Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-06-24
Legislature May Be Asked to
Enact Statute Similar to New
Law in Indiana
HooslER LAW is SWEEPING
Last Legislature Broke All Records in
Adopting School Reforms and Iowa
Educators Are Taking Notice Of Re-
suits Small Schools Arbitrarily
Closed.
Special TO Tlmes-L.epublican.


Iowa are giving considerable study to
| the laws enacted by the last general
assembly of Indiana, when all records
were broken in the passing Of school
laws. AS, a result of the study of In
| diana's laws the next Iowa legislature
may be asked to follow the example
and fix minimum for teachers wages
{ in the public schools of the state. 1t
| is claimed that this would do more
than anything else could do to solving
| the question of the shortage of teach
| ers. Iowa legislators who take pains to
post themselves in advance on the
questions Of legislation likely to arise
are studying the list of educational
| laws passed by Indiana to see what
! they will be up against when the next
| legislature conveneS.
| Here is the list Of the principal
school laws passed by the last legisla-
ture in Indiana:
| Law fixing minimum wages to school
| teachers.
Law fixing the state levy for the
benefit of the public schools at $.156
Law authorizing state board to ar
range normal school instruction.
Law closing schools when there are
| twelve pupils or less and permitting
those of fifteen or less to be closed and
the pupils transported to other schools.
Giving additional State aid to school
1 districts where the district levy is
twenty-five cents Or more.
Law relieving school teachers of act
| ing as janitors and requiring the trus-
! tees to hire janitors.
Law requiring all teachers to have
at least high school education or, its
equivalent.
| Law requiring all high schools to
have uniform course of study.
| The law that fixes the minimum
wages for teachers provides that the
minimum shall be based upon their
examination grades. The minimum un-
der this law that can be paid to
beginning teachers is two and a half
/ cents a day multiplied by the general
average of the teachers grade made
on examination. The minimum of a
| teacher with successful experience OF
of teacher with three or more years
| law further requires that beginners
must have the equivalent of a high
school course and not less than one
term of twelve weeks in normal
school and teachers of the next grade
must have the equivalent Of the hign
school course and not less than two
terms or twenty-four weeks in a nor
NAL and teachers with three or more
years. experience must have high
school course OF the equivalent and
also must be a graduate Of a normal
school.
A penalty is provided for school Of
ficials who refuse or fail to pay at
least the minimum of the law. The
law it is argued lifts sthe business Of
teaching into the class of the profess
sionals. BY fixing requirements as to
the education and experience of the
teachers the state is insured proficient
teachers and by fixing a minimum sal
ary the teachers are insured a salary
that they can live on. Under this law
an inexperienced teacher making an
average grade on examination of 50
would be insured at least 81 a day or
$40 month If the grade was 80 the
minimum would be 1925 a day or S45
month and if the grade was 100 the
wages would be $3.50 day or $50
month. For the teachers having
three years experience or over the
minimum wages on a perfect stand
ing would be $3.50 day or $40 a
month.
It is believed by many Iowa edu-
Gators that almost equally important
in this state is the Indiana law ar
bitrarily closing all country schools
where there is not more than twelve
pupils in attendance and arranging
for the transportation of the pupils of
the district to some adjoining school.
The law provides further that the
directors or trustees can close those
whit fifteen or less pupils if they see
fit. The consolidation of the small
schools, it is maintained, will be the
means of getting better schools with
better teachers with greater economy
to the tax payers and with the result
of better educational advantages and
better training for scholars.