Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-12-03
SCHOOLS FAULTS
CITED BY SLATON
Declares Salaries of Teachers
Are Too Low and Denies
Hours Are Excessive.

fNeltN ing az tllLltlSiia~ ullttttu al lHt
Atlanta public school system. William
NJ Slaton superintendent OF schools,
! today issued a statement showing the
poor provision made for the schools by
the city calling attention To the difii-
Guilty in getting good teachers at the
present low salaries and denying that
the hours are too long. Mr. .Slatons
statement follows;
some Of the evils of our schools
should be emphasized as follows
Il The surface closet i'm number
~ our white and colored schools is an
indecency and menace to life and
health. We can not remove this evil
without money
=. In very many Of our school
rooms we have from 30 TO SO children
No one teacher can instruct that num-
s Der successfully. To prevent this evil,
we need more teachers and school
houses. If the city of Atlanta does not
furnish the necessary number Of school
buildings the board OF education has
TO do the best il can with what is pro-
vided The teachers are human and
have their limitations If the classes
numbered 80 or 80, the work could be
done much better
Easements Damp and Musty.
3, We have hundreds Of children in
the easements of school buildings In
q number OF these rooms il is dark and
damp and musty. Some OF these rooms
on the clearest days are a tax on the
eyesight Of the children and the witt
ated air tends to deplete the nervous
system In number Of these buildings
water closets are only eight or ten feet
distant from the school rooms. just
across the han from them. 1t is afro
cious to permit such conditions to ex-
list. But what can we do? Unless suf-
ficient appropriations are made we must
either put the children i'm the base
nlents or turn them away from the pub
Tic schools
a. Our salary system is not such as
to employ much talent that we need.
We can not. coerce scholarly. we'll paid
teachers working i'm other systems to
come to Atlanta and teach for Tess
money than they are already receiving
What can we do? With the appropria-
tons. we can employ the best who
apply.
W z nave many ltdtutIS li8i NOulu
honor any public school system in
America. know their work Atlanta
IS proud OF them We also have a
number of teachers that we do not wish
and ought not to have. Why? Because
we have not the appropriation to en-
ploy the best talent
IS. 1t is said our hours are too long
] do not think SO. The schools take in
al $3.50 o'clock and dismiss at O'Clock
From the five hours and a half, sab
tract the time given to the two little
reeesses Of fifteen minutes each and one
big recess or thirty minutes. and we
have four hours and half left for
general school work-only four hours
and half out of a hours Surely this
is not too much. From the four hours
and a half given to general school work.
subtract the time given to physical Gull
ture exercises in the yard daily-hfteen
minutes This leaves four hours and
fifieen minutes. not to mention the time
devoted to drawing, music and study,
which Is from 80 to A. minutes a day
So the time spent in actual thought and
labor in the school room is less than
four hours daily,
Hours in Other Schools
4 must contend that those who think
we devote too much time to school work
60 too far beg them to stop and
think and discriminate.
I'm many school systems in the Unit
ed States the schools are in session
from TO > o'clock in the morning and
from > or 2:30 until or 4:3O in the
afternoon Does Atlanta wish this noon
recess
s. In many progressive cities OF the
limited States the boards of education
are permitted to levy a necessary school
taM. limited by a maximum number OF
mills on the dollar. in such systems
tho schools are up to date They al.
most defy criticism. Such condition
is natural result Those who spe
{ cialize on school questions are naturally
4 better prepared to appropriate the
f funds needed by the schools. Gentle
men. however intelligent and patriotic
and honest. who have not specialized
on this question do not know how much
OF how little to give US. 1t is easy to
take the butchers knife and whacl off
big slices from the budget OF the de.
partment Of schools.
Atlanta has a great system of
schools. They can be vastly improved
fif the intelligent men and women OF
this town viii demand the creation Of
such conditions as will remedy evils
hut extrayagant and emotional charges
swill accomplish no good"
Superintendent Station added that the
absence of adequate lighting systems
iand adequate janitor service We're also
Shortcomings in the schools that should
be remedied He also declared that
seats should he installed in the schoo.
auditoriums. which are often used as
public gathering places