The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1908-08-08
AN In1poRTANT MEETING.


school trustees of the city of Browns
Vile will meet and probably will elect
superintendent and teachers for the
city schools for the ensuing year. The
salaries of the teachers will also be
adjusted at this meeting.
That this will be one of the most
important meetings held in this city
in some time goes without saying.
There is no more important depart
ment of public work than that of the
school work. Indeed, it is not per-
haps putting it too strongly, it is be
said that this is even the most i'm
portant work of public nature that
devolves upon the citizens. The work
of selecting teachers for the schools,
not only properly equipped with
books and other apparatus, but pre-
ided over by competent and conscien-
tious teachers, the city will have a
foundation upon which to build her
future prosperity which will be I'M
assailable. But, to secure teachers
of this description, the pay must be
adequate to the work required 1t
must be admitted that heretofore the
pay given the majority of the teach
ers in the Brownsville schools has
has been ridiculously low. and even
the teachers standing highest have
not received as much pay as their GER
tificates and requirements would
warrant and as much pay as they
would receive in other communities.
1t is understood, however, that the
leading members of the board have
already decided to increase the sal
aries of the teachers. They realize
the injustice of requiring teachers to
work for the pitiful sum of $50 per
month, when the very girls whom
they have taught are going year af-
ter year into the county schools at
salaries often double that received
by the very teachers under whom
they have studied in the city school.
And it is a fact that out of twenty
eight teachers employed in the city
schools last session twelve received
$50 per month. OF the other teachers
seven received $50 per month, three
$40, three S45. and two $50 That
these prices were very much below
the average standard of pay in Texas
schools is a fact A first grade state
per month, a second grade to S65,
certificate entities its holder to SIS
and a third grade to $40. 1t is true
that conditions have been such hith-
erto that it has been impossible for
the school here to pay as high salar-
les as these. Year before last. there
was even deficit in the school fund.
At the end of the past session how
ever. there was a surplus of about
three thousand dollars after the ex-
penses of the school year were paid,
and even though the salaries of some
of the teachers were raised last ses-
sion In view of this fact, the lead
ing members of the board have ex-
pressed the intention of favoring a
raise in the salaries all along the line.
This gives hope of a better outlook
not only for the teachers, but for
the school and likewise for Browns
vile, as with better salaries offered,
the standard of the school may be
advanced.
Both schools are one of the most
essential features to insure the up
building of the city, and one of the
greatest inducements that can be Of
fered to new settlers to locate in a
place Therefore the welfare of
Brownsville may be promoted in
estimably by the advancement of the
schools.
Pay good prices and demand good
should be the motto all along
the line in public service, and in no
branch is this more essential than in
the schools.