Evening journal., 1912-07-13
BETTER SALARIES FOR EDUCATORS.

d RoFEssoR A. r. sPAID. superintendent Of the
public schools in New Castle county, is good
of1cial- II would be loss to the educational nsti
tutions of State he relinquish the great
work he is doing. Wilmington College, in Wilmington,
O., has made TO the professor the tempting offer Of
the presidency Of that institution. which is his alma
mater. He has under consideration the question
whether he shall remain in his position here go
Ohio TO take up the work there. Our opinion is that
the hope is general in this county that he will continue
at the head of the public schools The question Of
salary necessarily will play important part in in
nuencing his decision. I'D properly An educator.
matter how enthusiastic he may be relative to his
work a given field would be foolish to lose sight
OF the material benefits that should to him from
his chosen calling He and the members Of his family
must live in dignity and comfort and prudence die
ates that Of his salary be laid away to provide
for age illness and other contingencies The position
Professor Spaid holds Of the most important
in the State and yet it pays a salary OF only $1,000
That is poor compensation for such important work
in these DAYS of high prices It means little more
than S22 week. There are thousands Of mechanics
whose individual work is Of infinitely Importance
who make than that each week And yet the salary
paid TO Professor spaid is prncely when compared
with that paid 70 many Of the teachers in public
schools particularly in the rural districts,
II Delaware is to be what It ought TO be education
ally. better money must be paid to those who have
charge its educational affairs There instances
in which Delaware teachers receive salaries in keep
ing with their services to the public but they few
and between The best way elevate education in
our State TO elevate salaries and have educa
tional affairs in the charge Of contented and
men Poor pay as rule heses noor service. and poor
begets poor results II useless for the public
10 expect enthusiasm energy and initiative from
and women who know they shamefuly underpaid
for what they are expected TO do
There are many schools districts in Delaware in
which the teachers are paid approximately 81 day
for their work and the parents expect good results
from such teachers receive looking after the
educational training Of or more Of children.
per day than does the unsked laborer who works
in a trench with a pick a shovel AS a rule the
parents in such districts receive much better service
from such under-pad teachers than the deserve. It
must be clear 70 everyone however that the salaries
paid many public school teachers constitute an in
suit 70 human intelligence. The salary Of 81 200 paid
10 Professor Spaid certainly under that head
ing No one can blame him for considering seriously
the call 70 be the head Of Wilmington College Here
is who is the supervising head Of all the public
schools all the rural districts in the richest and
populous county in our state who receives less
than skilled mechanics wages for doing that highly
superntendents in Kent and sussaxcounties All three
shamefully underpaid for the work they do
and they have and women teachers at work in
their territories whose salaries are disgrace to the
in the districts who hx them. II is high time
for them TO reform their methods Of compensatins
school oficals and teachers They are clearly deserv
ing Of salaries sufficiently large TO enable them TO pay
their they go enjoy the ordinary pleasures
Ct life and to lay aside something for rainy day
Until that has been done, the educational system OF
our State will not be what it ought to be.