Kassoy, Bernard Teachers Union Cartoons, 1900-1962
Collection Number: 6107 G

February 27, 1960.

October 10, 1959. Man walks up steps titled Parent Cooperation, Guidance, Remedial Help and Enriched School Programs. Against the background of the optimistic statement of Superintendent of schools John J. Theobald that "we are aping resources of unbelievable riches that have been all along neglected," a student moves up the steps of an enriched school program, remedial help, guidance and parent cooperation "toward higher horizons."

January 14, 1961. Retired teacher climbs ladder after her "Adequate Pension" which has sprouted wings and is flying away.

March 29, 1958. Man climbs a short set of crumbling steps, following the cost of living on a chart behind him, however, the cost of living continues to rise, and the man can go no farther up

January 28, 1950. Teacher is stretched with rope by man in glasses, the lengths teacher is stretched are marked by the demands on their time, 25+ period weeks, 30+ period weeks and extra curricular activities, while the school official, wielding the stretching device, asks, "What stretchout?"

September 26, 1959. Massive Board of Education member sits on top of overcrowded school while reading the headline "900 Teaching Positions Dropped in Reallocation of Funds"

February 05, 1955. Substitute teacher looks at menacing stack on her desk, reading "Board of Education to resist decision granting sick pay to subs", "No Tenure", "No Pension", "Layoffs"

November 05, 1960.

October 01, 1960.

February 23, 1957. Man walks over "Heald Report" bridge, however is not able to reach the other side, labeled "School Needs." News item: "They turned out to be 'baby steps' at a time when 'giant steps' are needed," said Board of Education President Charles H. Silver at the hearing on the Governor's budget. He was referring to the 1956 Heald Commission recommendation on State education budget increases." The cartoon graphically illustrated the Commission's baby steps toward the meeting of the school needs when giant steps are needed.

January 21, 1950. A large bag of money sings "Happy New Year" to Mr. Big, a top city official, while Miss Teacher reaches out to a fleeing two cents who say, "Maybe next July, maybe!"

December 15, 1951. Monstrous man wearing a shirt reading, "Inflation" is eating a giant meal as two normal sized people eat meagerly

May 27, 1961. "Federal Aid" Two unnamed forces- possibly city and state governments- play tug of war, with the rope representing education, and may, by their efforts, sever the lifeline to the schools.

March 10, 1951. "Deep Freeze 1951 Model" Wages frozen in the bottom of large block of ice, while prices stand on tip-toes on top of the cube

November 02, 1957.

March 18, 1961. the New York Times reported earlier that month- which is captured well by the cartoon showing the governor sitting on the "State Fund" nest egg, while the New York City schoolchildren look on forlornly.

November 15, 1958. Using the classical Trojan Horse of "superior merit" to cloak its misdeeds, a figure probably representing the Board of Education and bearing the shield with "no pay increases" emerges, thereby justifying the use of the words of caution in the title.

March 22, 1958. Teacher leans over sign reading "Salary Increase and Smaller Classes Now!" while the Mayor sits in his "Budget Retreat"

March 07, 1959.

January 09, 1960. A large question mark looms in the distance as Uncle Sam and the New Year baby look on

November 24, 1951. A giant with money in his pockets and a shirt reading "War Hysteria" shows a teacher his lesson plan. The dilemma faced by the teacher trying to do his job while the thought-control agents of war hysteria examine his lesson plan for possible signs of disloyalty (read "free expression")

January 13, 1951. The 8 victims of persecution for their political beliefs are shown here as stemming the tide of repression and protecting the Bill of Rights for all of us. Repression, as a giant mass of water, looks to break down the Bill of Rights, which is supported by an arm whose sleeve reads, "The 8"

April 07, 1951. A gangster and a politician stand back to back. The gangster hands the politician money as the politician is saying "Not me" into a microphone.

October 06, 1951. A police officer stands over the tattered remains of the Bill of Rights while the Constitution looks on from its cell

Quote from President F. Schweitzer, Bloomfield College, NJ.

March 25, 1950. A "reactionary 'vet'" in full uniform, representing mainly the American Legion, with money symbols on his patches, puts his arm around a bigot's shoulder, while the bigot sharpens his witch-hunting blade.

