The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-02-27
WANTS H|GHERWACES
Teacher Writes Urging Better
Conditions.
IS HARD ON DIRECTORS.
Says Some Are Extravagant With
Supplies but Stingy with Teachers

Says Some Are Extravagant With
Supplies but Stingy with Teachers
Editor The Denison Review:
Owing to the passage of the law
requiring that teachers be examined
by the state, which has resulted in
an astonishing shortage of teachers,
which will grow worse later on. am
constrained to express some views.
the result of some experience in
teaching.
The paramount question seems to
now be- What shall we do to supply
the schools of the state with teachers?
Of course the qualifications of said
teachers are no longer in dispute. for
the State judges them and it is worthy
of note that fifty per cent of those
who took the recent examination fail
ed to pass. while it lacked very much
of being hard one.
The question seems so simple that
it seems hardly worth while to
answer it. If the teachers of the state
were paid living salary there
would not now. nor ever have been
shortage of good educational talent.
The writer has worked on farm for
$50 month. and saved very much more
than anyone possibly can save work
ing for the wages paid to teachers.
Moreover. one county pays more than
another, one district more than the
one alongside of it. am in favor of
law establishing uniform scale of
wages for the three different grades.
and not less than SIS for first grade
certificate.
My reasons are these: We have to
spend no small sum of money to
qualify as teachers; we have, gener-
ally to pay board during the school
term and tsponge'' our board from
our parents or relatives d. ring vaca-
tion. We have to buy text books
subscribe for magazines; pay livery
hire to get to our schools and back.
then have to pay livery hire each and
every month to collect the salary.
these two items will amount to many
dollars during the school season. OF
course we can walk. however. few.
especially young ladies. care to.
Now that the state is issuing the
certificates. some arrangement should
be made whereby the president of
the board. or the director. or both
combined, could fill out the warrant.
mail it to the County Superintendent
and have him mail it to the teacher.
If there are only 1000 teachers in
the state it would save them at least
$4,000 a year. There are. I believe.
20,0O0-$200. COO. The State issues
the certificate. therefore. a teacher
should be hired for the year. because
they better understand the work which
has been done in a particular school.
The fact that some particular person
"does not like the teacher should be
no argument. for if the greatest
educator in the United States were
to teach in some of the districts
know of. they would be well-criticis-
ed. to say the least.
The most of our school laws seem
to be retained simply because they
are hory with age. and just so long
as teachers are hired from favorit-
ism. or political or religious bias,
just so long will there be dissatis.
faction. There should be some way
where by the patrons of q school,
should have something to say about
the teacher to be hired. The time
will come. think. when the county
superintendent will place the teach
ers. knowing better than anyone else
their talent as teachers.
/ am very much in favor that the
State FIX the wages to be paid teach.
ers. The average director seems tt
have no other idea of official duty
than to keep down wages. If they
took even a little interest in educa
tional matters we should have better
school houses, better attendance. ant
better pay for teachers. have
known a director to buy yellow pin,
flooring for kindling at matter O
$40 thousand feet. however. l die
not hear that the board objected.
There is too much opportunity il
our present laws for a director tt
be arbitrary, unreasonable and unjus-
could quote many instances whicl
have been told to Inc. however. the.