The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-18
CITY'S SCHOOLS ALL RIGHT.
RECENT PESsIMIs1IC VIEWS OF THEM
CHFERILY PUT ASIDE.
A Veteran Teacher Points Out Long steps
That Have Rssn Taken In Advancing tho
Physical and Mental Welfare of Both
the hfudent,a and the Teaching StAd.

A Veteran Teacher Points Out Long steps
That Have Rsen Taken In Advancing the
Physical and Mental Welfare of Both
the Students and the Teaching Sts6.
There IL rejoicing In pedagogical camps, over
the passing a, Albany Of the bill, fixing the teach
ers' salary schedule. and providing for the payment
Of those salaries, through a four'mill tax approp-
ration.
III will be a comfort TO US. and will relieve
the nervous strain Of a multitude Of landladiss'
said a ioviAl Queens borough teacher. to a SrN
reporter who asked her about the effect OF the
bill. The story Of the teachers salary conflict
IL like the tale Of the wonderful mouse, "a long
one and a sad one" I, presumably began with
the creation and survived the deluge; and by the
time the Hol, schedule went into effect. In Man
haitian and The Bronx, the trouble had waHed
mighty. Salaries were small, and promotion
painfully slow. II was possible 10 give twenty
| years meritoiOus service, without receiving even
the smallest raise in salary: aud. when promotion
did como. the attendant increase In salary WAS
80 small that optical nerves were strained 10 SEQ
IT, The reform board abolished the old ~grsdings
and promotion system, and figured out a schedule
that brough, ,ears Of Joy to the demoralibed eyes;
but the schedule vas subject to financial ability.
and there wasn't any financial ability. The Board
Of Estimate cut down appropriations, 40 that
the schedule was valuable only a. a testimonial
to the moral character and good intentions Of the
Board OF Education; and, once more, the teachers
saw their hopes 60 a-glimmering. Then cans
the Ahearn bill which rescued some OF the peda-
gogues and set their feet upon the dry land, but
left others sdnft II established . minimum
salary, fairly liberal. and also provided . minimum
salary for teachers having served msrttoriously
for ten years, and another for fifteen years ser
vice. The teachers in between the nrst yen
and tenth year provisions, and between the tenth
and fifteenth years, were left TO the mercy Of the
board making the complete salary schedule.
That board also dreamed dreams and saw visions
Of pedagogical peace and plenty: but the ruthless
Board Of Estimate once moro showed an econom-
| ical disposition, and, I'm an attempt to adjust The
| appropriation 10 the Ahearn bill, the intermediary
teachers were necessarily left to fore rather badly.
In the meantime. salaries were held up while
teachers records were investigated, and the boards
Of certain bOroughs having failed In The effort
to make two plus two equal six. the salaries
| In those burouxhs failed altogether 10 materialiDe.
| Conditions seemed 10 demand further legislation
and the present bill aims 10 meet the teachers
| needs II provides for a general increase in sal
| aries, beginning with a $500 minimum for tho
| women and an increase Of $40 each year up 70 the
sixteenth year For the men, there Is a schedule
beginning with 5000 and Increasing at the rats
Of SlO5 a year UP 10 So, 100 The salaries for
principals and heads of departments are fixed,
| the teachers In boys schools are 10 receive 5000
| year more than the corresponding teachers in
| girls schools. The salaries are TO be met by the
| four mill tax for educational apurposss. and the
| Board Of Estimate appears 10 hav~ been side.
! tracked in the matter,
Presumably, the teachers are happy, but still
the problems Of the relative powersofthe Borough
boards and the Board u Education the friction
| between local and central authorities. are un.
solved. ~ things stand, the members OF the
Board Of Education hold ufie Tor one year, al
the will Of the Borough OF local school boards,
| and have no voice, IN the appointment OF the
| supervising and teaching stall, nor any control
over its members, after they are appointed. Una
| aide Of the fighting contingent. In the educationL'
problem, claims that Capitalization Of respon-
Hbility and power are the crying needs VI the
school system, that divided authority ~ enabling
subordina;ss TO escape a%ccounta bil,ty. and thereby
impairing the discipline u the staff, and that
the present local system Of school administration
IL municipal extravaganza, since, under II, there
thir,ssn teachers The opponents contend Tho,
| the best interests Of the boroughs demand local
boards and that only through, such a system
What the end will be, no man knows
SIN reporter, having in the course OF numsr. |
GUS interviews with teachers and othcials, gained
an impression that New York schools were in y
perilous state, n, last encountered a pedagogical
| rars avis She didn't look like anything so for
midabie, but the fact remains that, although
q school principal, noted for her brains and ability
and a prominent factor in the general war over
school conditions, she IL still an op,iinist, and
has preserved a keen and strong sense OF humor
she said ioyously, but we aren't IN such a bad
way, you know. The history OF the New York
scnoo, system is one of deliberate and ~unfaiIng
progress The teachers and schools have never
lost a forward step once gained, and all the difi. |
culties we bewAil now vii! straighfen Themselves
out by gradual evolution, Some things ought
the school system. but I wish you would tell the
public 10 cheer up The schools ore in most
iiourishing condition, in spite Of the SsilA Of the
various school factors. Now just look at the
position OF the teachers A merl,orious teacher
literally has life tenure. She gels from 5000
10 $1,000 for working 200 days out Of the yra-.
crease in salary, reward for long service, and,
after thirty years service, a pension amounting
10 half pay Absence on account OF sickness
ia excused Positions may be held through
substitutes. and the hours have been shortened
NJ that school is now dismissed al 5 u clock in
stead Of. Why, II we'd Just ait down aud think
about II, we'd get fat over contemplation OF the
THE Chief trouble with teachers Is their lack
OF enthusiasm and love of the work Tor the works
sake. and their tendency ~ gloom. Their spOn.
| sors in baptism ought " have named all Of them
Martha, inr they are troubled about many things.
They borrow trouble and cToSs bridges before
| they come To them. II they would only cheer
up and pass the good cheer on " their pupils.
they could revolutoniLe the work la q school
I've coma TO the conclusion that the most valuable
possession for q teacher II a keen sense OF hum0T
II is as rare as II Is valuable. That's why IL
Is 50 hard u get good teachers for hoys' schools.
and why an extra $50 a year bait has Ia BE- Of
fere1 There's NO Use IN trying 10 manage boys.
unless you have a sense OF humoI With girls,
one can get along fairly well without II The
average boy has a keen sense Of humor ~ which
he must give vent, Al the expense Of the teacher,
and the only way for n teacher 10 cope with him.
is by exercising a keen sense Of humor al the
expense Of the boy Mind you. | don't mean
angry sarcasm OF bitter retribution. but I've
taught until I've nearl reached the pension age.
and We found very few boys who couldn't appre-
cate a Joke even when II was at their own OK pense.
That's where they differ from girls. They need
TO be punished often. but punished with imper-
turbable cheerfulness.
Don't think am complaining Of teachers,
cipals are the ones, As In the principal, so Is the
school; and there are few ideal principals. We
lack tact in dealing with pupils and parents.
We show too little consideration for our assistant
teachers, and the principals have, a. a class,
been opposed Ia the raising Of pedagogical stand
ards The teachers haven't done much wailing
about the higher professional standards, but
the principals have lamented loudly. You can't
really blame them. though Did you ever see
one OF the present day examinations for prind'
pals Well. 1t is a CHASTITY sort Of ordeal; but the
requirements aren't any too high, and We ought
10 lie rounded up and told 10 take The examination
or resign. Teachers must keep up with the march
Of progress. and sentiment mustn't be allowed
10 stand in the way. You don't find any fifteen.