Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-28
PROFESSION OF TEACHING.
some Remarks on the Tasks, Pay and
Pensions.

f EChaAOhhs
The third installment Of Joseph M. Rog-
ers' papers on What Is Wrong with Oar
Public Sehools?" in Lippincott's Magazine
Is devoted to the teachers, the problems
Of the profession and the compensation,
leading up to an appeal for old age PEN
sions for educators. Mr.. Rogers says, in
part:
Consider the emoluments Of the average
teacher. Our annual expenditure for edu-
rational purposes, public and private, is
about $500, 0O, 900, making liberal allowance
for possible defects In statistics. This fig
ures out at about $25 per capita for those
merely enrolled, or about $50 for the aver
age scholar who goes with any degree Of
regularity. But only $3.50, OOO, 900 is ex-
pended for public school purposes, which
means about $40 yearly for each person
enrolled.
OF this sum about one-fifth is expended
for buildings, sites, ETC.. another fifth for
miscellaneous purposes and three-flfths for
teachers sa~laries-about $4,000 COO per
year. This is a trifle more than 500 per
annum for each teacher, male or female,
1t Is of common knowledge that teachers
In the higher schools, and all men, get bet
ter salaries than the four-fifths Of the
total who are largely women teachers in
the grades. 1t is a fair estimate that the
average salary for women Is from $500 to
1915 a year. 1t is more than this In the
cities and less in the villages and rural
districts.
This sum is less than that paid good do
nestle servants In the larger cities Of the
country, where upwards Of IS a week is
given to cooks and housemaids, who also
have perquisites which increase their in
come and lessen their expenses. The teach
er's salary is about what the ordinary shop
girl gets at the beginning Of her career.
1t is less than many girls make in mills
and factories,
Judged from q bread and butter standard,
the young woman who is solely concerned
with making a living might as well pre-
pare herself for house service as for teach
ing. But, Of course, this is no criterion,
since women have other motives in life.
The evident fact is thai few women start
out with the slightest notion Of making
a permanent profession OF teaching. II is
true that about 1000 Of them annually at
tend the normal school to prepare for
teaching, but to them 1t is a means and
not an end, or, rather, II is only a means
to an end.
Many q woman who starts out to teach
does so with the object Of securing enough
money to dress well, and to provide a
modest rousseau when the opportunity of
marrying is offered her. This motive must
influence many OF the 1900 young women
who go to normal schools each year.
Others have no desire to teach. but 20 TO
these schools for the higher education at
a low price. 1t would be against nature. Of
course, IL there were many women who
started out in life with celibacy as a guild
ing principle, so the personnel OF the teach
ing force Is constantly changing. Accurate
statistics are not available, but il appears
that for women five years is about the
average form Of service in the schools. so
that we have almost a complete change
in that period, which augurs III for the
youth Of the land. And yet, under the ex-
listing conditions, IL Is not aston
ishing that 80 many young women enter
the service and remain so long2 In an
Ideal state there would be few women
outside the elementary grades and the
secondary schools for girls and those who
remained in the profession would be better
rewarded and have a higher stand
ard. sss
The time will never come when women
are not needed in the schools. They ought
~'"oS1 ~ ~ NAa 80 U the very young,
ana In all grades there must needs be
some, In secondary schools for girls, es-
pecially, women are Indispensable. And the
time is coming when the word teacher"
win no longer be considered a feminine
noun. Beyond the age OF II, all boys and
most girls must be instructed most largely
by men who are d~evoting their lives to
education and are especially equipped for
the service. -"
The men who enter upon teaching in the
public schools as a profession with any en-
thuslasm are woefully few. Most OF them
drift into the work by accident, or because
they ave nothing else 70 do, and they get
out OF Il a. soon as possible. This Is natural
since the rewards are few and the exAo-
items are many. Many young men teach
school while they study for one OF the pro-
f~essions or look around for some good
business opening. Some get into a rut OF
teaching, from which they cannot escape
even II they 30 desire. They have given too
many hostages TO fortune. They plod along.
and while they are not necessarily poor
teachers. they are not likely to be highly
ambitions. ewing 70 the little prospect OF