Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-12-18
ORR COIsRESPONE:N"H.
Tie Frost5Urg Public SchooI Teachers
Sal&rics-Niil the ScEO0i Board
Rise and Explain!


capacity, and with this fact conceded, We
desire to discuss the action Of the County
School Board relative to the management
and salaries paid 10 teachers at The Frost
burg Public School.
During the last scholastic year ending
April, 1915, there were ahoUt seven teach.
ers employed in this building with sa.aric,
ranging from SO per month down to so
Under This arrangement we can see no
cause for complaint, believing that the
cmpl yccS received fair remuneration for
the services performed. The average at
tendance at the entire Building for this wear
has thus tar been greater than that of last.
and the teachers employed very naturally
expected their salaries to lee about the
same allowed their predecessors, b.. in
this some of them have been doomed to Gis-
appointment.
About month after the commencement
of the session articles of agreement were
presented by the School Board for Tie va
iOus teachers to sign, gotten up ,omcN hat
after the style Of the law Of Tie MrGcs and
Persians which atcrcth not, and in which
teachers were required to give Thirty days
mott Of thciF resignation While on the
other hand the School Board rcgtr,cI the
right to dismiss without any notice what
ever. This kind of equitable arrangement
would bear a very fair comparison with
the old fashioned game of "hc;tls | win.
tails you lose BY this agreement tie
salaries OF the seven teachers cn!plored
were also regulated as follows: OF the
male teachers one is paid $40 per month
and one SO OF liIr female teachers three
receive $50 per l.~Eli;, >tp SD, GH,5 oDr
.$a5.
On account of the UUiu>t djSc.5mj,,at'on
made against the last two lady teachers we
have put ourselves to ,omc trouble to in
yestigate the cause and examine the prob
able reasons which may be assigned for the
same
1t cannot be on ac:1Hnt Of the 0rt5rtCc IT.
tendance, for TIE average of each of the
first five teachers above referred to for the
fall term just closed has been from - to 60,
while that of The one who receives $50 has
been about eghty.fce, and the one paid
$25 has been about cigIty.
We do not wish to he understood us
finding fault with the salaries of those
teachers receiving so per month, for we
do not consider that sum sufficient c0mpcn-
saion for any teacher who faithfully per
forms the duties imposed. Bat what We
object to is the discrimination made rcll-
tive to these salaries, for If Il teacher with
an average attendance OF Sirty is; paid $50
per month, then how in tie name OF ali
that is fair can the School Board reconcile
the difference by paying one with an aver
age of oghty.fre scholars 50 pc month
and the other with an average of eightL
the pitiful sum of $50?
But as to the probable reasons on the
part of the School Board for this unrcason-
able reduction:
1t mag DC or the ground Of inc1mpetency
or inerperience. We answer by saving
that the School Board has established Il
grade of examination through which Il
candidate must pass before being considered
as competent, and all of the teachers en-
ploycd here having passed such examination
are thereby acknowledged by the board as
possessing the requisite qualifications, and
besides, their reputation at home for Ell
cheney and the proper government Of their
pupils is first-class; their methods of i'm
parting instruction gives great satisfaction
to the parents of the children and Tie pub
lie generally.
1t mag be because they tcach IN tie pjtm-
ary department. No such unreasonable re
duclon has ever been made on this account
heretofore, and even if it had been, custom
never justities a wrong" We believe that
the trouble and labor of teaching in this
department: is greater than that of the more
advanced grades, and we venture the asscr-
ton that three out of every FIVE teachers
Intercepted upon this subject (who really
possess the qualifications to teach the more
advanced grades would say that they
would take such grade in preference to the
primary department.
1t may be done for the p"'3ose Of tcon''ay.
Upon application to the Clerk cfthc Coun-
ty Commissioners we We're informed that
the School Fund for the present year cX
cccds that of last by 81 500. This spas
modic economy should therefore be sprink-
led with at least a little justice, ana We
think the School Board has no right to be
economical at the expense or to tie injury
of their faithful employees.
ifthe cause Of the unfair reduction is not
on the ground of one or all Of the reasons
above assigned, il may be because (''n-
fortunately for these two teac!cIs,) their
parents reside here and they board at home.
If such is the cause we say that of all tic
mean, weak and ilimsy excuses for grinding
down teachers salaries to consideration
about onc-half the value of the services
rendered, tins is the mcancst. Sterling
public sentiment honors the ladies who in
this fast age of pride, atfcctation and shol-
DIV aristocracy, manifest a disposition to
engage in suitable ayocations rather than
be deprIaens upon others, and have the
moral courage to pursue them: and when