The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-01-07
STATE TEACHERS
ASSOCIATION
FRANK B.COOPER, SEATTLE,
PRESIDENT; O. c. WHIT
NEY, SECRETARY.

EQucdt1On a CdDlnet Position.
Pension Fund Committee Au-
thorized- Salary Discussion.
Superintendent Frank B. Cooper, of
the Seattle schools, was elected presi-
dent Of the Washington Educational
Association for the coming year. at the
closing session of the convention held
at Tacoma during the past week. Other
officers elected we're: Vice president,
W. G. P. McGovern, Tacoma; secre-
tary, o. G. Whitney, Tacoma; treas
urer, Charles Pagan, Seattle; executive
committee, Frank B. Cooper, O. G..
Whitney, Miss Maragret Craig of DAY.
export, J. G. Collicott of Tacoma, F.
V. Yeager Of Spokane.
The association will hold it's next
meeting at place selected by the ex-
ecutive committee. It is understood
by the educators that the University of
Washington will ask them to meet at
that institution, and if the request is
made the association will accept
The closing session of the association
was mainly drive of business. The
constitution was discarded and a new
one adopted The new constitution
divides the association into the fol-
lowing departments: Educational coun-
Gil, elementary schools, higher and Sec
ondary education, school officers, in
dustrial education, sciences, music,
languages, commercial, county super
vision, normal schools and department
of education.
Among the resolutions passed was
one pledging the members Of the asso-
citation to bring all possible influence
to bear upon their respective congress
men for the purpose Of making the
United States commissioner of educa-
ton cabinet officer. 1t was the con-
census of opinion of the teachers that
education in the United States is easily
sufficient in Importance to warrant cab
met representation. Another resolu-
ton passed ordered the appointment of
a committee to investigate and act upon
the matter of teachers retirement
pension fund.
Too Apathetic on Salary Question
That school teachers are the poorest
paid Of any of the brain working class
and that they are too apathetic to
make any concerted effort or even a
vigorous protest were the declarations
made by Henry F. Hunt. assistant
principal of the Tacoma high school, to
about 700 members of the Washington
| Educational Association members in
annual session at Tacoma the past
| week.
Professor Hunt recently sent out a
| list of twenty three interrogatories to
four thousand teachers of the state
bearing upon the salary issue. Thir-
teen per cent only of the four thousand
answered. These answers showed that
large number of teachers of Wash
ington are obliged to supplement teach
ing with other work in order to sup
port themselves.
Statistics compiled by Mr.. Hunt
show that primary teachers in this state
receive an average Of $50. 80 per month
grade supervisors and principals, men
$87.10, women $79.25; grade teachers,
men $51.74; women $55. 80; high
school teachers, men 1853 women
$500; rural teachers. men $48 %,
women 5000. Professor Hunt, who
read ami interesting paper on salaries,
declared that until the teachers of the
country shook themselves free from
the grasp of General Apathy" and
made positive fight on the salary is
sue they would continue to receive sal
aries that in many cases were lower
than the wages paid janitors of the
school buildings
The matter of pensioning teachers
was discussed by A. II. YOder, super
intendent of Tacoma schools, and Su-
perintendent Frank B. Cooper, of the
Seattle schools.
Mr.. Yoder has recently sent out let
tiers to teachers of the state asking
their views on the plan of each teacher
contributing per cent of all salary
income to support such pension fund.
Out of 800 replies received 21O were
against contributing, while 1875 admit
| tOu UICl1 W1AAIh$9ACSo w OCS4dAC a D0I
cent dividend from their salaries
monthly for the pension. Superintend-
ent Cooper insisted that the pension, if
made a reality, would tend to increase
salaries of teachers generally
Bunker Would Change System
If F. P. Bunker, former assistant
city superintendent of Seattle schools,
now superintendent of the schools OF
Berkeley, Cal, has his way. the com.
mon school system of the United States
will be entirely reorganized and in.
stead of devoting the first eight years
to the grammar grades, the break will
be made at the end of six years and
the so-called graduation moved down
two years. The next three years will
be given to an intermediate course,
with the tenth, elev nth and twelfth
years as the finishing period of com.
mon school work. Mr. Bunker dis.