The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-04-06
The Public Schools.
DARLINGTON, MD,

March 81, 1877.
MIR. EDITOR: Will you kindly permit me
to make few remarks in your columns
upon the public school question?
Under the law of this State q school teach
er cannot fix his own salary, yet the public
school system squats upon the whole territory
and forces every professional teacher either
to enroll himself as public school teacher
or leave the field of his customary labors
NOW, II IS not always convenient, or posi-
BILE, without great loss for q teacher To gel
other employment when the public schools
are closed. l speak of professional teachers
No others are worth considering. The mar
or woman who in day becomes fit TO teach
is prodigy upon which have never yet sci
| eyes. It's most absurd notion to think peo
| pie can he good teachers without special
| training. But five admit that school teachers
must learn the trade of teaching, we must
| ignore that policy which tends to drive out
all trained teachers. The skillful workman
is worth more the than unskillful We cannot
hope to secure, except under the pressure OF
| circumstances, the services of good teachers
at low salaries. Ii, rather than emigrate, q
| teacher stays at low figures his employer is
plainly guilty of eXtortion. No honest man
i'll OIL e or out of office, can find any cause
for self graduation in taking advantage of n
at low rate. Especially unfair i it when
those necessities are not caused by the mis-
conduct of the laborcr.
1t is therefore, 6 serious misfortune when
Il disagreement between the School Board
and the County Commissio ers occurs and
the school houses are left idle or only partial
Iy occupied during several months of The
year. Loss OF time is great loss, yet time
is an element in the calculations OF only Il
few.
But the trouble seems to be because of the
school debt Is that Just debt? Has it
been rcpudiated? Ought it to be paid? II
the people of the county use the houses and
books the purchase of VIII CHI caused the debt,
surely the presumption is strong that they
will be willing to liquidate the debt. They
cannot honorably use this property and re-
fuse to pay for it, 1t may be said that the
people have not refused to pay this debt.
True, but the mo le of payment is such that
the teachers salaries must be lowered and the
number of school terms lcssened-makng
the burden of payment fall most heavily upon
the teacher. This is not equitable. Judi
cious expenditure of money is more to he
commended than misery boarding. The
proper use of means is the problem TO the
solution of which mankind is indebted for
the discoveries and inventions which bright,
en- the world with all we claim as property,
whet er in the shape of railroads or ships,
printing press or school house. Perhaps the
School Board was too hasty in its endeavor
TO establish the public school system in this
county on crcditable scale, but if we the
people, accept the property it bought for our
use, we surely endorse its action. But | am
not quite clear that it was wrong to be libe-
raj in educational affairs am not perfectly
certain that it is discrediable to be known
as citizen of Il county dotted all over with
comfortable school houses. am inclined to
think that the effort, even # i'll directed, ia
make improvement to bring about reform
should be treated with respect. Let us not
put to ourselves the question, how shall W.
save our money? but rather ask, how shal
we spend it to most advantage?
Let us try to bring into our county horses
worth $4,000, and cows worth $4,000
and prize pigs worth $500, and-ether things
Let us believe that good school teachers are
| OF such consequence that some trouble anG
expense should be freely bestowed in getting
their services.
The worlds leaders are men Of culture-al
who guide the steps Of the plolding million
are men of culture. Then accept as aXioms
that teachers should be paid literally, that
schools should be kept open ten months, thai
houses, comfortable and well furnished
should be provided without stint, and | think
we might safely hope that the result would
Ee fully commensurate with the outlay.
Yours respectfully,
JoHN NJ. Cooley.