The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-18
Their Pay Stopped, Even
When No Substitutes
Are Employed.
SHARP WRANGLE
WITH CHANDLER
Women Who Seek Higher Sal
aries Reveal Many Facts Bear
ing on Public School System.
Driven to Distraction by
Complicated Certifi-
cate Scheme.

several sharp tIlts between Sunerin
tendent OF Schools j. A. G. Chandler
teacheTa In the public schools and mem
bers OF the committee marked a hear
ing on the petition of the women teach
cfs In the elementary white schools n,
inc city for an Increase in nav befnro
subcommittee on Ordinance char.e.
bnh reform last night Or Chandler
TOOK exception to question nv SIR.
iiirschberg. OF tho committee in regard
10 oatins PACK certificates. which the
SUPERINTENDENT not only vehcmentIy
denied. but asserted was reflection
on ms integrity Mr.. IIirschberG said
mat he referred to tho certificate OF
Mics Dickerson. who was present but
VINO did not have the paper with her
and Dr. Chandler made an extended
statement OF the manner In which Ger.
All OF which was satisfactory TO the
committee.
state Lnws Complicated.
Nthoush tho matter OF salary In
crease was the only problem before m.
committee, the discussion took on :,
wide range. tho various grades of Ger
tihcates and the involved and co,nnn
Gated State laws on the subject OF
SCHOOLS coming In for condemnation
Cap'ein Carlton Mccarthy, who was
present stated that no one underst God
the certificate system, which was driy-
ing teachers almost 10 distraction by
us compiled tons He described IN.
state school laws as a .'ine-."--a mass
OF confusion, which no one really UNI
dcrstood. and aascrted that .hc teach
.rs were being hectored and annoyed
py all manner OF petty and tyrannicaI
restrictions and sonseless requirements
=, developed after the spat between
H. IirYshbers and pr Chandler that
Mas Dickerson's ccrtiiicHtc uass of Tho
nNe-Hear type expiring in 1912 and Its
limit was III nowise affected by the
GGoun,ersisninE of tho superintendent
h member of the association seeking the
increase ifi-rak,y,..s,.sa 81
Another complaint OF. the te,lchers
was mat several OF them now teaching
on the nvc-year certificates. properj1
indoraed By the, superintondc nt. have
s sunni Tee9rSI i ihrongh snrplemental
Dr. Chandler has up to this time re-
fused to indorse. Miss Mccarthy
showed life certificate she had held
nearly three years. not yet signed by
thc superintendent. DR.. Chandler eN-
plained that she was already down
on the records as teaching under q
expired.
a,,y, Rey stopped sS;sca, !, q sueus.,,,
a., In stating the grounds for asking
attention TO the fact that they arc re-
CURED TO pay for substitutes whenever
absent from illness or any other cause
i,tGi zen OF instances where they had been
I'LL or absent for a few days. when no
substitute had been employed--when
other teachers had done their work.
and yet when the pay OF the substi-
tute was deducted from their weekly
wage. IT was also argued as ground
Tor an Increase that teachers were re-
CURED TO take courses at summer nor
maj schools. Dr.. Chandler stated that
me teachers were misinformed--that
they were not required TO attend the
civ bn
alternative OF attending them instead
OF standing certain prescribed State
examinations
Mr.. Corley, OF the School Board. au-
Vocatcd an increase of pay for ali the
ieachers. but said that instead of max
ing 1t on the basis the teachers pro
posed he would prefer to have IL on
an annual basis--the teachers 10 be
paid for the full nine months with n
speeihed summer vacation. MIR. Ebcl
increase. Chairman Pollock ruled that
the only matter before the subcom-
mittee was the petition of the women
teaehers In elementary white schools.
Mny Cut OFF Some High Salaries.
. II was brought out through ques-
lions addressed 10 DR. Chandler that
year, giving half hour IA day two
days in the week at the white High
School and similar time at the colored
conduct the music work In the ele-
mentary schools. A supervisory wo-
man teacher for the primary and kim
dergartcn grades Is paid $4,000 year
more than most OF the principals
receive. DR.. Chandler asserted that
this supervisor had come here from
Rochester, where she received $4,000.
demonstration of penmanship at
$1,000 year and several other super
visory ofhcers, man and woman
TO teach swedish dances and physical
exercise at Sl.100 year each, and
Instructors In millinery, manual train
ing and several other courses are en-
pioyed; The committee asked DR..
Chandler to furnish 1t a list of ali
such supervisory teachers with their
salaries. in the hope that by cutting
of such positions the amount to be
ss exp IN increasing pay of regu-
Teachers spoke up from all parts OF
the chamber to say that some of these
supervisory officers had not been in
thelr grades Tor year or more, or
7 If there at all for from five to ten
minutes.
In the class of women teachers in
the elementary grades there are 2SS
teachers at present of whom 1877. who
nave taught five years or over. receive
$685. and now seek $500 Fourteen re-
ceive $3.50. having taught less than
five years. and ask 1910 Twenty have
taught four years at 1896: nine three
years at $3.50; nine two years at $405.
and there are twenty-five first-ycar
The total increase in the payroll
asked by these 228 out of the 453
teachers employed by the city is s5G,-
$50. With the first-year teachers
graded up and allowances made for
professional certificates after tho sixth
year, the annual cost of the increase
asked Will he $4,000.
The subcommittee will meet again
tnis afternoon at o'clock to go fur
ther into the matter.