The New York herald., 1878-02-09
SCHOOL TEACHERS SALARIES.

NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 1873.
To TIE EDITOR HERALD
Your arucle IN sundays HERALD on "rsachers'
Salaries contains q statement based upon derived
from Mr.. Choste's speech at the Cooper Institute
meeting, which grossly erroneous II IL that about
$475, 600 year spent upon the ''bossing OF
the schools by principals and vice principals. The
impression made upon the public by this statement
Is TO the effect that every principal In The city has
nothing TO do and has vice principal TO help him do
IT, In fact, daily newspaper stated this supposed
fact r almost those exact words.
Every principal in the city has been at some time
IN assistant and also vice principal rising through
the various grades 20 their present Offices and
is not one OF them but knows, tho result OF
perience, that tho actual fact is the contrary OF
what Mr.. Chea,e's assertion implies. The principals
have moro to do generally tnan they have time
10 do 1t In, although they regular
class teachers. Whenever they get time to spend
In their different class rooms which not very often,
they teach ana examine. But the demands upon
their time by their other duties great that 1t Is
q source of constant regret that they thus de-
barred from teaching and examining. In = school
nobody's responsibilities aud cares begin 10 equal
those OF principal, while his duties are almost ih-
Vulnerable. He must see everybody who calls and
decide upon countless questions Every difficult
OF discipline COOS through his hands. In the male
MS time, patience and endurance. With u low excep-
tons he must keep all the school make all
reports, boh regular and specIa. He must ipvcsti-
gate absenteefsm, truancy and hardness, and super
vise and inspect III regard TO scores oi matters. Ho
must every week write many lctters land his
postage) 10 neglectful parents II he has any time
lett he must examine his classes ana keep
ords and make reports thereof Every princi-
pal knows that his classes need MIN con.
stantly, both examiner aud Instructor, and
he knows tnat multitude OF needless rules and re-
quirements constantly prevent him from dong as
much examining and mstructlng work he would
like 70 do. and as the city superinteudcnts' rigid
aminatons make necessary, II he aud school are
Tho peasantest, easiest and least wearing work in
school IS class room work-0rdnary teacning. But u
10 hardly possible or principal TO give half hours
uninterrupted work, either As teacher,
so many and constant and varied the calls upon
his time. Teachers OF every grade attest tnis
The principals OF our schools earn their salaries
varying from $2,250 10 So, 900 year-evory dol.
lar of them, by hard, exhausting and worrying
work and responsibility. Now, in all these
examining, teachiag, recording. reporting and
supervising duties the principal mas no aid
whatever The statement Inference that "A
vice principal Is SPECIAL AID to the .ncipa Ia
msstatement OF fact. suppose, charity tnal It is
born OF ignorance aud not Of malice The
regular teachers OF class, like all other assistants
The vice principals have nothing Whatever TO do with
wnat Is 30 elegantly termed tho 'sbossing.n They
nave no dutieS rights, or responsibilities outside of
ther own class rooms, where they work at teaching
overy day from nine to three O'Clock. Tho iormor
name Tor them first assistant, which In tact they
now are anu have always been, aud there was ne YER
and Is not now any good reason Tor giving them the
misleading title OF vice principal.
Will the 'Counch oil Reform" and othcrs who en-
tertain and disseminate falso ideas of
dutios be gooa enough 10 'stand correctcd'' by an
OLD PRINCIPALLY