June 23, 1951. A thumb-down hand reads, "United Teacher Organizations" while a man wearing a shirt reading "Threats, Coercion" pickets for more work and no pay. This is a dramatic call for united action by the different teacher organizations to achieve unity for their common goals by September against the enemies of education using threats and coercion to degrade the wages and condition of teachers.

September 11, 1954. A man looks through a microscope at a dot on his desk, "RED" written next to it, while on a blackboard behind him, in big letters is written, "Overcrowding, low salaries, dilapidated buildings, inadequate supplies, delinquency, worn-out texts, reading defects, delayed entrance age.". While all these problems remain unattended to, the Board of Education is shown concentrating on the discovery of a "red."

May 22, 1954. A man puts the "Expert Witch Hunt Award" on the President of the Board of Education's chair. Just as Trial Examiner Arthur Levitt used his recommendation for the dismissal of highly qualified teachers as a stepping stone to a judgeship and beyond [see above], so the recipient of the "Expert Witch Hunt Award" uses that dubious honor to propel him into the position of president of the Board of Education."

December 11, 1954. A man wearing a t-shirt logo reading "School Witch Hunts" throws off a facemask. Same man depicted in the bottom center with scarf around face. Caption in center reads "Senate Censure." In 1954, following his disastrous performance in the Army-McCarthy hearings, the United States Senate passed a resolution of censure against the senator. Here, the cartoonist is calling for similar action against the perpetrators of the witch hunts against New York City's teachers.

The partial sign on the door reads "Room 46." A book lays open on the ground reading "Witch Hunt Book".

On the left hand side the blocks are named "Scholarship", "Character", "Superior teaching records" and "Parent pleas". On the right hand side of the scale there is a block named "20 year old application", and a finger labeled "Refusal to inform" is pressing down on top of it.

October 13, 1951. In the bottom right hand corner a man with the title "Superintendent of Witch Hunts" is consulting a "list of subversives to be questioned" and looking up at three men labeled, "Washington: Leader of the American Revolution", Jefferson: the Declaration of Independence", and Lincoln: the Gettysburg Address". This title is part of the mantra of the investigating committees: "Are you now or were you ever a member of the Communist Party?"

December 03, 1960. Fees" is fastened by a padlock. There is a man standing on the steps staring at the lock and a dejected looking girl walking away from the building.

February 18, 1950. The tree of bigotry is topped by the figure of May Quinn, a Brooklyn teacher who was accused of spreading the poison of anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in her classroom. In 1942, Ms. Quinn used a vicious anti-Semitic leaflet as the basis for a discussion in her civics class. Teachers at her school also claimed that she had said all Communists were Jews and that Italians were "greasy foreigners." Unlike the haste with which the Board of Education was later to act against teachers with exemplary records accused of being "Communists," it took three years of concerted pressure by teachers, parents and civic organizations before charges were preferred against Ms. Quinn. Among her supporters was Father Edward Lodge Curran, eastern representative of Father Charles E. Coughlin's notoriously anti-Semitic publication, Social Justice. The Board acquitted her of most of the charges, found her guilty only of neglect of duty and poor judgment and fined her two weeks' pay. In 1949, when Ms. Quinn made racist statements during a current events lesson, Superintendent of Schools William Jansen, who presided over the witch-hunt that was later to strip the schools of its finest teachers, reported that he had informed Ms. Quinn of his "keen dissatisfaction" and "contemplated no further action."

December 19, 1959. A man is carrying a load of papers on his back, labeled "After-School Work-Load". Individual packets are labeled "Marketing papers", "Help to Individual Pupils", "Preparations", "Department Meetings", "Faculty Meetings", "Special Programs & Events", "Publications". "Dramatics by Class", and "Parent Conferences." In the top left hand corner there are two signs reading P.S. 91 and 3p.m. School's Out!

October 08, 1960. A school official, quoted in the World Telegram and Sun as saying that "All in all, our schools are in pretty good shape staff wise this fall," is shown "fiddling" while Rome burns in the form of out-of-license teachers and substitutes leaving the system being replaced by temporary, fill-in substitutes.

