The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-09
SCHOOL MELANGE.

The year 1896 Ia gone and the new
year OF 1897 has begun, and 1t Is wei for
US as a people. as teachers. principals,
superintendent, aud e,ea papils, 70 ask:
What Is the record? Are our schools
better than they were one year ago?
They ought to be. Are we better teach
ers or educators than we were one year
ago? We ought 10 be. Do we as a peo-
pie, as parents, as citizens Of Wheeling,
take greater interest In our schools
than we did twelve months ago? We
surely ought TO do So
These are questions worth considering.
The superintendent may be everything
man could be for the position, the pfin-
clpal may be first class IN every respect.
the teachers may be well prepared for
their work and yet II the people do not
do their part. In giving their sympathy
at least in seeing to il that their children
are as Obedlent and respectful to the
teacher as they are required 10 be TO the
parent at home. the school Is more or
less failure. There must be good dis
cipline IN our schools or their very OBJ
ject-that M making good law abiding
citizens OF those who come from them IS
defeated.
The subjects of salaries Of teachers
came up for discussion In the city OF New
York, during which the following start
ling facts were brought out and have
been published: "a teacher who has
spent about fourteen years OF her lie
studying to prepare herself for teaching
receives S432 for her first years salary
which is 81 30 a week more than the city
pays the women who scrub the floors OF
the department The second year the
salary Is 1856, which is $l44 less than
the boys receive who run the elevators
at the criminal court house. For the
third year the salary Is increased 90
$3.50. which Is $40 a month less than 10
paid the lowest grade OF female type
writer who has served two years IN any
department. For the fifth year the
teacher is to receive S52s, which is ~ a
month less than the male cleaners In the
city hall and county court house receive
At the end OF ten years the teachers
compensation is increased to SBlS, which
Is $l92 less than Is now paid the lowest
grade messenger In the Office of the cor
pOradon counsel OF the comptroller.
With thirteen years to her credit she
reaches the sum OF 500, which Coionei
Warnings street sweepers now draw. Al
the end of twenty-one years, II the
teacher Is mentally or physically sound,
she will receive 1912, which Is nearly $5g
month less than the lowest salary paid
the clerks In the mayors Office"
This Is enough to cause good people
everywhere to think, and especially
should the school board OF the Gotham
try to have their teachers paid as those
other callings are. But this is the way
everywhere; those who do the greatest
work on earth. the training Of the child
mind, are the poorest paid OF any other
class OF people.
Our schools have greater attendance
since the holiday vacation than they had
before, and the week has been one OF
hard work. Miss Ransom, the drawing
teacher, spent the week with US. meet
ing the teachers at the different build
lngs as usual. on account of her work.
the meeting OF the Wheeling Teachers
Association was postponed until next
Friday afternoon.
The new board of education exhibited
a progressive spirit. in that they in
creased the salaries Of the city superin-
tendent and clerk. II they will now
give US some much needed reforms in
our schools, they will deserve thanks OF
everybody. THE PEDAGoGuE.