The Washington times., 1904-11-24
ARISES
AMONG TEACHERS
Opposition to, ,.ne Scale for
Salary Increases.
PROTEST FROM LOW GRADES
( IS Claimed That Higher Grade
Teachers Have Lions Share OF
Proposed Benefits.

There is trouble in the Washington
Teachers. Association. The proposed
increase in tie salaries OF the teachers
of the public schools is the cause OF H.
Tho pa tlclpants i'm the quarrel are
tae low grade teachers. on one side. and
the nigh grade teachers and principals
on the other That the grounds OF the
d!sa .reemeut, the proposed plan of IN
crease. are somewhat uncertain appears
L. make ma difference. The TWO fac
tions are ightine as bitterly a. ID the
increase had been secured and the
money iu hand.
Ta, claim of the low grade teachers
is tuat those who teach IA the higher
grades are getting the best of il ulder
The scale of salaries adopted by the
Teachers Association and approved by
the school Board and the District Com
IA --IJusTS. They even charge that the
high-prade teachers controlled the con-
NeUtiun which adopted the plan, die
tJteu their own terms, ana then rushed
their plan through 70 the School Board
1ust before tEe schools opened for thr
current year. az time when half the
teachers had not returned from their
vacations.
Are Protesting Vehemently.
Accordingly, The low grade teachers
are prOtCsIir s yehemenuy. and are try
ing 10 get a change in the scale They
claim a. have the support OF 5eO teach
ers, and threaten to lay the matter be-
fore the Senate and House Committees
on the District OF Columbia as soon as
3 Congress conVeu6s, Unless the eN-cItive
committee OF the Teachers Association
gives them what they call fair show
IN the scale.
The high grade teachers and priuci-
/ pals deny every one OF The charges
against them. They say that The School
Board during vacation. notified Miss
Flora Htudiey, the president OF the as
suClauOn. 70 have the scale arranged be-
/ fore the school opened. There was no
! time 20 call general convention. l1
! she got together as many Il IN, teach
/ erS as she could. about - per cent OF
/ the whole number. ana submitted 90
/ them thc scale the executive committee
mad prepared. II was unanimously
adopted by The meeting. This scale
i was then presented 40 the School Board
( approved. and sent ou 90 ihr Commis-
! siourrs, who also approved IT,
How Scale Was Prepared.
The scale. say those who prepared it
! is based upon the salaries paid the pub
/ Iic school teachers i'm about dfty or sixty
cities I'm thu United States There ar,
! bur Two cities in which the salaries OF
! The lowest grades are higher than om
lowest grade salaries as provided i'm Iht
| schedule There Is bur one grade, they
| claim. the increase i'm the salary Of
/ which falls below 20 per cent. That Is
/ tEe sixth grade which, under the pres
/ rut system of promotion. involves q
/ greater ratable increase in salary oVel
/ iha grade below Jhau any other The
| other grades WIFI get increases Of from
| p to - per cent
| Another strong point They make is thai
| a is better 10 get This scale than none
at all The coming session of Con
! eress Will Doe "a busy one and for this
| reason they want Co present q solid
| front al the very outset. A petition ir
! suDport OF the new scale is going around
among the teachers A good many O.
| the low grade teachers are signing il
! because they would rather get little
/ than none an all but "a few are holding
| baC--