Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-02-08
MORE PAY FOR TEACHERS
Meeting Of the Anne Arundel
School Improvement Associa-
ton Saturday at the Court
House.
TEACHERS ARE POORLY PAID.
Better School Legislation Needed for
Anne Arundel County.

A meeting of the Anne Arundel
| School Improvement Association. hv
notice printed in another column Of
The Capital, has been called for next
Saturday morning. February 10. at 10
O'Clock, by the president of the Asso-
cation.
This body in years past has been of
much benefit to the educational inter
ests of the county, and as a medium
for crystaliZing public sentiment and
keeping the public school system in
the path of progress, has served a good
purpose. At Saturdays meeting
questions relating to the general i'm
provement of the schools will be taken
up, and particularly one of the most
important problems of public educa-
ton in rural Maryland. that of ade-
quate pay for teachers.
There has been for long time n
feeling in this county that better re-
suits might be obtained if better sal
aries were paid to teachers. In the
State at large this matter of teach
ers' pay has been discussed for wears.
and the Legislature in 1908 fixed
the minimum salary for white teach
ers, regularly employed in the pub
lie schools, and teaching fifteen or
more pupils, at not less than 5000
for the school year. At the last ses-
sion the question was still further
dealt with. Owing to the wisdom
and necessity of retaining capable,
Woodworking teachers, it was thought
proper to provide that teachers with
first-ciass certificates and three wears
experience in Maryland schools should
receive not less than $3.50; with five
years experience, not less than s4OO.
and with eight years experience. not
less than $3.50.
Teachers with second-class certif-
Gates, who have taught in MARYLAND
eight years, must be paid not less than
$3.50. The Legislature made it man.
datory on County Commissioners to
levy a sufficient amount to meet the
increases in salaries. 1t is generally
recognized that even this minimum
scale is too small. although perhaps II
is all that should be expected from
general Legislation, touching all the
counties of the State. Some of the
backward, non-progressive and poor
sections doubtless find the minimum
salaries fixed by the law equal to the
present state of their school systems
and popular sentiment This reason.
however, does not apply to other sec
tons In Anne Arundel. for instance.
with its wide range of school necessi-
ties and varying demands for instruc-
ton, teachers salaries should be
placed upon such a basis as the char
acter of the work to be done and the
prosperity and progress of the county
justify.
We have country neighborhoods
which can be supplied with teachers
new in experience, although in these
the patrons and pupils are entitled to
competent, effective teachers; and we
have centres of population where the
demands for instructors of length of
service and professional adaptability
are as urgent and important as in
any part of the whole State. 1t is to
the teaching force as a body and a
united, cooperative working corps
that we are to look for the best results
for all the people. The 1910 report Of
the State Board of Education shows
that in this county the 134 white
teachers, including principals of some
of the most important and growing
schools on the Western Shore of the
| State, were paid in salaries So, OIL. SO;
that is an average of, say 1878 46.
When it is remembered that high
school principals of the first grade must
be paid $1,000 and of the second
grade, 81 900 and all assistants $500
a year, and that many teachers all over
the county certainly earn more thar
the minimum salary for a school OF
fifteen pupils it will be seen that rad
ical injustice is being done public ser
wants to whom the people expect {
service that cannot be measured il
dollars and cents.