgrounds nearest their homes. Schools Draw Commendation Hillsborough yesterday drew a commendation from the Department of Education for the job it's doing in keeping the schools open (121 of 125 yesterday were open) and staffed 3,615 teachers, substitutes and volunteers were on duty with 66.403 students in class).

Bill Friedman, area supervisor from the State Department of Education, told the School Board and Dr. Shelton: "We want to commend this administration and staff for the excellent job you've done in this crisis. "We can't believe the schools are operating as well as they are. This is a commendation' stressed Friedman. "We hope the smooth operation will continue and the schools will stay open' By MARY ANNE CORPIN Tribune Staff Writer Florida's grass looks mighty green and enticing to some teachers in the Carolinas and Alabama.

Rodney Colson, assistant superintendent of personnel for the Hillsborough County school system, said yesterday he had received calls from North and South Carolina and Alabama, from teachers interested in filling vacancies caused in schools here by the teacher walkout. "The call from North Carolina represented a group of people, aU highly certified in their fields of assignment," said Colson. "They include chemistry, math, and science teachers and one certified micro-biologist." The personnel officer pointed out, "We don't have any positions to offer them until (Hillsborough) teacher resignations are accepted." Dr. Raymond O. Shelton, superintendent of schools, said this hinges on "when or if" the resignations are accepted.

On the question of how long the school system will wait to accept resignations, he replied, "I'm not prepared to say at this time." The superintendent stressed, "We're not recruiting in other states. We've had some calls but we told them all we had was temporary employment." The education officials' comments were prompted by a report from The Tribune's Washington bureau that heavy airline bookings between Washington and Tampa were attributed by one airline employe to "the teachers' walkout." Dr. Shelton denied the validity of AFL-CIO charges t1--1 teachers and volunteers instructing during the walkout are ready to go months." for three McClain explained that the bill now on the governor's desk was not what the senate had approved, but rather the result of a compromise committee. He said he voted for it because it only lasts one year." He said a solution would have to be sought in the next legislative session. McClain, formerly an educator himself, lamented the "limited tax sources in this state." Pointing out that Florida is now the ninth largest state in population, he said, "If we're going to get in the big leagues, we've got to play big league baseball," referring to employing modern tax methods.

Both men acknowledged that Gov. Claude Kirk has said repeatedly that he will veto the education bill. McClain warned, though, that "If the governor vetoes Staff Photo by Mark Foley Sen. McClain Expounds Glenn Barrington ponders reply Chamber to Ponder Strike Stand this bill, there is not going to be any more money unless he calls us back there." Asked if the teachers would accept the bill if it were not vetoed, Barrington replied, "No." Barrington termed the effort to keep schools open "a complete waste of time," and likened paying volunteers to help do so to "pouring money down a rat hole." McClain said it was true that "we have neglected education in Florida for 20 solid years," but said the teachers "expect us to work a miracle overnight." Barrington said of the passage of the bill now pending, "I think it was done in such a hurry that not too many people know what is going on." McClain countered, "They the teachers didn't wait very long to see what it was going to do." the statement, reject it or amend not sure the instances are widespread and they are not causing problems." In the past, school board approval was given for teachers who conduct driver education classes to take the cars home each weekday night to assure their protection, said Farmer, but they are prohibited from driving them on personal trips. Farmer said checks are By MANNING PYNN Tribune Staff Writer In a face-to-face confrontation with State Sen.

Joseph A. McClain Jr. yesterday, Glenn Barrington, vice president of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, said striking teachers will not back down and return to the classrooms. At the meeting, held in St. Paul's Methodist Church and called by its pastor, The Rev.

Kenneth W. Griffith, the two officials were peppered with questions from both parents and teachers. Barrington, a teacher for IS years, said of the idea that the teachers' objections to the recently passed education bill were based on salaries. "This is not so." He said the teachers' grievances centered on the inflexibility of the school millage, a lack of professional standards in teaching and no released time for lunch for elementary school teachers. "The only way this is going to be settled is for the schools in Hillsborough County to be closed down," Barrington said.

