Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-20
BETTER PAY FOR TEACHERS
Committee Will FavOrsbly Report Increase
in Salaries to the Board.
GREATER PROFICIENCY WILL Be SOUGHT
Present status of Teacher Not 60 BE
Disturbed. hut She May show
Herself to he Entitled to
Higher Grade.

The teachers committee OF the Board OF
Education. President McCague and Super
intendent Davidson held q meeting In the
Office of DR.. ]. II. Vance, the chairman, last
night, at which considerable progress was
made toward formulating a report to the
board on the request OF the teachers for an
increased wage scale.
The committee decided to give out no
definite Information on the subject, Offering
as the reason that it would be breach OF
courtesy to the other members of the board
to do so in advance of the next regular
meeting.
Garbled information coming TO the in
structors about what the committee and
other members OF tho board proposed to do
about raising wages has caused consider
able anxiety. Among the rumors in circula-
tiun was one to the effect that the advances
proposed would in tho majority OF cases,
amount to no more than $3.50 month. Be
sides this II was reported that a vaguely
outlined examination system was involved
in the plan. Much resentment was caused
by both reports and they have been much
discussed during the past few days. The
result has been to put many teachers in an
excited and indignant mood. The sugges-
ton was made that every teacher on the
permanent list write an individual letter
to tho board detailing her views on the
| subject
President McCnRae's Explanation.
After the committee meeting these rumors
were repeated to President McCague. who
| said:
The teachers have been misinformed. II
is the intention Of the committee to deal
with them much better than they appear to
| think IL will. The petition for more pay is
being given very serious and careful con-
sideration and the committee Is endeavor-
ing to devise a plan whereby the hopes OF
| the teachers may be most nearly realized
| II is to he understood that a problem OF
considerable size. effecting nearly every one
in Omaha, is before us.
1T is true that an examination feature Is
part of the plan we have had under con.
sideration. but II is only a part of the in
creased scale which the committee has il
| view. The object is to increase the eff
cheney of the teaching force. No teacher
| need fear this examination, for the commit
toe realizes that when a teacher has taker
an examination and established her fitness
| to teach she is a teacher and is eligible t,
| employment. She will be entitled to sucl
pay is established for her rating. sh
may wish to secure a higher rating and will
be given the chances II she succeeds sh
is given larger pay annually. The plan sim
ply would make 1t optional with the teache
whether or not she would equip herself 70
a still higher remuneration In other words
It would plaecs a special premium an pro
tciency The committee has in mind tn
two points OF benefting the teachers an
increasing the standard OF efficiency in tn
teaching corps"
II is stated that this system of paymen
is in successful operation in Chicago. Bal
timore and Kansas City and is considere
the most modern approved method to attai
the end sought.
At least one more meeting of the commit
tee is to be held before a final report is pre-
pared.