Federal Fund Delay Halts Harvard's Teacher Aides

Federal delays in processing applications for funds have halted a Harvard teaching organization's efforts to assist in the Cambridge public schools.

The Teacher Aide Program, an outgrowth of the Harvard Undergraduate Teachers, is awaiting grants of $300 per year for each of 60 teacher aides. The grants had been included in the Cambridge Office of Economic Opportunity's request for federal poverty funds.

At present, however, the money for the Cambridge program has not been allocated. A spokesman for COEO guessed that federal officials were still reviewing applications, but admitted that the Cambridge office had really heard nothing at all about the program this month.

Last year, TAP paid its members salaries by raising $10,000 in private contributions. Officers of the organization said last night that TAP will not consider private fund-raising again unless they fall to obtain the grants from the office of Economic Opportunity.

Fifteen volunteers have already begun work in Cambridge and Boston public schools, and Jane Zeni '67, Director of TAP at Harvard, is soliciting more volunteer help.

The aides will relieve teachers in overcrowded classrooms and supplement the normal school curriculum with more specialized knowledge. One volunteer is leading a physics seminar, two more are running an elementary school library, and others are advising high school extracurricular activities. Each aide's work will be determined by the particular public school.

TAP was established last year at Harvard, and six new chapters were formed at other area colleges this year. Harvard's Graduate School of Education provides lectures and training seminars for all of the groups.