May 31, 1958. Man stands up to ankles in water with words such as "Segregation", "Overburdened, Underpaid Teachers", "Poor Equipment" etc A delinquent student is shown mired in the swamp of violence in films, TV and comics, no recreational facilities, overcrowded classes, poor equipment, overburdened, underpaid teachers, underprivileged neighborhoods and the evils of segregation.

March 01, 1958. Water labeled "Real School Needs" bursts over the top of a dam on which a member of the Board of Education is writing, "More '600' Schools."

March 27, 1954. Newly elected New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner is urged by teachers not to abandon his campaign pledges to meet the teachers' salary demands.

In charge of the inspection is a large hand with a magnifying glass and a swastika on his wrist.

June 16, 1951. The Board of Education bureaucrat, armed with the weapon of a charge of insubordination, offers the teacher the opportunity to "volunteer" for extracurricular activities.

June 26, 1954. A teacher shuts his "unfinished" file drawer on topics such as, "New School Building" "pensions", "pay raise" etc

September 08, 1951. A large boxer with the words "Tax increases" and "Continuing Price Rises" written on his chest dwarfs much smaller boxer on whom a tag from his shorts is labeled, "Piddling Raise for Teachers."

February 25, 1950. A Board of Education official tries to close a trunk containing the evils of old buildings, overcrowded schools, teacher shortages, and "25-5 For All" while flaunting the solution of crying "Red! Red! Red!" He points at a fish skeleton around which the word "RED!" is written three times

May 26, 1951. A man representing Teacher morale, carries an extremely large man carrying a briefcase labeled, "Extra-Curricular Activities Decision." The uncompensated extracurricular activities that Education officials seek to foist on teachers are depicted here as combined with inadequate pay, overcrowded classes, dilapidated buildings, the Timone Resolution and its concomitant witch hunts and repression to produce sinking teacher morale.

September 25, 1954. While the Board of Education casts its net for informers who will at stool pigeons and lackeys, two unemployed passers-by turn thumbs down with the statement, "Not for us pal, we have our pride."

A man's mouth is tied up, his ears blocked and opaque sunglasses cover his eyes

February 03, 1951. Governor Thomas E. Dewey on a horse brandishes flag, "'Emergency' Powers Proposal" His horse has a sash reading, "War War War" and his sword reads, "Schools last!"

1962?.

March 05, 1960. "More State Aid!" Three monstrous fingers point at Governor, demanding aid. Teachers are urged to pressure Governor Rockefeller for more state aid.

January 28, 1961. Heading by train as a delegation to Albany, scheduled for two weeks thereafter, of lobby for increased state aid, a professional salary raise (as opposed to the "piddling" raises previously offered) and pension improvements.

September 14, 1961. Broom labeled, "New Board of Education", sweeps away papers reading, "Low staff salaries", "overcrowded classes", "poor supplies" etc

February 20, 1960. Two students follow a sign "To Better Schools" however, reach a dead end, on the wall is written, "'Pay-As-You-Go' School Financing Proposal"

April 02, 1960.

October 15, 1960. An axe labeled budget cuts splits two buildings, the building on the right "building proposal" and the building on the left, "new school"

February 20, 1954. A man steps from NYC to Albany with a paper in his hand reading "40,000 United Teachers"

October 08, 1955. The printer is holding the latest achievement of the Teacher's Union's Teacher News publication: An Italian-American Supplement to add to the special issues for Negro History Week and the Jewish Tercentenary, in addition to the Puerto Rican Day Supplement, the Primer for New Teachers and the Pension Primer.

February 11, 1950. Board of Education official holds rifle in hand and points to signature line underneath the words "I hereby volunteer-"

January 07, 1961. A teacher stands before the 1961 Budget Planners wearing a coat held together with "A lick," "A promise," Patch-work Raise, 1957" etc

April 30, 1960. "Budget Brief at City Hall," "Educational Conference at Waldorf-Astoria," "Victory in Ayman-Greenwood Suit Wins 60 Million for Teachers." Coincident with the opening of the baseball season, the school spring season opens with three important Teachers Union achievements: The budget brief presented to City Hall, the highly successful Annual Educational Conference at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and its outstanding victory in winning $60 million in pension increases for teachers in the successful Ayman-Greenwood suit.

January 13, 1962.

January 20, 1962. Two eggs in a nest below them are labeled "Schinnerer Report" and "Superintendents and Examiners recommendations".

