Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-09-07
SCHOOL-MA'AM'S WAGES.
TCharter Oak Times.l

Under the above caption al aFtlcie
appears in the Tuesday issue of the
Marshalltown Times Republican cred
! tied to the Eagle Grove Eagle relative
Ito teachers wages IN Iowa In which
| the Eagle" takes the rather unusual
view that the wages are high enough
in the country schools and that out
siders have no business to criticise the
work of those farmers who know best
inst what is best for their own particu-
lar school
The Eagle uses The following Ian
guage:
If the community has but half doz-
en- young pupils to attend the school 1t
will be held in the summer and
bright little sweet sixteen teacher is
good enough talent and $50 per
month salary is not In any sense in
equitable.
We have always believed that the "a
bility of Wrigh, county teachers com
pared favorably with those of any other
and that they should be as well COM
pensated. II the country teachers OF
the aforesaid county approve of the
hippant manner in which the article
in question disposes of their side Of the
subject we ara much mistaken In their
temper 1t is the general opinion of
the Press in both city and country that
the wages of the country teacher are
too low and that that opinion has been
shared by many district boards of ed
ucation is evidenced by the continuous
reports Of wages being raised in many
of the country districts through the
state.
l111fo hAf
children of the farmer were entitled
| to just as good instruction as those OF
| his city neighbor, that a half dozen
young pupils should be as we'll taught
as six times that number and given as
| thorough instruction in the summer
as in the winter. Indeed II any advan-
| tage is given let 1t be to the children
of the farmer whose opportunities IN
school must of necessity be so limited.
| II bright little sweet-sixteen" Is all
| that the Wright county teacher has to
commend her, certainly $500 month
or any other salary would be too much
pay for her.
| She might be good hired girl-she
might be of an attractive personality
| and her sweet sixteen" be Of an im-
| mense advantage IN the matrimonial
| market, but to be entrusted with the
| development of q child mind. never!
| Our contention is this, that the wages
mentioned by the Eagle are not suf-
ficient to employ the talent that the
children in the country school are en-
| titled to have.
If as the Eagle says Wright county
| teachers are "novaces" then the sooner
| that county and others, put an end to
| their career, the better. If they are
not novices-and we incline to the lat
| ter belief-then compensate them ac-
| cording to what they deserve. Ger
| tainly $50 for a school of six months
with board at the figure the Eagle
| reckons it, $3.50 II week, is poor COM
| pensation for any young woman who
| must be at an expense the remaining
| six months of al least the same for
/ board. while the county institute de-
mands from ten to twenty dollars OF
her hard earned savings. II Wright
county teachers can remain bright and
sweet sixteen very long at such figures
/ they are able to do more than those OF
| any other county in this state.
We agree with the conclusion of the
| Eagle that the farmer knows his bust
I ness all right, OUT tedsHiiib oSAooi
isn't his business He has made in the
past the error that because he could
get novices at $40 per month, no
teacher was worth more. 1t simply
| shows that the farmer did not appre-
| bend any more correctly than some OF
| his town brethren the nature of the
| teachers vocation. The farmer as a
,rule is an intensely practical man and
slonly awakens to the true situation when
.Ehard facts demand 1t. The fine spun
THEORIES of Pestalozzi and Froebel find
l'no lodging in his curriculum. On this
subject Eagle has only contributes to
! the gayety. Of the discussion.