Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-03-16
Too MucEa R ei Tape, and No One
Benefited By 1t.
7itoy Staunton indicator:

Editor stanton Ven0ac0tOf:
Please allow me to call attention to n of
the few, or many, as the case may be, OF the
evils, or rather hardships. connected with
our public school system. 1t may be consid-
cred by some but a small matter, and not
worth %anyone's trouble to look into it; yet,
when we examine it, we will find that
several thousand persons are oppressed to
a considerable extent 10y it, and no one be-
neftted. l think that il this is true all
will agree that it should be removed if
possible. ] allude to the round about way
in which the tea cheers of the public schools
| set their pay. | will briefly state the pro-
| cess: the teacher is examined by the county
Superintendent, and if found qualified to
| teach is given a certificate to that effect;
this he takes to the district school board,
and makes his contract with it fer eicll-
ing. being allowed twenty, twenty-five or
thirty dollars per month, according to the
grade of his certificate. AT the expiration
| of each month he reports to the county
SUPERINTENDENT the number OF scholars,
&C.: if all right he receives from him a
certificate to that effect; this he takes to
the district board, or to some n of the
board authorized to act for the board, who
! him a warrant Oh the county treasury
for the amount IF his salary for the months
! services. This warrant he has to take to
the county treasurer, o get his pay. Now,
I wish to call especial a tentien to the
hardships thus enforced upon the teacher.
He NAV land | am told there is one such
case ID this county have one hundred and
ten miles to travel every time 80 get his
months pay. Then there are others who
will have no distance to travel. The me-
| dunn between these two would beifty-ive
miles-say fifty for each month, which
would make two hundred and fifty for the
| five months. This, for the one hundred
| and twenty or more teachers in this county,
will make thirty thousand miles, or con
siderably more than once round the world,
and for all the teachers in the state some
thing like one hundred times around the
world, 1t seems to me that srme of this
red tape might be dispensed with without
any detriment to any public interest.
/ spoke Of this matter the other day in
the presence of a teacher, and made the
remark that the travelling done by all the
teachers in this county for the five months,
to get their meagre pay, would be sufficient
to take one of them around the world. and
he replied, s'yes, and what it costs them
would be enough to pay his expenses"
While this is an eXaggeration. and was SO
meant by this teacher. There is yet some
thing, though little it may seem, feel dis
posed to speak of; when the teacher makes
lis report to the county superintendent he
is required to enclose an extra stamp for
the return of the certificate Of that officer,
and so with all his special correspondence
with the county superintendent and dis
trict trustees. AS l said before, this is a
small affair, but it is grossly unjust, and
| being SO little, it excites come queer feel
| ings in those who are thus imposed upon
by it..
I might write more, and perhaps should
do SO to make my puint clear. Much Ct
this hardship complained of could be done
away with by allowing the county super
inteudent to issue the warrant OH the
county treasurer upon the receipt OF the
| teachers report. instead of sending him to
the district trustee.
In wi at | have said here | mean no re-
aection whatever on our very competent.
eutlemanly and kind county supeiit,ten-
dent, or Any Of the trustees OF til; county,
from all of whom [ have received nothing
but the kindest aud most considefate at
tention. This matter, ash understand It.
is not under their contlOl.
TEACHER.
Ano,cta IN Eah DIST