March 26, 1960. Two men stand next to a large covered platter marked "salary raise". One says "This much for me" with arms spread wide. The other says the same, spreading his arms wide. The first lifts the cover to reveal a tiny amount to be divided. (In three frames) Teachers are urged not to fight among themselves for the greater share of the pittance of a wage increase offered them.

February 15, 1958. A tiny man representing the Board of Education shines a light on "1% delinquents"

December 18, 1954. Young man dressed as Santa Claus labeled "all of us" carrying a bag labeled "good deeds in '54: TU drive for staff unity on compromise pay plan; Legislators praise TU budget briefs; TU primer for new teachers in wide demand; 1600 at Russell testimonial dinner Build the TU; Puerto Rico supplement and Jewish tercentenary issues open school week leaflet reach scores of thousands of [no more]; TU defends academic fre; $'s in pension gains"

January 27, 1951. Chess pieces on board which represents "The Spartan Queen" with its "Rent Rises" sign. The knight is labeled "tax Increases" and the pawn in scholar's garb is labeled "Teachers' $250 pittance". [number 378 at bottom front, and verso has 889/IHIL]]

October 20, 1951. A teacher stands scratching his head next to a rifle and army helmet labeled "extra-curricular stoppage", looking over a barbed wire fenced middle ground towards a goal over the far hills of "$4000-$8000 Salary". Between them is "elementary school vs. high school"; "coercion"; "red-baiting mine field"; fear"; "disunity;" and "misleaders". [labeled 5 200/2-2] Teachers are cautioned not to be misled by the phony promises of salary increases so that they ignore the genuine threats posed by so-called leaders who sow disunity between elementary and high school teachers and who give their silent assent to the persecution of teachers for their political benefits.

November 21, 1959. Listing English classes and registrations from 38-42 students and "more papers to mark, heavier clerical load, building assignments, etc, etc., Another sign reads Notice: The Board of Education reports that the average high school class register has dropped by 0.1 pupil! From 31.8 to 31.7. [ in bottom border is number 120]

One held by a bird above her reads "for the new year UNITE! Teachers Union Teachers Guild H.S.T.A others all" Her sheets read, "Increased work load for teachers, Inadequate buildings, worse overcrowding, low salary".

February 03, 1962.

A man in black coat, hat, and dark glasses sits, in a waste basket [?], saying "names, names, names, names. Saul signs a check [?] for "$25 per day".

February 02, 1952. Two boys, one black and one white, comfortably share a desk and a book, reading together. Above them is a profile of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

February 14, 1953. The "Thought Police" blows his whistle to stop school bus at an "out of bounds" intersection. Directional signs read "education, controversy, independent thought, and criticism". [Penciled in is "forbidden territory"]

November 21, 1953. "Mr. New Mayor" sits in front of the calendar for 1954. A man representing labor hold the list of "campaign pledges" including "pay raise for teachers, more school buildings, reduce overcrowding, a new deal for all, little Wagner Act for civil". [On back 170/13-3] The teacher is here reminding newly elected New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner of his campaign pledges of a pay raise for teachers, more school buildings, reducing overcrowding, a New Deal for all, and Little Wagner Act for civil service employees- a reference to the act bearing the name of the mayor's father, Senator Robert Wagner, that gave workers the right to organize and bargain collectively.

June 14, 1952. A man sits at a desk writing an "excess list" and admonishing a teacher carrying "certificates of competence" in drafting, English, and other studies.

May 17, 1952. Board of Education prospective candidates represented by placards for "banker, trust company attorney, corporate executive, big business man, real estate, manufacturer, utilities man, textile executive, and Tammany hack". ["No others need apply- the Mayor" penciled in the border]. Mayor Vincent Impelliterri was strongly criticized by the Teacher's Union for confining his appointments to the Board of Education to such persons as bankers, trust company attorneys, etc..

