The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-04-29
GOTHAM PEDAGOGY
THE LIFE AND DUTIES OF a NEN
YORK ScHooLTEAcHER.

Everything taken into consideration.
here arc few public Offices in theciiy 81
- " York which are more dcsirabt
than those within the public school sys.
TEN. From almost every point Of view
the life Of a schoolteacher - a desiralis
one IN this city. The pay is good. tie
promotion tOlerably rapid. the wuIk nci
OueTous, and the hours are better than ir
almost any other field II labor. Abuai
1000 teachers are employed in the pub
lie school system Of New York whose
salaries range from 5000 10 81, 300 .
year for women. and from ~. .OS0 O. S3,-
600 for men. But a.. 900 il by no means
the limit to tho financial ambition % a
New York schoolteacher. On the part a
tho men there are several greater prizes
within their reach II they have tho prop
ar qualifications and can secure the right
influence in the beard n education. For
instance, there l. the office of assistant
superintendent of public schools. u
which there are ten. each drawing a -sli-
ary Of about 81 COO a year. Then there
II the superintendent : Office itself. with
its handsome pay of 1000. and IL has
been the goal toward which scores u
educators IN this and other cities are
constantly keeping their eyes. Both the
Offices Of assistant superintendent aud
superintendent ara filed ahsulutcly ~
the board of education. The assistant
superintendent is elected for two years.
and, as a matter 81 practice, has a life
position. Then the male teachers can
look forward 10 "a promotion 90 the City
college either gs au instructor at a ssil-
ary of s.. 500, CT full flcdged professor
az ~. 800.
There are few of the 80 male prin,.i-
pals in New YoTk's public schools. how
ever. who do nut get more than their
salary ~ So. 900 ! Year. Almost every
one Of them gets s0ns little additional
7 pay, as $500 or $500 yer for extra
service as an instructor in the evening
schools or as clerks Of the ward board =
school trustee. some a the principals
hold both Of these little plums and make
I clear $1,000 q year ut Of the school
system. The principals vf boys SCHOOL,
uf course, have intir pick IN these chuite
rerquisites. bus there are 80 many uddi.
tional uiIice~ 90 b. filled that under male
teachers in the public schools come IN
Tor goCd round share
The four evening high schools alone
give employment 60 20 or 80 teacher.
each ~ vhum gcis anywhere from - 10
50 a night for the additional work
I Then there sro some % L11sls Of school
trustees. each n which has its cleTL.
who gets pay for tire amount a. wDlk
done. the nv. rage muunting mp Co $lua
on $500 a ye.r. Nearly all these clerks
are principals ~ some schools
.N
the chance. FOR earning extras are very
limited. The maximum salary she can
get j. 81. .90n She starts into the system,
with salary of about 5000. which j.
gradually raiscd until shc bccumes thu
principal u girls department of
grar'.'--~- erhcol
l. Ufirr fu become schnnltcachcr ia
the q1hiir choCl- ol Sew York IL l. first
nec, ss.,Ty q r,.t a recommendation from
a member ot the board Of education
This enables tine candidate 20 Try pre-
hmiuLIy examination. which. II he is
Succ -1sful. entities him 10 be- placed MP
on the eligible list uf teachers. After
satisfactory work ia this capacity for
not more than q year the candidate se-
cures a permanent license as a teacher
in New Yark's public schools. and as
such is entitled 20 teach in any part Of
the city.
This docs not mean necessarily that
the teacher will Immediately find en-
ployment. That depends entirely upon
the local board Of school trustees. The
city j. divided into % school districts,
the schools in each Of which are con-
trolled by a school board, who are ap-
pointed by the board u education. The
boards have the selection Of all teachers
below the grade Of principal. these be-
ing appointed by the beard Of educa.
tion. As rule however. the licensed
teacher soCn finds au opening aud then
is in the regular line Of promotion.
What has made the school service 50
attractive 70 many are the easy hours.
Ninc-teuths " the salary earners IN New
York get 10 work az 3 a. m. and are
lucky II they get away by p IN. with
half an hour for luncheon. The work Of
the teacher begins nc o a. m. and is over,
As rule. by 3 p. m, with an hour for
luncheon. Nire-tcnths u the salary
earners get only weeks ont u the 81
IN the year for a vacation, and they
work g days in the week at that. The
schoolteachoTs get a vacation OF Is
weeks IN % and draw FUN pay during
) that time. Besides this they work only
} days in the week and have all holi-
days II has been estimated that the
schooltegchers of New York wo,k less
than 200 Of the 365 days ia tho year.
II a schoolteacher Is 20 rise in the
calling. however, the work does not end
with school hours. Studies IN pedagogy
and advanced education must BE- kept up
at home. The work Is not 50 hard, how
ever, or tie pay 20 poor as TO induce
many 10 resign. In fact. Il has become
q SAYING IN the system that school