This, he indicated, would cause pressure now being brought to bear on the teachers to he removed and action toward a solution of the problem to be initiated. He charged that "The only reason for keeping the schools open is to break our backs," but added, "we're not breaking." "It's going to get worse and worse" if the schools are kept open, Barrington said. "We're missing isn't known, according to Hillsborough Asst. School Supt. Frank Farmer, but their return has been requested by the local school board.

No deadline for their return has been set, he reported. The request was made through teacher organizations. "We have reported this to the teachers and we see no problem in getting them By BILL PURVIS Tribune Staff Writer Governors of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce today will consider urging a return to work by striking teachers, and a resumption of work of education. The plea will be in a statement of policy which also will dwell on money matters leading to the walkout by members of the Florida Education Association. The statement will note that although the recent legislature didn't give education all the money the FEA wanted, it did raise a great deal of money; that all the problems of education-; can't be solved with one sweep of legislation.

"They're very definitely not scabs," said a grim superintendent. "This is not a valid strike." He pointed out that union workers wait until they have worked to the end of their contracts and then strike if their demands are not met. "The teachers here have not worked out their contracts," he stated. "This is one thing we hope to clear up by the injunction (being sought in Circuit Court here) whether the teachers are off the job illegally or legally," He pulled the already "open door" wide open for teachers to return. "All they have to do to get back on the job is to report to their schools and go to work." He warned, however, that "the time will come when we no longer can do this." Apparently it's not too easy to be a Hillsborough County teacher right now.

Both Bob Bondi and Hugo Schmidt of the county School Board told of "unbearable harassment" and "tremendous pressure" being focused on instructors and Bondi urged the school system to allow teachers who return to work to come to the central office rather than the schools. "It's not the people in the classrooms who are hurting the young people," commented Dr. Shelton. "It's the people who are not there who are causing the harm." Yesterday, the Council on Quality Education was reorganized and Tampa lawyer Byrne Litschgi was chosen chairman. The council decided to ask Florida's U.S.

Senators Spes-sard Holland and George Smathers to act as mediators in the dispute between the teachers, the legislature and Gov. Kirk. A spokesman said the council wants to "try to find a means of establishing communication' among ail involved in the matter wants to start people talking about ways to solve it. "Represented at the meeting were labor, business, the PTA, the League of Women Voters, the medical association, and other organizations, the spokesman reported. Other points likely for inclusion in the policy statement: commendation of substitutes and teachers who remained at work; remarks about the possible harmful effect on efforts to recruit new business and industry, and the economic effect on existing business and industry; and exhortation of all invloved to work for a solution.

The governors can adopt it. The chamber action coincides with another development in the statewide teacher walkout that has interested citizens attempting to resolve the crisis. Striking Teachers Asked to Return School Cars, Grade Books er each day. Farmer said he thinks It'll be worked out all right be-cause he doesn't believe teachers wiU hesitate to render the grade books to school officials if they don't intend to return to their classrooms. And if teachers have keys they should not have, schools are relying on custodians to get into classrooms and storage rooms.

being made to determine how many of the cars still are at striking teachers' homes. He said school programs are picking up to such an extent that the cars are needed to resume driver education classes. Hillsborough County was a party in the Leon County Circuit Court injunction against striking teachers. Farmer said teachers who come from grade book averages and the grade books aren't in many of the classrooms where they belong, leaving substitute teachers with no guide for the period of Feb. 5 to the start of the strike, Feb.

19. After Feb. 19, the grades wouldn't be too much of a guideline because many classes have had a different substitute or volunteer teach back," remarked Farmer. Asked if prosecution is anticipated, Superintendent Raymond Shelton replied: "It is entirely possible and the courts have promised us complete and full cooperation and overtime work if necessary." He went on to say "it is entirely illegal." However, he added, "I'm have county-owned cars at their homes have been asked to take them to the county school garage. The absence of grade books doesn't pose as much of a problem as it would appear upon initial inspection, Farmer indicated, since the school system has duplicate report cards on all students through Feb.

5. However, report cards By THOM WILKERSOX Tribune Staff Writer When Hillsborough County school teachers went on strike five days ago, many of them took student grade books, cars and classroom keys, apparently in violation of a Leon County Circuit Court injunction issued a week ago. How many books, keys and driver education cars are.