The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-04-06
GOTHAM PEDAGOGY
THE LIFE AND DUTIES or, a E-g
YORK scHooLTEAcHgR.


there are few public offices in the city q /
New York which are more desirable I
than those within the public school sys I
tenn. From almost every point Of view .
the life of a schoolteacher Is a desirabls .
one in this city. The pay is good, the /
promotion tolerably rapid, the work nci I
Oneruus, and the hours are better than in /
almost any other field uf labor. About I.
1000 teachers are employed ian thespub 4
lie school system Of New York whose 1
salaries range from 5000 to 81, 800 a /
year for women, and from 81 ,OsO 10 49,. |
900 for men. But $3, 600 is by no means
the limit to the financial ambition Of
New York schoolteacher. On the part az
the men there are several greater prizes
within their reach if they have the prop
er qualifications and can secure the right
influence III the board Of education. For
instance. there Is the Office Of assistant
superintendent Of public schools, ~
which there are ten, each drawing a sal
airy Of abort 81. 600 a year. Theu there
IL the superintendent Office itself. with
its handsome pay IF $1,000, and II has
been the goal toward which scores uf
educators IN this and other cities are
constantly keeping their eyes. Both the
offices Of assistant superintendent and
superintendent are filed absolutely by
the board Of education The assistant
superintendent j. elected for two years,
and, as u matter IF practice, has a life
position. IACn the male teachers can
look forward To promotion tn the City
| college either n an instructor mt sal
l III 1rrr-f
ut 81, 50O.
There are few Of thc 80 male princi-
pals in New York's pablic schools. how
ever, who do not get more than their
| salary Of g.. OG0 "a year. Almost every
/ one of them gets some little additional
/ pay, aS 5000 or $500 year for extra
service as an instructor in the evening
schools OF as clerks of the ward board II
l school trustees. some uf the principals
! hold both Of these little plums and make
a clear 81. OuO year ont Of the school
I system. The principals II boys schools.
of course. have their pick III these chOire
/ perquisites, but there are 50 many addi-
tional offices TO be filed that under male
teachers III the public schools come in
for a good round share.
The fonr evening high schools alone
give employment to 20 or 30 teachers,
each Of whom gets anywhere from - TO
S. a night for the additional work
Then there are some % boards Of school
| trustees, each Of which has its clerk,
who gets pay for the amount Of work
done. the average mounting mp TO $500
OF 5000 year Nearly all these clerks
are principals of some schools.
In the case Of women schoolteachers
the chances for earning extras are very
limited. The maximum salary she can
get j. 81. 500. She starts into the system
with a salary of about 5000, which i
gradually raised until she becomes the
principal of a girls department of n
grammar school
III order 10 become a schoOlteacher III
the public schools Of Sew York il l. first
necessary to get a Recommendation from
a member of the board of education.
This enables the candidate To Try pre-
lminay examination, which, II he Is
successful. entities him TO be- placed mp
on the eligible list Of teachers. After
satisfactory work In this capacity for
not more than year the candidate se-
cures "a permanent license as a teacher
III New York ; public schools, and as
such is entitled 10 teach IN any part Of
the city.
This does not mean necessarily that
the teacher Will Immediately find en-
ployuent That depends entirely upon
the local board Of school trustees. The
city j. divided into "a school districts
the schools in each Of which are con-
troi' ed by a school board, who are ap-
pointed by the board Of education. The
boards have tine selection Of all teachers
bel " the grade Of principal, these be-
ing appointed by the board of educa-
tioa. As a rule, however. the licensed
teacher soon finds an opening aud then
is IN the regular line of promotion.
What has made the school service so
attractive TO many are the easy hours
Nine-tenthS Of the salary earners in New
, York get to work at u. III. and are
lucly if they get away by 5 p m. with
half an hour for luncheon. The work Of
the teacher begins at a. IN. and Is over,
as a rule, by p. m. with an hour for
luncheon. Nine-tenths Of the salary
earners get only weeks out u the 81
in the year for vacation, and they
work days in the week ut that The
, schOOlteacheTs get a vacation of Is
, weeks IN 90 and draw full pay during
that time. Besides this they work only
. days in the week and have all holi.
days. IL has been estimated that the
schoolteachers Of New York work les.
than 200 Of the S65 days in the year.
If = schoolteacher is TO riso in the
: calling, however. the work does not end
; with .chOOl hours. Studies IN pedagogy
q and advanced education must be kept uT
! at home. The work is not so hard, how.
4 ever, or the pay so poor as 10 induce
many to resign. In fact, il has become
a saying IN the system that school
teachers never die and never resign. -
IL