Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-08
THE SCHOOL TEACHERS PAY.
About One.half of the Teachers Refuse
to Sign the Roll.

About one-half of the public school teachers
yesterday refused to sign the pay rolls made out
on the scale Of q reduction of 80 per cent all
along the line. In the first division all with
held their signatures, in the second division
nearly half; in the third division the teachers
generally signed and took their pay; in the
fourth division many did not sign; in the third,
fifth and sixth divisions nearly all signed,
and in the colored schools all signed One
of the school officials said to-day that he did
not think the teachers were disposed to 60 to
any serious length. They desired only to have
it settled what claims they had. Under the cir
cumstances there was no practical course to
take except to follow out the plan of horizontal
reduction proposed by the board. The teachers
who received the highest salaries were under
lower salaries. A proposition to cut down at
the topmeant:Firtuallyt to close the High school
These higher teachers, he thought, would have
q legal claim against the District for their years
salary If they were cut Off. The fact that ex-
cept in a very few instances the salaries paid
this year, among the higher teachers and the
paid tor several years past and received the
sanction of the Commissioners and of Congress,
made them just as legal as the salaries paid to
any other teachers.
A COMPLICATED MATTER.
There are several perplexing elements in the
problem concerning the pay of teachers. The
school board makes schedule of salaries, Con-
gress then fixes the limit of the average salaries
and also limits the total amount to be paid; the
law also provides that teachers in the graded
schools shall receive an advance of $50 year
for three years, or until they receive the max
imum pay of the grade. Congress, in the cur
rent appropriations, not only cut down upon
the estimates OF the school board, but failed to
increase the limit of the average pay. The in
creases on account of longevity pay would have
made the average salary largely exceed the le-
gal limit, Ii it had not been for the ad-
dition of q number OF teachers OF low grade
receiving the lowest rate Of pay, and, of course,
diminishing the general average. When the
school board discovered that the salaries in the
aggregate exceeded the appropriation, it was
found that to cut off the new schools established
would not help matters any. By cutting Oft the
new schools, the average would exceed the legal
limit; by retaining the new schools, the aggre.
gate exceeded the appropriation. It was held
also that the new schools were absolutely neces-
crowding 10 the school buildings. The board
concluded that the wisest way would be to cut
down 3D. per cent all along the line.
THE AUTHORITY OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
Some question has been raised as to the right
of the trustees to fix the salaries. A letter,
written by the Commissioners to the school
board. January 20, 1882, is produced as evi.
dence Of the authority Of the board to regulate
salaries under certain restrictions. This letter
was written at q time when the board proposed
70 raise the salaries OF certain eighth grade
teachers. In 1t the Commissioners said: 1.-THE
commissioners cannot approve OF any scale OF
narss salaries IN excess OF app1Gpffaon 0y
APPROPRIATION they consider 1t to be the exclu-
sive function OF the board OF school trustees to
arrange and hx the scale ofsalaries."
Trustee Smith says he will submit to the
scnOoI BOARD at Its next meeting proposition
looking 70 the elimination OF one OF the ele-
men4 which complicate matters, and that Is
she longevity pay. He proposes to f1x the pay
Oh each grade at 4 stated sum.