The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-19
TEACHERS OPPOSE
THE MERIT SYSTEM
Plan Does Not Meet With
Favor at Special
Meeting

The teachers of the st. Paul public
schools believe they deserve larger sal
aries and are opposed to the introduce
ton of the merit system of grading the
teachers. This is the sentiment which
was expressed by the teachers at their
meeting in the Central high school as
sembly hall yesterday morning. The
plan for placing the promotion on the
merit basis was presented to the meet
ing by committee of three principals.
who were appointed six months ago and
was as follows:
All teachers on entering the schools are
20 be employed at the minimum wage,
but on Recommendation of a committee
which shall examine them and determine
their proficiency in the classroom they can
pc promoted into class 2, which will be
composed of teachers who receive an in
creased salary. II the salaries are main
tanned at the present rate grade teachers
OF the first class would receive from $500
10 $780, and OF the second class $3.50 to
500. Teachers would be promoted within
these grades on the service plan receiving
raise in salary every year until the
maximum was reached. Under the pres
ent plan grade teacher starts at $400
a year and receives salary increase OF
500 for every year that she serves until
the maximum of $3.50 is reached and
high school teacher or grade school prin-
cipal starts at $3.50 and receives the an
nual Increase until the maximum of 81 100
Is reached.
Flawless in Theory
1t was the almost unanimous opinion
of the teachers present that the pro-
posed plan was flawless in theory, but
would not work at all in practice, as
many of the teachers, especially in the
high schools, were the acknowledged
authorities on their subjects in the city
and no one could be found competent
to examine them. 1t was also thought
by the teachers, although they were a
In aflrc oil
this line, that as long as the present
policy or running the schools was in
force Ii would be almost impossible to
secure an. examining board which
would not be subject to outside infiu-
ences.
During the discussion the fact was
brought out that in Chicago. where
1000 teachers are employed, $500 voted
against the adoption of the merit sys-
tenn. but in spite of this it was adopt
ed by the board of education.
Principals of all the schools were in
structed to hold meetings of the men,
bers of their teaching force at their
respective schools Wednesday after
noon and after a thorough discussion
or the problem vote is to be taken
and the result forwarded to the super
intendent
The teachers also discussed the mat
ter OF general increase in salary quite
feelingly. 1t was brought out by Prof
George Weitbrecht that while a busi-
ness man was not satisfied with much
less than Is or 20 per cent return on
his investment, teachers who had from
SS,OOO to $4,000 invested in their edu-
cation, were receiving at the very most
only 10 per cent, while the greater pro-
portion were receiving from 4 to per
cent.
Prof. II. S. Baker, principal of the
Humboldt high school, put his plea on
the ground that domestic servants
without even a common school educa-
tion were receiving So a week and their
board, which, in the case of teachers,
amounts to not less than $500 a year,
making total salary of $3.50 for the
servant, while the teacher receives only
S4OO to $3.50, after putting in four years
in the high school and two years in the
normal school.
Responsibility of Teachers
The discussion was opened by Miss
Caroline Austin, head of the rhetoric
department at the Central high school,
who covered the two subjects of in
creased salary and the adoption or re-
lection of the merit system in an ex-
haustive paper. She spoke of the i'm
mense responsibility resting on the
shoulders of the teacher which must be
carried if the life of then tudent is not
to be wrecked. While si2 thought that
the good teacher should be rewarded
beyond the poor ones she did not think
that the merit system would accom-
plish that result
After the meeting o. E. Holman,
president of the board of school in
spectors, said that he had never looked
into the matter before and although he
had learned a great deal from the dis
cussion he was not prepared to give
positive statement of his position on
either of the questions under discus
sion. Supt. Smith expressed himself as
seeing only one side to each of the
questions. He thought that the teach
ers deserved an increase of salary and
that the merit system was the only one
which should be adopted.
Sensitive teeth excavated without main.