The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-02-26
WHO CAN GIVE A PLAN
To Pay the Teacher Better. Get
Better Schools and Reduce
the School Tax?

lu last saturdays state JOURNAL d
Bellefontaine teacher cailsupon some
member of the legislature to arise
and distinguish himself by introduc-
ing bill to better recompense school
teachers and place the minimum pay
at s45J for nine months service, or a
minimum of $50 per month.
A good capable teacher qualified
to instruct and manage a room full
of scholars, and to create in them a
desire to acquire knowledge and to
stimulate them to noble acquire
ments is certainly worth $50 per
month. The State School Commits
sion, scheming politicians and the
larger City School Boards of the state
are trying to come together on some
sort of code that they can get the
Legislature to pass.
An intelligent, fair, able code is
certainly nee ed.
The School Book Trust don't have
to go before the legislature. Its
effort is to keep everything relating
to it, out of the legislature and it
watches that body closely, and sue
ceeds.
The next fellow who ought to go to
the legislature for relief is the tax
payer. There is a chance for some
Legislator, school board or school
teacher to distinguish himself by
devising d method of school super
vision that will improve the present
plan, pay the teacher better and
reduce the expense on the tax payer.
In Bellefont aine, for instance
good teacher is not getting what
good teacher is worth, but the tax
payer is paying 10 mills tax on each
dollar. The whole sum levied by the
County Commissioners over the coun-
ty for county and court purpose, sal
aries, fees, etc, building fund, bridge,
expense of Childrens' Home and In
frmsry, Pike Repair County Ditch,
soldiers relief elections Is only 7.l5
mile.
And as 1t is in Bellefontaine so II
is over the county, there is need and
room for Improvement. We have
driven past school houses where there
were only two or three scholars pres
ent, and have been told of one where
the teacher, for many days in
the term, had not pupil. Centrali-
cation of the schools in the township
it is claimed would give better
schools at less expense to the tax
payer, and better pay for the teach
er.
In. town and city schools we believe
there could also be a readjustment
for the better. A teacher has his o.
her time taken up, with recitations,
Instructions and government. Sh,
cannot give her undivided attention
to hearing a class recite but must at
the same time watch the pupils that
are not reciting. And, while hearing
the class in hand she cannot give that
little help that is often all effective,
to pupil who is studying and needs
help, for she cannot stop the recita-
tion, without doing injustice to the
class. and causing it to remain idle
and lose interest in the recitation.
Now in every school, there are
teachers who are both fine instruc-
tors and good disclplinarians. There
are also teachers who are good in
structors but not good managars of a
room full of scholars. With our
school rooms properly arranged, we
believe that a good disciplinarian
could, by giving his or her whole at
tention to 1t, manage $50 scholars
more successfully and more satistac-
torily to both teacher and pupil than
a teacher can now manage 80 scholars,
where the teachers mind Is divided
bet seen recitations and government.
Now If the rooms were so arranged
that a good disciplinarian and in
structor could manage and help a
large number of pupils while they
studied their lessons, and the classe,
classes passed in to the other teacher
who would hear them recite we be
lieve a strain would be taken of botf
the teachers; the scholars would ge'
better instruction; there would b,
less teachers needed; better pay foI
those who taught, and 1t would TAX
less money to run the schools.