# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S153
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES 153

The problem of supplying an annual average of 570 teachers
who are not supplied by annual assignment through the College
of Presidents is a vexing one.

In 1955, congregations obtained 513 teachers, while Synod’s
colleges furnished 427. The following table sheds some light on
the manner in which the congregations obtained teachers:

Table 17— Teachers Secured by Congregations in 1955

1. Synodically trained teachers who re-entered:
Installed men — 25
Women graduates __... Sid
Undergraduates who discontinued _...__________ 22
Synodical college graduates _...__..______. 66

Total: 132

. Teachers who were not trained by Synod:

Regular women teachers — —_— 248
Emergency teachers —.-._ 110
Other men teachers ~_ 14

9

381 (74%)

Twenty-six per cent of the teachers secured by congregations
in 1955 were originally supplied by Synod. This shows that a sub-
stantial number of teachers re-enter service. Instead of 427, Synod
furnished 559 teachers in 1955—-427 by assignment and 132 who
were trained in previous years and re-entered in 1955.

Although it is generally understood that Synod is incapable
of furnishing all of the teachers that are needed now and in the
next ten years, the opinion is often voiced that Synod should
supply a higher percentage of the teacher need than the current
ratio of 45 per cent of need. As a present reasonable goal, Synod
should attempt to supply 60 per cent of the teacher need. To move
toward this goal, Synod would have to supply 775 teachers in 1965
instead of the 525 estimated on the basis of present training
conditions.

Qualifications of Teachers Not Trained by Synod

Synod has a justifiable concern for the proper qualification
of its entire teaching force. Only schools that are staffed by well-
qualified teachers can extend the full benefit of a Lutheran educa-
tion. Parents will not long be satisfied with an inferior parochial
school. Furthermore, there is a growing demand in public educa-
tion for four-year college graduates properly certified as teachers.
The majority of the states have laws that require public school
teachers to have degrees in education. Owing to the excessive
teacher shortage these laws are relaxed at this time, but they will