Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-07-11
ON SALARIES
AND PENSIONS
Teachers at the N.E.A. Hear
able Men on Vital
School Problems

| Los ANGELES, July 1.-THE audi.
forum was not large enough to hole
the audience that would have gathered
to hear the exercises on, the program
Of the National Teachers association
1t is estimated that over 5000 pacied
the building, using every inch .oi
available standing room. The feature OF
the program was a discussion amons
lines of how the teacher should be paid
for his services. The first address
was by Prof. E. G. Cooley, the newly
| elected president of the association
| who spoke upon the subject: "Shall
Teachers Salaries Be Graded Upon
| Merit or by the Clock?"
He said in part:
Teachers should not be encouraged
to get into the system and then let the
| clock work. Advancement based on
length of service only does not do jus-
tice to the teacher who has the real
professional spirit. The suggestion
that we can keep people up to the
mark by mere fear of dismissal is made
by those who are not familiar with
current history. Everybody should
realize how extremely difficult it is to
get rid of an inefficient teacher.
ut must de admitted that this
scheme leaves out of account excep-
tional natural ability. the power of
the born teachers, but most of our
teachers are not born, but are made,
and we are compelled to frame our
schemes to fit the needs and capacities
of the plain, ordinary teacher who has
to learn her business.
"Our great cities have found 1t
necessary to establish normal schools
for the preparation of their teachers.
1t will soon become as legitimate a
part of the work of the normal school
to carry forward the training of teach.
ers after they enter the service as 1t
was to take them from the high
schools and make teachers of them
The normal school that can fulfill this
double function will soon Establish
itself in it's proper place, at the head of
the school system"
Charles H. Reyes, supervisor of the
south districts schools, Hartfrd Conn.,
addressed the convention upon Teach
er's Pensions and Annuities." He
said:
Modern society has organized no
agency to insure fidelity to the law Of
growth toward manliness and Godli-
ness that is at all comparable in it's
opportunities with the school, the
home, the church The whole soc al
body has turned over to the schooi
the largest and most important share
of the work of training to meet the
command, obedience to which spells
soc al uplift, and disobedience to
which means degeracy. The character
of our schools then must determine
the fate of society. They should be
what the true training of childhood
demand. They should be organized
and administered for this service, and
not primarily for the convenience of
the teacher or the comfort of the tax
payer. Under this view of the func-
tions of the school, l submit that eco
nom!c prudence and social wisdom de-
mand that provision shall be made for
adequate and honorable pensions for
teachers.
There are, ladies and gentlemen,
five cogent reasons why pensions
should be provided for the teachers
of the schools to which you are en-
trusting the education of your chill
dren.
First, that is the best teaching
which emanates from a soul that de-
votes itself with a singleness of pur-
pose to the guidance, the training and
the inspiration of youth. No teacher
can do the best work for our children
while at the same time compelled to
be busy with plans for securing a
livelihood when the days of service In
the schoolroom are over. No teacher
can fifty train your children by day
and worry by night over the question
of raiment and food and shelter for
init then that it is to the benefit of
the public to submit laws that will
provide for the teacher in her old age.
Second, teachers of the largest abil-
ity are every year being drawn away
from the school service in which they
have proven their high capacity to en-
ter upon more remunerative fields of
endeayor. To continue serving our
children is to accept an old age of
dependence or privation. To enter
upon the new field of work is to re-
ceive rewards large enough to enable |
them to make provision for their de- |
clining years. Unless we would see |
the education of our children turned |
over to second-rate women and to !
third-rate men, we must provide the |
rewards that would permit our ablest |
teachers to consecrate their lives to |
the service of our schools.