October 11, 1952. (One of the victims of the school witch-hunt, Irving Adler, has achieved international renown as a leading mathematician. Columbia University could hardly wait for the Board of Education to let him go so that they could hire him. Similarly, the United States Military Academy at West Point has been eager to use his services to teach the cadets at that institution.) [On back is 7480/6-5]

April 05, 1952. The "staff relations plan", a noose around the neck of the worker, pulls him off the edge of a cliff onto sharpened spikes of "recognized " only, no "policy" matters, no salary matters, no pensions discussed, the superintendent decides, the Board rules, we'll arbitrate if the Board feels like it". [Penciled at the bottom "At lease it's a step forward"] [On the back is 6389/4-4]

May 03, 1952. The very large hand of Samuel Greenfield, Board member of the Teacher's Union, points to a teachers retirement system document that reads "retirement with security and dignity, program of refo[rm]" [In the border "For all teachers"]. He was a recognized expert on matters of pensions and finances. At a time when the Teacher's Retirement System was mired in mismanagement, Greenfield proposed reforms that would guarantee teachers "retirement with security and dignity."

October 04, 1952.

December 12, 1953. The hand of "salary raise" is held out to a worker struggling to climb above "food, medical services, rent, clothing, taxes, and the cost of living".

March 07, 1953. Very large worker holds a sign that reads "United Teachers salary campaign. All organizations back one bill" over the capitol and a legislator in Albany. Legislators in Albany will only be impressed and moved to action by a United Teachers Salary Campaign in which all teacher organizations back the same piece of legislation.

March 15, 1952. Large box leaning over a desk toward an employee (just off frame). A paper in the waste basket reads "Civil Service Law". No one may be questioned concerning his political beliefs or affiliations or opinions" The "creepy" figure (literally) used by Bernard Kassoy to represent the school inquisitor is shown here throwing the Civil Service Law guarantees of freedom of beliefs and association into the waste basket.

January 19, 1952. "The sub", the "most vulnerable member of the teaching staff of all," is holding on to the end of a rope over "unemployment" and is about to be cut off and allowed to fall on "Feb. 1" by large scissors. (See "The Lament of the Substitute" at the end of this year's selection of cartoons).

January 30, 1954. A pay check goes through the grinder of "1954 costs" and comes out in tiny bits of "purchasing power". [on the bottom border is penciled 3567/4-4]

June 07, 1952. In the "red" hunt, the "American Legion and Catholic War Vets attack the NEA" gun shoots a soldier towards "academic freedom, NEA, Dean Lenz, the public schools, Mrs. Bethune and progressive education"

October 24, 1959.

June 04, 1955. Man at a podium labeled "official voices, editorials, politicians" says "we must arrange to solve these pressing problems." With a sign reading "retardation increased delinquency tension language groups". Crowded freshman classroom, September 1955, with students standing has "the arrangement: high school class registers to increase in 1955-56 school year"

[penciled on the back "used"]

March 11, 1961. The large hand of "Federal Aid 1961" reaches down to a child with arms raised.

October 28, 1961. At the turn of a path marked "to CB" a man pushes a bolder labeled "Interference with freedom to campaign"

On a theatrical stage the Act is indicated as "Ye same olde budget time Act", a banner "Pay raise for teachers" tops the stage, and three dancing men "BD of ED., The City, and the State" all point at each other.

Below it 2 men claim credit for success "What a wonderful job we've done for education" "No, no, it was really us, we did it, we are" [on the border it says "Almost lost in the storm"]

March 11, 1950. The City Council's ways and means committee skates on an ice block containing the "Roman salary bill" over the Albany capitol building while the need for these increases grows. [3399/1 on back]

September 16, 1950. In August worker leaves the summer job bent over and exhausted. In September, school opens and the worker is again bent over having to deal with low pay, overcrowding, and intimidation. [In two frames]

In four frames. [penciled on back 2358/1-2]

February 14, 1959.

"having expressed my appreciation for the wonderful job TU has been doing for years in the fight for better education, I think it's time I stopped just applauding from the sidelines and JOINED THE TEACHERS UNION.. Fraternally, Young Teacher"

Four teacher "spokesmen" show how to slice it saying "this way!" "No! This way!" "It's mine!" "Like this!"

October 22, 1955. A representative of the City Planning Commission has plans for the sewer, traffic, pavement, parks, buses, subways, hospitals, housing" and a child taps him on the arm with a thought of "a seat for every child". [An embossed seal on lower left corner shows a Scottish thistle and says "Strathmore Use either side"]