Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-06-30
Salaries and Results.


to feel very blue over the probability
of losing our excellent state school
Superintendent, Walter T.. Ranger, for
whose services Rhode Island has Of
fered a salary of $4,000. It admits
that there may be as good men as
Mr.. Ranger to be had, but it is UNI
able to see how somebody equally
good can be found to take good
mans place at salary the good man
found too small It is torn with anx-
iety over uncertainties as to INFESTED
efficiency, over the trials of breaking
i'm apprentices and of having our sys-
tenn upset and its joints dislocated by
their experiments, and of the final
anguish of losing. at the reckoning of
a stranger,
Those we love and those who love us,
Just when they have learned to help
u.s."
Worst of all, its faith in Vermont is
shaken 1t says, quoting the Reform
er's complacent I'VE may rest assured
that Vermont will do her part in Sc
curing good teachers"
The failure to retain the services OF
such a man as Walter E. Ranger in
the office of state superintendent OF
education when all that was neces-
sary to that end was to raise his sal
ary two or three hundred dollars a
year does not offer the utmost en-
couragement.
But would two or three hundred
dollars year have retained his SER
vices? With a salary of $4,000 would
Mr.. Ranger now reject Rhode Islands
offer of $4,000? If 5000 would have
held him here last year, Is 1t not
likely that 500 would draw him to
Rhode Island this year? Why waste
our days in unavailing regret?
Cheer up, neighbor! Vermont has
had long and very satisfactory SER
vice in the office of state superintend-
ent of education for $4,000 a year, in
Guiding that, for several years, of Mr..
Ranger Two thousand dollar salar-
les are seldom found too small I'M
til a larger one becomes accessible and
this does not occur to every efficient
man. When it does happen, he should
always expand that some one else may
have like opportunity.
If the people of Vermont want to
put more money into their educational
system they should begin by increas-
ing the wages given to country school
teachers. In the schools where the
cheapest teachers are employed are
some children whose only chance for
education is in that school. 1t is true
that the state pays the superintend-
ent of education while the towns pay
the teachers, but the money all comes
from the people and they should see
that it is used where 1t is most need
ed. The legislature of sister state
has recently recognized this duty in
a bill appropriating money to aid such
towns as are unable to pay for suit
able instruction in their schools.
Even If the state tax were to be IN
creased but a fractional per cent for
the purpose of raising the already
intendent of education. it would still
be better not to do it, but to put two
or three times that amount, either
from the towns themselves or by state
aid. into better instruction for some
of our boys and girls who are not
getting a fair chance.
AS time goes on, however, it is in
dictated more and more that our
schools the country over are not gen.
orally suffering, in any sense. for the
lack of sufficient expenditure of mon
ey. They are suffering from over
demands. A great deal of fault has
been found about the schools in New
York city. The superintendent, school
board, teachers and system OF IN
struction have all been blamed FOR the
evident fact that the schools were not
turning out properly equipped stu
dents. Now, after a desperate up
heaval by the board in an effort 10
"cut out fads and return to funda-
mental principles and thus get at
the real trouble, CdiINdSs VI peIi Sii''
and guardians shows strong AMI
general preference for the fads.
And there we are. We can not
buy good sense and practical knowl-
edge for our children with expensive
supervisors and teachers if at the
same time we insist that the child
ren's minds shall be made trivial and
ornamental. We cannot expect any
amount of money is going to make
wise men and women out of children
born. bred and upheld in foolishness.
Our teachers are trying to fill the
impossible bill demanded by public
sentiment. And when parents and
the general public demand simpler
and more practical teaching and are
willing to sacrifice (within the bounds
of necessity, at leas) show to real
mental attainment, they will get the
results desired But raising salaries
alone will not do il.