The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-06-29
OFFICIAL CROOKEDNEss IN WAYNE.


practlced by thy Superintendent of
Education of Wayne county upon
defenseless lady teachers. She
states a case as an instance of such
treatment, as follows: IA lady
holding a first grade certificate was
required to teach a school OF 30
pupils, without assistance, OF a sal
airy of $40 per month, the Superin-
tendent giving as his only reason
that she was a woman and should
do more work for less pay; )" that
The male teacher who proceeded
her taught the same number and
received therefor $55 per month,
and was allowed an assistant. And
further: "He required a lengthy
essay written on any subject he
might select, and when illness pre-
vented the teacher from being
present to read the essay Though
she sent it by mail in time tor The
meeting) he wrote insulting letters
and made another reduction in the
salary"
Taking these two statements as
we find them, we think the lady
had just cause for serious COM
plant. The minimum salary fixed
by law for teachers holding first
grade certificates is $25, and the
maximum $55, according to the
size of the school and The execu.
tive ability of the teacher; and the
law says an assistant may be allow
ed when there are over As pupils in
actual attendance. Surely, in this
case, if the lady was competent to
do justice to so large a school her
executive ability was sufficient to
entitle her to the maximum salary.
Otherwise it was an imposition
upon her and an injustice TO the
large school she was required TO
teach to refuse her assistance. And
herein lies one of the greatest
abuses Of the free school system
o~vertaXing teachers with excessive
numbers. and without paying them
in proportion. But this has, in adj
the worse feature of unjust
discrimination against The lady
teacher. Our Stale is paying out
thousands of dollars every year to
educate our girls and prepare them
10 teach in our public schools, but
if county superintendent are to
place such high premium upon
male teachers, and require our girls
10 bear extra burd ems for less pay,
parents had best seek other occu.
pations tor their daughters and
them such humiliation and
wearing toll. We admit that male
teachers are preferable in some
schools, and such may possibly
have been the case in this school,
Though our correspondent states
that the trustees approved the
Iady's method OF teaching and the
school was fourishing) though
such would be no excuse for i'm
upon the lady extra labor
or less pay.
The other complaint consists of
.wo charges, an insult, followed
~ a reduction of salary. In this
'ge of gallantry and chiValry It is
scarcely necessary to comment on
he first of these charges. We are
rot informed as to the extent of
he insult, but the use of any often
i've language In such a case would
eem entirely too ofhcious, if we
understand The duties of County
'uperintendents of Education, and
hould not be permitted in dealing
With our refined and sensitive lady
eachers.
If the final reduction Of salary
vas made for reasons las our cor.
espondent seems 10 intimately
'redicated upon the lady's failure
o attend the Institute meeting re-
erred tc, knowing of her Illness,
II, without knowing her excuse, it
vas perfectly unJustifiable and an
.bsolute abuse of official preroga-
i've.
Our correspondent made the
hlrd charge of unjust exaction in
his case, pertaining to the teachers
eport of educable children IN the
district not attending the school,
,ut we failed 10 catch the idea suf-
iciebtly clear TO state IT or COM
nent on it. We will state, howev-
II, that the law requires teachers
report the total number, age.
ex, ETC., of each of the educable
.hildren in their respective school
listncts. |.