The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1905-05-09
HIRE TEACHERS EARLY.

County superintendent of Schools II. X.
WeI1es Urges Directors on Matter.
County Superintendent of Schools
Frank K. Welles urges the directors
of the county schools to begin at once
to arrange for the employment of
teachers for the next school year.
Circular letters are being issued to
the directors of each district by Mr..
Welles, calling attention to the i'm
portance of securing teachers at an
early date. A copy of the letter is as
follows:
Pendleton, Ore, May 8, 1905.
To District School Board.
Gentlemen: Perhaps the most i'm
portant duty that you have to per-
form is the employing of teachers.
The success of the school depends
almost wholly upon the choice of the
teacher, and as the choosing of the
teacher lies with the school board,
the responsibility for the success or
failure of the school falls indirectly
upon you. have given this matter
considerable study, and it seems to
me to be so important that l have
thought it best at this time to offer a
few suggestions which l believe will
be helpful.
Employ your teachers early in the
year. If you expect to begin schoo,
about the first Monday in September
now is the time to make written con-
tract with some good teacher. Then
the matter will be disposed Of at once.
You will not be annoyed with any
more applicants, and you will feel
sure that your school will begin at
the time you wish. If you postpone
hiring until late, you will have to
take the teachers that are left, if you
can get any at all. Last fall teachers
were scarce and several districts were
unable to get teachers until late in the
winter.
You do not need to wait for the
teachers to apply for your school be-
fore you employ someone; but If you
know of a good teacher that you think
would suit you, decide upon the salary
you will give, and then apply to the
teacher. This will be fine compli-
ment to her, and she, instead of wait
ing in suspense all summer, and writ
ing dozen applications to directors
in this and other counties, and Won
dering all the time whether she is go
ing to be fortunate enough to get a
school, can enjoy her vacation with
the contented feeling that for the next
year at least she is provided with
work. If you have ever taught school
or have done some other work where
you had to seek new position every
few months, you can appreciate the
teachers feelings in the matter.
When you employ teacher you
should if possible, make the contract
cover all the time that you expect to
have school during the year. If you
have used great care in selecting the
teacher, you should have confidence
enough in her to make such con
tract with her. If you want the
school divided into terms, this can be
arranged in the contract. For the
good of the school, you should not
change teachers any oftener than is
necessary. If the teacher you employ
ed last year did pretty good work, and
you think she was really trying to do
her best, employ her again in prefer
ence to someone you have never tried.
Most of the city schools employ the
same teacher year after year, and
usually increase the salary somewhat
each year. They have found that it
pays to do so.
The salary is very important mat
ter to be decided. and should be gov
erned largely by the amount of money
which your district receives. The
state and county funds now amount
to little over $7.5 80 year for each
child enumerated in the district.
After making an estimate of the prob