The Colorado statesman., 1906-07-14
PAY OF TEACHERS
TOO LOW FOR WORK AND PREP
ARATIoN REQUIRED.
WE CAN AFFORD TO PAY MORE
Women Teachers in Many Cities Paid
Less Than Servant Girls-Situa-
ton Still Worse in Rural Schools.

Less Than Servant Girls-Situa-
ton Still Worse in Rural Schools.
New Haven. Conn.-The American
Institute Of Instruction opened its an
Rual convention Tuesday with ses-
sions in several departments In the
department Of public school finance
Calvin N. Kendall, superintendent OF
schools in Indianapolis. spoke on the
expense of the education which schools
ought to give, saying in part:
This expense must be considerably
more than at present for the following
reasons:
'First-The demands upon schools
are constantly increasing. AS an ex-
ample, the farmers in some sections of
the country are demanding that the
elements of agriculture shall be taught.
Manual training in its various phases
is another example.
"Second-More and more people live
in the cities, and schools in cities cost
more per capita than schools in the
country.
"Third-The cost of living has
greatly increased in the past ten years.
This seriously affects the net salaries
of teachers.
"Fourth-There are numerous we'll
paid and attractive employments other
than teaching for both women and
men.
"Fifth-The public can afford to pay
more for schools than at present be-
cause the country is prosperous, is
growing richer, and good schools con-
| tribute as no other force does to the
various kinds of productive citizen
ship.
1.-THE teacher is the determining fac
| tor in the success of schools. We de-
mand teachers possessing good health,
scholarly attainments, teaching power.
| social refinement and the ability to use
! good English. So far as schools fall
| short Of teachers possessing these
F., qualities so far are they wasteful and
so far do they fail to accomplish their
| purpose-the production of intelligent
citizenship and social efficiency.
| Excepting New York, Boston, Chi
| cago and Philadelphia, the average
| yearly salaries of women teachers in
the elementary schools is only 1856. In
| some of the cities the average salary
is less than $500. So far as men are
| concerned, they have practically disap-
peared from teaching in the ele-
| mentary schools of cities owing to the
| inadequate salaries.
1.-The wages for women, therefore, in
| half' the cities are less than those or
servant girls, when it is considered
that the latter pay nothing for board.
room and laundry. Moreover, the SER
wants have no social position to main
tain as does the teacher, and the re-
| quirements of dress are far less expen-
sive. In many cities the minimum
wages of teachers are less than the Ia
borers on the streets. This labor is en-
tirely unskilled, while the teacher has
spent years in preparation. The wages
F, of skilled labor are from twenty-five to
one hundred per cent. higher than
teachers wages.
"The wages of teachers in the cities
are princely in comparison with those
in the rural schools. In view of the
demands made up on them, teachers
are therefore miserably underpaid. It
seems incredible that the pay should
be so inadequate for those in whose
hands rests the training for citizen
ship"
Mr.. Kendall predicted that unless
higher salaries are paid to teachers
there would be steady increase of
| private schools to which many
thoughtful and discriminating people
would send their children.