Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-12
The School Ma'a1n
And the Hired Man

Times Republican: In the Times
Republican of March 10, the editor
asks: rs first grade teacher with
three years or more experience worth
less than $50 a month if she is worth
hirins?' and then invites 1.-THE most in
terested parents and taxpayers to Of
fer suggestions along this line" pay
as much tax as an average Iowa far
mer, as l have a 160-acre farm, about
seventy-tive head of cattle, besides
| horses, hogs, etc. AS parent l also
! average up pretty we'll, as 1 have nine
children depending on the rural school
for an education. AS to interest in the
matter, l am at the top notch
| In considering what is fair pay for
any kind of work it is necessary to
take into consideration legitimate Incl
dental expenses called for by the po-
sition, as we'll as comparing wages with
other vocations at that time. Running
wages in this locality at the present
time for an ordinary hired man seem
to be $50 per month, board and wash
! ing and horsekeep thrown in. His po-
sition calls for no incidental expenses.
Not so with a teachers position. Yet a
! large number of people do not seem
| to know of the incidental expenses
teachers have or at least do not seem
TO think of them. IF they do think of
! them, they do not seem to realize that
a large portion of those expenses are
for the benefit of our schools and chill
/ dren and not for the teachers own per-
sonal benefit. Now suppose a teacher
is paid $50 a month. Straightway this
| is cut down to S35 because she has to
pay out again about SIS per month for
| board and washing If she is hired for
eight months it leaves her $3.50 Now
she is on the same basis as an ordinary
| laborer except he is his 'horsekeep"
ahead. However, the teacher is not
done with her expenses. She must use
a goodly~ portion of lit, not primarily
for her own benefit, but for the benefit
| of the children in her care. I wish all
| parents and school boards would take
note of this and give the teachers cred
it for it as we'll as taking it into con-
sideration in fixing their wages. 1 know
too many do not give the teacher cred
it for this part nor remember that it
comes right back to their own chill
dren. In order to keep abreast of the
times in knowledge as well as methods
Of teaching, the teacher must each
year buy books and take school jour
mails. This is not for her own good but
in order that she may be so much bet
ter qualified to do the children good
Any teacher worthy of the name
spends at least $40 each year this way
Some of them more. The hired man is
not called on to spend any money to
learn how to do more good for his
boss"
During the term of school she gen.
orally furnishes the children with
numerous little things and devices for
busy work" such as card board, yarn.
needles, scissors, etc, some books as
premiums in order to encourage chill
dren to study harder or to behave bet
ter, and in most cases she also fur
nishes curtains for the windows The
children are getting the benefit of this
but the teacher pays for it out of her
own money How much nobody ever
knows She has a heart big enough
to do it for the children hut never
tells. Then again our children expect
cards at the end of each term. This
; costs 81 per term or IS per year Per-
haps she goes still farther and presents
each child with a sack of candy, pea
nuts or such like. Hired men are not
expected to do SUCH things when they
leave, yet many parents would think
it very "smalP' and the children would
be very much disappointed if teacher
had not something for them on the
5 last day." When school is out she is
: notified that she must attend an Gin
stitute" Of at least two weeks or per-
haps she even takes a summer course
of from six to eight weeks. Why? Fol
her own good? No, but in order thai
she may be better qualified to do oul
children so much more good next year
The hired man has no such burden.
put on him by law Well, she goes and
again she has to put UP some of hel
earnings for board, institute fee
books and other incidental expense!
1 amounting to at least $40. Then Their,
: are teachers meetings that all teach
e ers should go to and which all gooe
e teachers do go to, to get further in.
formation about their work which
again results in greater good to gu
children, but teacher can not do thi
. without mourning further outlay ii
=, travelling expenses, hotel bills, etc
u There are many other ways in whicl
n a teachers position calls for outla.