Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-11

even lower than thc average vi tHe
South Atlantic division. which is the
| lowes; shown by any section.
7. has lorr been known that the pay
of Maine teachers was much lower
than thc average. but few have real
| izcd that il was so very much lower.
| No state in the Union produces better
teachers than Maine, and it is but
small wonder that there is constant
stream of the best Of them going to
| Massachusetts. New York and the
| Wet. where they not only get much
better pay but also secure positions
which are more safely permanent.
The report referred to offers no sug-
restion or recommendation as to how
the condition Of Maine teachers snail
he improved. hut il is n matter which
the people of Maine will have to attend
to i'm the near future The Importance
of the work done by the teachers in
our public schools cannot be overesti-
natec. That the skill and faithfulness
which they devote to Il task which is
peculiarly difficult and wearing should
he so inadequately rewarded is some
thing in which the state of Maine can
take little pride.
The members of the committee who
have Investigated this matter are Pay
son Smith. superintendent of schools
of Auburn. Charles F. Cook principal
Of The Cony High school in this city
and W. G. Maldett, assistant principal
of the Pennington Normal school
The committee has received returns
from 431S8 teachers in elementary
schools throughout the State, and they
find that the majority of the women
teachers are working for So to 50 a
| week and so. or about one-eiSht are
half the women teachers in Maine are
wo, king for $500 or less Il year. Let US
quote from the report:
"A perusaI of these figures, may lead
their schools and to find fault with the
lpualty OF the teaching to be found
THEREIN. to question. whether. after all.
lang Justification for higher demands
can be found in figures like these.
The committee also finds that 205l
Elementary and high school teachers
board 1t home. This is somewhat less
than half. and indicates how 1t is pos
sible for many teachers to sustain
themselves on the meaSer salaries
lpaid. There are 1876 teachers who
have taken partial or complete normal
COURSES thus indicating the extent to
which Maine teachers have Striyen to
fit themselves for adequate service.
| 1T is fair to assume that this num-
Der represents the better paid s. per
cent of the teaching force OF the ele-
mcntary teachers, $40 without previous
experience entered the schools during
the year next preceding the date of the
| returns. This is about One-iinth of
the entire number, and would indicate
that the teaching force is far more
permanent than might be expected
from thu salaries paid. However, a
business that averages to change en-
l
ploycS once every nine years could
hardly W. said to have reached Il
Crcditable degree Of pcrmancncc.
The committee find that the G53o
women working in the cotton mills nf
Maine get an average weekly wage of
$500, while the women school teachers
get an average weekly wage of $500
The men in the cotton mills Of Maine
get an average weekly wage Of SA.01
while the men teachers get sa1S. This
single comparison brings together th"
figures for an occupation in which is
employed 4 large amount Of compar-
la.ivcly unsklllcd labor aud those for a
line of work which surely ought to
demand ? b!oad equipment
The only other occupation i'll Main"
for which figures are available is that
included in the WOODEN industry Here
the annual wages run from $321 TO $500
while the wages of school teachers in
GLIDING principals and supcrintcndents
show an average of $t21
The attendance last year at the nor,
nal schools was lower than for several
years. The reasons for this are 10;
hard to find. There is no escaping the
4
mcnt are attracting classes of yuun-
: women who formerly engaged in tech
: ing. Tn" dcdrth of teachers is such
that school committees even ilrc..
schools upon persons of Il partial train
: ing and offer Inducements To normal
, students even before the completion of
, their courses.
, IF our schools are to be maintained
AT high standard of efficiency. the
wages of the teachers must certainly ba
kept al point which will lead Young
! people t" turn to this employment as
, readily as To others Moreover. it is
a serious thing To have wag.-rate in
force that influences persons to leave
this employment when their services
$ nave become through experience, of
, great value to it,