Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1884-05-02
The Public Schools.

M. Editor The time is near at hand
when the Country Commissioners willmake
their annual levy, and it is TO be hoped that
they will do this by consulting the interest
/ Of the whole people.
| While it is necessary to levy money for
working roads, building bridges and many
other purposes, yet think that the most
important thing to consider is the education
of our children, and to do this we must have
sufficient amount OF money. 1t is hardly
necessary in this age OF knowledge to say
that the future welfare of our county, as
well as our ccuntry, depends upon the educa-
ton of the youth Of to-day, and yet fear
the fact has been entirely overlooked by our
Commissioners of former years, as they have
always failed to levy the amount that has
been asked for by the School Board.
Now our present Board are men of well
not to be supposed for moment that they
would ask for more than is absolutely re-
quired, and why cripple their efforts for
few thousands Of dollars? II we are able to
pay good salaries we will be able to secure
good teachers. Some may say we pay as
much as other counties and better than
three-tourths OF them. This is true, and you
will find that our teachers, as u class are
more competent and are better teachers. 1t
don't Scent reasonable to suppose that man
highly educated and with any energy what
ever would sit down and teach u public
school for paltry few hundred year,
when there are chances everywhere more
lucrative, us well as more pleasant. Ii may
seem very desirable life to some people,
who imagine they have nothing to do but sit
down and hear children recite their lessons,
but let these same people try it and they
would soon discover their mistake and would
hot teach ii the salary were few thousands
instead of a few hundreds. And for this rea-
son if we wish to secure aud retain compe.
tent teachers we must offer some better in.
ducement than the mere pleasure of teach
ing. You give a teacher sufficient to keep
his family in comfort and to provide himself
with such books and papers us he requires,
and if he don't make good teacher, then
he had better be helped into some other
business.
The County Commissioners may think it
small. matter if the schools are stopped a
month or so in the year, but when you think
that this decreases the salary some forty or
fifty dollars, and consider what the ntelli-
gent teacher could do with 1t, they will see
that it is question for grave consideration.
Half of this amount expended in proper
literature, educational journals, standard
works and county papers, (which every one,
teacher or citizen, should take and pay for)
and daily paper would soon clear our
schools OF duh, lazy teachers and infuse new
life into our successful ones
have said more than | intended, but it is
a matter that it should be given more atten-
ton. do hope that they will make the
levy for the amount which our board shall
asklor, and from what have heard numbers
Of tax payers remark don't think that there
will be any complaint from them il the tax
is II few cents more. firmly believe that
it the question We're lett with them that four
illlhs, il not more, would be in favor of it,
II this is done We will have good schools
and good teachers is the opinion of
April 10, 1884 TEACHER.