The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-12
THOUGHTS oF "TIMEs" READERs.
Opinion from Teacher About the Cues
ton of Salaries.

have noticed among your columns lit
he argument about the point Of school ave
RAGE daily attendance, and thought il
would not be ont of place for me tO offer "a
suggestion. as / have just a little expert
cnce in the matter.
OF course, the teachers ought 10 have
their pay. for why should they have the
blame 10 bear if, for instance, the children
are sick, or still more frequently, they have
90 help their parents do farm work, or per-
chance their parents, through some imag-
incd wrong committed by the teacher or
some other caprice, say they shall not 90,
some of those honorable gentlemen who
oppose the bill for di-pgardng the fact Of
an under average on payday seem 10
forget that we teachers have the same num-
Der Of hours 90 teach whether We have one
scholar or twenty, and the same order Of
exercises 90 90 through with. the same eX-
plantations 10 make, in fact, the same
amount of work 90 do, whether there he
the whole class present, half class, or
even two members.
There is only one argument, IN my mindi
90 bring 90 bear IN opposition 10 the BILL
some of the opposers might say That II the
teachers were paid whether they made their
average or not, they would take no interest
i'm building up q full school offer no in
and IL would De against human nature IL
There were not a few such, as there are black
sheen i'm every flock but "a true teacher
who has her heart in the wOrk-and no other
ought % be allowed tO train the immortal
minds Of Gods nOblcst work VIII scorn
ANYTHING of the kind.
ifahe has any ambition whatever tO be-
come noted as trst-c ass teacher and De
loved bv her scholars Sic Will make school
40 attractive that the children would come
if such "a thing was possible, ana 10 WI. not
Doe her fault il her average is not made.
so why should teachers pay he cut
down after she has t0iled month through
an kinds of weather. Just because she mas
failed 90 make her ayefaIe, through no
fault of her OWN TO say the least, think
il h very unjust, and If these 0ppO-erssoi the
bin will reflect for awhile ana give the mat
Ter an IMPARTIAL consideration thcy VIII pe
forced 10 agree in thinking SO.
Rnt if we take their view Of the subject,
which many uninterested VIII do ana "a.
.nt oN the nav when they do not make the
average. then / ann lorcbly reminded of an
old ndarc. which was ding-dOnged into my
ears when : was a schoolgirl, something
about the poor rule that wouldn't WORK
both ways I'm other words, % be more eN-
plicif. II they are cut down when they IAN
I'D make average, why shouldn't we teach
ere. who average - and 80, Dee paid more in
proportions Now, WHY one way i Just
a. plausible and fair as the other. II they
are so extremely nice and careful TO take on
IA dollar and a half for every one under
average IL Is no more than just 10 add one
dollar and half ior every one over the
average. .,,-, .,
Iot those ar the head Of Affairs think OF
this and profit by the sage advice, and see
If the schools don't prosper, and the llttle
ones will grow into orators and statesmen
so fast that AZ thinkers will agree with
TennysOn that
"Knowledgo is now no more fountain
resn@cff,uy. "HENRICO."