The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-20
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS.
Higher Pay and Better Training Neces-
sary.

on Higher Pay and Better Training
for Teachers" by John Gilmer Speed,
| which is we'll worth perusel by all
classes OF American citizens, since it
sounds q note Of warning which, IL dis
| regarded, must sooner or later bring
upon US as nation that curse of curses
-illiteracy.
Space will permit only hssty and
imperfect summary OF q few OF the most
| salient points in the article, though for.
titled as 1t Is by statistics and hedged
in by conclusions 30 logical, we would
be glad to reproduce 1t in its entirety.
His claim that the average pupil, in
the average school, does not even learn
to read and write with ease and plain
ness, and that the inefficiency of our
schools has resulted In the American
ye0mapry becoming as illiterEte and
| unlesrned as any class Il people in any
| civilized state in the world" seems TO
BIO subssant.ated by illustrations given.
FOR" says he, ''les any candid OBJ
server go into q neighborhood where
the land has been titled by the came
family for generations, and find O farm
| where there are still three generations
upon 1t. He is almost sure to find that
the Oldest generation can speak, write
and think with more accuracy than tho
second generation, and that the second
| education than the third"
This degeneration, he holds, Is trace
able directly to the decadence of the
public schools, and then goes on to
ahow some OF the fruitful causes OF this
| deterioration.
Primarily it is the ineflciency of the
teachers employed, but this he claims
Ia but the natural result out of the
| lnadequacy Of the salaries paid
Enough, perhaps, for incompetents for
| whom no other means Of livlihood are
open, but not enough for omplished
and refined men and women, who devote
themselves to one OF the noblest Of all
| callings, and there should be none
others as teachers in the public schools"
In the East or West, North or South,
| the compensation is 80 small that it
seems wonderful those who receive these
Salaries can live upon them, ranging GO
theY do on an average from SlOO and
1900 per annum. This average he gets
from figures given, of salaries all over
the United Staies. In New York city
the man who has reached the topmost
rung In the profession, can never hope
for higher salary than SO 900, whereas
the same degree OF eminence to the
lawyer, the minister, aud the physician
| would insure him an income anywhere
|
Let tho teacher but feel tina. great
career is open to him, and that in sue
cess he will achieve tho same measure
OF fame aud remuneration that comes
TO the successful in any other walk of
lie, and the problem is solved, for then
I'VE would have matriculates in schools
| OF pedagogy, as we do at present in
schools of law, Of medicine and of theol-
ogy." But as long as The compensation
OF the teacher, after years OF toll and
study, Ia "put on par with that OF tho
clerk with knowledge of spelling and
arithmetic, or with a skillful cook"
then ambition is killed and incentive
taken taken away.
Another htndrance to public educa-
| ton In this country he finds in the fact
that the trustees and school commits
sioners chosen by the citizens and
voters are themselves too often not per-
sons OF education and cultivation.
| "These citizens, these trustees, these
com missioners do not see that there is
necessity for higher type of teach
ers, and 30 long as petty politicians are
permitted to monopolize these offices
| there Is little likelihood that these Of
| hcials will see anything more than their
own infiAted Importance and their op-
| portunity to "pIt up jobs' with the
| publishers OF school books. LET com
munity see to 1t that none but men who
are competent who are incorruptible
and VINO have an appreciation of edu
cation themselves" be put in control of
theee Offices, and result for the better
| would soon be felt.
1T were idle to refuse to look facts
| squarely in the face, and the fac. that
our agricultural population is growing
| more ignorant, generation by generation,
| is 80 patent that instances need not BIO
recited to prove it"
Teachers in other lands than this
occupy positions, socially and morally,
in marked contrast to those held by
their colleagues in the United States.
MIR. Gladstone himself did not hest
tate to marry his daughter to the master
of a school. Why should hep For
the master OF school in England ia as
| good gentleman, IL he happens to be
a gentleman, SO the next man, let hin,
| be who he may.
The teacher should be considered
| the elect OF the land, and he will be 30
considered when he is selected from
that class which Is the best in every
community. He should be leader in
] the social life and an adviser in the
political life OF every neighborhood.
| because the position is the most i'm
| portant local office held in any com
munity. To him or to her we depute
the payment OF the largest share of our
| debt TO our offspring and to pcsterity.
| Teachers, therefore, should be men
[ and women OF batter training and more
liberal education, and In order to get
such teachers we should, through our
trustees, offer higher salaries and
more secure tenure OF office. Then
when our children go to school to cult
waited men and women trained in the art
and science Of teaching, we will accord