Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1896-02-29
GOTHAM PEDAGOGY.
THE LIFE AND DUTIES or A NEW
YORK scHooLTEAcAER.

Good Pay. short Days and Lots Of vaca-
Advantages over other OccupA-
tions-Male Teachers Have wider OPP
pOrtunities Than the Women.
Everything taken into consideration.
there are few public offices in the city of
New York which are more desirable
than those within the public school sys-
TEN. From almost every point Of view
the life of d schoolteacher is desirable
one III this city. The pay is good, the
promotion tolersbly rapid, the work not
oneTous, and the hours are better than ia
almost any other field Of labor. About
1900 teachers are employed ia the pub
lie school system OF New York whose
salaries range from 5000 TO al, 500 "a
year for women. and from SI,0S0 TO $3, =
600 1or men. But 50, 600 is by no means
the limit 10 the financial ambition of a
New York schoolteacher ON the part Of
the men there are several greater prizes
within their reach if they have the prop
er qualifications and can secure the right
influence i'm the board 81 education. For
instance, there Is the office of assistant
superintendent OF public schools. OF
which there are ten, each drawing "a sal
AIRY Of about $4,000 year. Then there
is the superintendent Office itself, with
its handsome pay OF s. 600, and it has
been the goal toward which scores of
educators in this and other cities are
constantly keeping their eyes Both the
Offices of assistant superintendent and
superintendent are filled absolutely by
the board of education The assistant
superintendent is elected for two years.
and, as matter of practice, has life
position. Then the male teachers can
look forward to a promotion 20 the City
college either rs nm instructor at sal
airy of So, 900, or full fiedged professor
at 81 500.
There are few of the 53 male princi-
pals in New York's public schools. how
ever, who do not get more than their
salary of SO, 900 year. Almost every
one of them gets some little additional
pay, as $500 or $500 year for extra
service as AN instructor in the evening
schools or as clerks of the ward board of
school trustees. Some of the principals
hold both of these little plums and make
a clear 81, 900 year out of the school
system. The principals of boys schools,
of course, have their pick in these choice
perquisites, but there are SO many addi-
tional offices to be filed that under male
teachers in the public schools come IN
for good round share.
The four evening high schools alone
give employment to 20 or 30 teachers,
each of whom gets anywhere from w &c
SO a night for the additional work.
Then there are some 23 boards of school
trustees, each of which has its clerk,
who gets pay for the amount of work
done, the average mounting up to $4OC
or 5000 year Nearly all these clerks
are principals Of some schools.
In the case of women schoolteacher:
the chances for earning extras are very
limited The maximum salary she car
get is 81, 900. She starts into the system
with a salary of about 5000, which il
gradually raised until she becomes thu
principal of girls department of
grammar school.
In order to become a schoolteacher II
the public schools of New York it Is frs
necessary to get IA recommendation from
a member of the board of education
This enables the candidate to try pre-
| hminary examination, which, If he i
successful, entities him to be placed up
ON the eligible list of teachers. Afte
satisfactory work in this capacity TO
| not more than a year the candidate SO
cures a permanent license as a teache
in New York public schools, and a
such is entitled to teach in any part o
the city.
This does not mean necessarily tina
the teacher will Immediately find EN-
ployment. That depends entirely upol
| the local board of school trustees. TIL
| city is divided into "a school districts
the schools in each of which are con
trolled by school board, who are ap
pointed by the board of education. Th
boards have the selection of all teacher
below the grade of principal, these be
ing appointed by the board of educa
| tion. AS a rule, however, the license
teacher soon finds an opening and the
is in the regular line of promotion.
What has made the school service s
attractive to many are the easy hours
Nine-tenths of the salary earners in Ne'
York get to work at a. N. and al
lucky if they get away by p. m, wit
half an hour for luncheon. The work {
the teacher begins at 8 a. m. and is ovel
as rule, by 8 p. m, with an hour Il
luncheon. Nine-tenths of the salar
earners get only 2 weeks out of the 0
in the year for a vacation, and the
work days in the week at that II
schoolteachers get vacation OF
weeks in 90 and draw full pay durin
that time. Besides this they work on
8 days in the week and have all hol
days. 1t has been estimated that II
schoolteachers Of New York work le
than 200 of the 800 days in the year.
If a schoolteacher is to rise in ii
calling, however, the work does not en-
with school hours. Studies tn pedagog
and advanced education must be kept U
at home. The work is not so hard, hov
ever, or the pay so poor as to Undue
many to resign. In fact, it has becon
a saying in the system that "schoo
teachers never die and never resign. =
y New York Tribune.