New-York tribune., 1873-06-13
SUPERFICIAL SCHOOL REFORM

sCALR-TEMPTATIoNs TO TEACHERS UNDER THE
Ngw SYSTEM
As was predicted in THE TRIBUNE of yes
terday the report of the Special Committee on Salaries
OF the Board OF Education, presenting new plan ior
paying the salaries teachers in the public schools is
received by the latter with much dissatisfaction Nearly
every feature OF the proposed scheme is condemned Dy
those who have studied the question as unwise ana
some are considered decidedly mpractcabe Thus the
principle Of grading principals and viceprincpals
according 10 the size of their schools is believed 10 be
mpoltc and unjust, as the positions require men ana
women Of fully as much intellectual ability IN
the small schools as iD the large ones ana the
responsibility claimed TO be as great, except where
the school is very small when, it is urged it shond be
consolidated with other. This, in fact IS generally
considered better remedy for the evil Of small schools,
with heavy expenses for salaries than reducing the pay
Of those charge. such consultations could be made
gradually il is believed, and to throw few OF the
teachers Of employment as vacancies are constantly
occurring which they could ill; but If few were dis
missed, il Is claimed, the consolidation would be
better for both the teachers and tho schools
than the sliding scale Of salaries The
effect Of the plan, it is believed, will be
very injurious on the smaller schools for which,
OF course it will be impossible TO obtain as capable
principals for the larger schools AS most OF these
small schools mainly situated IN the poorer parts OF
the city and attended by poor children almost alto
public school education most needed Will thus re-
ceive less consideration than those who could go
10 other schools. Besides, II is asserted that
in MANY cases IL would be very difficult 70 persuade
any competent person take charge Of some Of these
small schools as they mostly in the lower wards.
where business rowdng out the population and the
attendance of children is decreasing constantly making
the positions and less valuable according to the
new schedule. Again. one of the possible evils OF
the plan il is stated that the principals compeDsa
ton ~ made dependent on the number OF his
scholars the temptation is held out 20 him 10 retain
these children in his school long possible.
and that various expedicrts may consequently
be resorted TO 10 induce them to stay,
which will not be beneficial 70 the schools
or the scholars. Thus children kept back the
primary when they ought go mp the grammar de-
parmeuts and BOYS and girls be detained in the gram
mar department who desrous of entering the city
colleges enticements in the Of presents, enter
tanments. &C. presented TO bring children 10 to swell
the numbers merely II ia not asserted that any prn
cpas will do what would have demoraliZng effect on
teachers and scholars, but principals only human
after all aud the temptation would be great, aud all feel
that il ought not 20 put before Them 1t IS told OF
principal the old system, when this plan
was i operation that he managed to keep his salary
10 the maximum standard only by making liberal dis
tributon OF jacS-knves. &c, among his boys.
The method OF appOrtionng salaries by allowing GER
tain fixed sum per scholar also considered impracti
ble though appearing most commendable Its effect in
many cases Will be not only 20 reduce the salaries Of
principals and vce-princpas, which is one OF its OBJ
ieets but many among the smaller schools ii
will operate il is stated TO prevent promotions, even for
the lowest grades thus destroying prospect which is
source OF great encouragement to teachers. As illus
taton OF this Primary School No IS in the Ninth Ward
may be cited 1t has at 175 schOars, which at
so each would enthe it TO $500 for sal
aries 1t can have, in addition to princi-
pal four assistant teachers but no viceprncpal.
II the salaries he quoted according TO the system,
and the first two assistants receive the maximum OF
their grades 500 and $500 respectively third assist
ant being her third year $780, and the fourth
sstant novice at $780, the total will be S2150 leaving
$50 for the principal Three of these teachers thus
have not maximum salaries OF whom two have only
the minimum, but the allowance being exhausted in
crease can be made, even though experience entities
them to it. In this school, in number Of Others the
salaries paid aggregate more than the allowance
and according 10 the schedule they would have TO
be reduced though stated to be the purpose Of
the Committee not 70 cut down the pay Of the present
The slow Increase in the higher grades also objected
TO by some who claim for instance that when man Is
competent 10 be appointed principal yce-princlpa
he must necessarily have had considerable previous
perence IN school work. and that what he yet lacks 10
qualify him for his position and cnttle him 10 the
maximum salary be ought 10 gain in less than four
years, the time required by the new scheme An in
crease of 500 each year. 1t Is believed would be
just Promotion, at best is said to be very slow that
reach these positions and tits the Increase ought
10 take effect more rapidly as teacher goes higher;
under the system is asserted that this will be
less marked than under the present one Much disap
pOntnent Is manifested by tue teachers at the
imum rates recOmmended'by the Committee, especially
those for assistants between whom and the principals
wide disparity ia created The feeling is that NewYork
ought to be able and willing pay principals well
the city Off Boston does, where they receive a
Of $4,000 while their labor said TO be lighter aud
their living less Again, $500 is claimed TO be
altogether little for the best lady assistants
the 81 90 which II is proposed TO give to first assstans
Is
than these amounts IN some cases as much as 81 800 and
il would be impossible 20 nil their places, If vacated
the salaries. Male assistants believed to
receive too much IN the scale, since they
very hard 10 Obtain now with sufficient ability.
Great objection Is made TO the provision allowing the
maximum OF $500 only to female assistants teaching
classes above the NTH grade which would prevent the
principal FROM exercising that freedom IN assigning
teachers which is deemed desirable, and also offers
temptation TO place favorlte IN an upper grade, so
that she may draw the highest salary. Great dssats
faction also exists among those interested that the Co
mttee should nave Ignored enufey the application Of
the female teachers for equal compensation With the
where eouai work was done, and they regret
that no attempt has been made % remove tins
unjust discrimination; while the primary teachers
coespOndngly disappointed that the disparity in
pay existing between them and those Of the grammar
departments have not at least been made less Uni
versa approval expressed, however, OF the plan
grading salaries al first according 10 experience and II
generally believed that. with some alteration Of
details, this feature would Work well.
To learn how this scheme viewed by various
leading teachers and 20 gather some pressOns in
diyidual opinions on the subject, reporter Of THE
TRIBUNE visited number Of schools yesterday, and be-
low Will be found the statements Of several principals,
1
/ this question OF readiustiug salaries:
b. ID. L. SOutheTiand, principal OF Grammar School
No g. stated that he much disappointed the COm-
mlttee's conclusions. and believed that the plan II
adopted would work very dsastrousy % the public
school system He believed that the proposition 10
grade principals salaries according TO attendance was
unfortunate one that would operate badly against
the small schools by preventing competent men from
accepting charge OF them well as tempting principals
70 retain Their numbers IN any way possible even to the
stated sum per scholar would Also ne
feared, WORK iniuuously IN some schools where
hare slg h fls
minimum, AND would leave room for promotions,
which the teachers greatest inducements faith
fulDess lud the restriction