Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-16
LESS SCHOOL OFFICERS
Effort Will Be Made to Place
Schools Of Townships Under
One Board of Three
WOULD HASTEN CONSOLIDATION
Such a Plan Would Cause Efforts To-
ward Real Economy and Efficiency
$50 Per Month for Rural Teachers
a Matter Of the Near Future-Work
for Revision Commission.
Special to Times Republican.

commission to revise the school law
gets together one Of the things tina
will be laid before them will be
complete reorganization Of the system
of school management by township df
rectors. AS is well known by all lav'
ing dealings with school matters low,
has a ~conglomerate system. In som,
counties one system Is in vogue ant
IN others q different system. In som
places they have independent schoo
districts inside o township. In ether
places all is managed by the director:
of the township with one director. FOL
each sub-district, each sub-distric,
having one school house and school,
1t is nov claimed that the whole
trouble in getting good teachers FOL
the schools is in the country districts,
The city schools and town schools pay
higher wages and With this Involvement
added to the fact that all teachers
would rather work in the towns or
cities where they can get boarding ac-
commodations rather than in the coun-
try where they have to board round
or are unable to get board at all, gives
the towns and cities the choice Of the
teachers of the state with the result
that the town and city scholars have
better advantages of education than
those in the country.
More often than otherwise It Is
claimed they worry along with a few
pupils when they might as we'll lie con-
solidated into better schools. 1t Is the
custom for the township school direc-
tors to delegate to the director living
in a sub-district the work Of hiring
the teacher for that sub-district and
attending to all the wan Ct the
school. In effect then the township
director system results in district
schools with one director for each
school.
1t is proposed to remedy this by
that they act for all the schools in
the township, hiring all the teachers
and attending to all other matters. 1t
is claimed that if this is done the three
directors looking at the township in a
broad sense will be moved by economy
and other consideration to consolidate
schools Which have but a few pupils
and hire better teachers.
AT the meeting of the school officers
of Pottawattamie county at Council
Bluffs n day last week out of about
$50 such officers $50 attended the gath
ering. At that gathering State Super
%intendent Riggs told the officers that
the country districts must make up
their minds that they must pay $50 a
month for teachers and that unless
schools in the country without teach
ers than there are now.
The commission to revise the school
laws provided for by the last legisla-
ture Is to be appointed by the govern
or 1t Is understood that the governor
expects to appoint the commission
soon. Because OF the limited amount
of money appropriated by the legisla-
ture for the purpose it has been talked
that the commission will not make a
thorough revision Of the laws at this
time but will make a beginning and
lay the foundation for the work and
then recommend to the legislature a
further n larger appropriation for
the purpose.
It is said to be more than likely that
the commission when it meets will rec
ommend to the legislature a law fix
ing a minimum wage that can be paid
to teachers In the rural schools. This
prediction is being made by educators
on the strength Of the fact that many
other states are doing that. North
Dakota has a minimum Of $45 a month.
Indiana fixes the daily salary at three
times the grade Of the teacher. II the
teachers grade on examination aver
aged so the teacher gets s2.40 a day
a minimum.
AS a solution to the vexed problem
Of a scarcity Of teachers. However, ed
ucators do not see a perfect remedy in
this idea. They point to the fact that
In New York city where the highest
wages in the country are paid and
where a pension system Is in force for
the teachers maintained by the board
Of education, there Is a scarcity of
teachers. The authorities there are
making a plea at this time to the
teachers IN the country to come to
NEW IOrh hIu are uolullS OUT
to them to come. It is estimated
at Yeast 800 teachers must be
somewhere and taken to New
York by January 1 or there will be that
many vacancies. The schools are al
ready short that number ana there will
be vacancies Of 500 or 800 In March
and April to be filled by the exam
to be held shortly with a Wis
bile supply Of only about half that
number.