The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-06-24
Teachers Wages.

MIR. EDlToB Some time since, |
wrote tow words about the great
margin between the wages paid to
male and female teachers. Ifthis ar
ticle on TEACHERS WAGES" is deem.
ed of sufficient Importance, you may
give it to your many patrons.
70 begin with, teachers are not paid
enough, am fully aware that some
people think that it is an awful strain
on libcrality to give teachers from
$50 to $40 per month just to sit in a
school-house str hourspe day! Yet l
say, teachers arc not paid enough =
If we have any teachers who "just sit
in the school-housc six hours a day.
they do not deserve the name ncr
the place, and Should not be employ
cd.
But | wish to include only those
who arc laboring earnestly to elevate
and enlarge the mental and moral
capacities ofour youth.
They are stintedl They are poor
A hard working teacher told me
the other day that no had not saved
enough during nine months of toll TO
keep his family during the three OF
vacation. And now, with his physi.
cal strength wasted, he must COM
mencc manual labor, at a time when
both mind and body need rest. Is it
right?
The writer ofthis, after three years
of teaching, with his debts paid has
now don't be envious when l tell
you what vast sum l have amassed
Forty Dollars Yet l am one of
the "high priced" teachers. My pa.
irons complain that it is terrible to
have to pay mo so much, when
have only thirty pupils to teach. ]
must not say how much this "hlgh
price" is, for this paper goes far from
here, and fear that teachers from
abroad will be wanting my place, and
shall lose my $50 per month. There
now! | have told it. We'll, it can't
be helped now.
My wages are SIS per month more
than the majority of teachers get, yet
do just live. How some of them keep
soul and body togetheris more than
| can toll. | am sure tnat | am not
cxtravagant. stint myself all the
time, in what l should have. Books,
that every teacher should have at his
command, for want of funds, l must
content myself by aoishing that l were
able to buy. That very valuable
work of which your Mr.. Editor, are
agent, the American Cyclopedia, 9
work that should be in every house
hold, would cost mo two and one hall
months wages, not counting the cos,
Of living.
| Occasionally | have TO listen to the
complaints OF directors concerning
their teachers. They arc poor, good
for nothing things, that don't know
any moro than halfthe pupils, and
wish merely to put in the time. My
first question is, allow much do you
pay your toacher?" And hear an.
swcrs like unto these: 'TwENTY Dol.
LARS" in tone fully expressing
the yastness Of such a sum- Anoth-
or says: "The board gave me leave
to pay thirty-fivo dollars, but, as a
good many wanted tho place, l got
this fellow to agree to teach for TWEEN
ty-fve. The others all wanted thir-
ty-fvc. He isn't worth AGENT. He's
done moro harm than good" When
meet with directors that are will
ing to Jew a teacher down to tho low
est price, believe l am almost glad
that he has got anovice. L do feel
sorry for the children for whose ad-
vancement he is responsible but if
he were alonc interested would say,
GOOD for you. He has served you
as you deserved. You would not pay
good teacher what you knew his
services were worth, and you have
some one to use your money with
out giving you value received
In buying goods or stock men use
good Judgement They prefer pay
ing q good price for an article they
know to be durable, than Il low price
for q poor one. 1t would be policy
for them to use the Same Judgment in
tho selection of teachers.
We have good teachers in the
county,. and | am sorry to have to
say it, We have some miserably poor
ones. 1t is in the power Of the school
officers to employ either. If they
will pay sufficient wages, they can
secure good teachers for all the
schools, for they will come from 9th
or counties whore they are not paid
and the poor ones will go where they
will be in their own clement. Ifthey
continue in paying the starving wa
ges that they now pay, no good teach
er will be induced to come into the
county, or to remain in it. if already
here.
They may succeed in a few cases
as the man did in keeping his dog
A mans dog, though well fed, kept
running oil. He brought him home,
tied him up, and starred him till no
COULDN'T 90. | am personally ae-
quainted with teachers now, who