The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-01-06
PUBLIC SCHOOL
TEACHERS GET
VERY POOR PAY
I'M EIGHTEEN OUT OF FoRTY-EIGHT
STATES THE AVERAGE ANNUAL
WAGE Is LESS THAN A DOLLAR
A DAY.
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS


New York, Jan. 1.-THE results of the
latest study of the Russell Sage Founda-
ton, on an interstate comparison OF
school systems, were today made public
vision of Education. The bulletin
is entitled "A Comparative Study
OF State School Systems in the Forty
eight States and sets forth, among 9TH
average annual wage of public school
teachers is less than one dollar a day,
and that one state rents its convicts per
annum for more than it pays Its teach
ers; that the United States has the
shortest school year in the world; that
American public schools burn down at
the rate Of one for every school day in
the year; that the amount per child in
vested in school property ranges from 81
in Mississippi TO $115 in Massachusetts,
and that the providing of free textbooks
in one state resulted in ten per cent in
crease in high school attendance.
Rhode Island has the longest school
year of any State-193 days-but IL these
1913 days of schooling were divided equal
ly among the children of school ags in
the state, the result would be 116 days of
the effective school year and com
pares the 4S States on that basis. In
nearly a quarter of the states the effect
i've school year is less than three months.
AS a nation, the United States has a
shorter school day, shorter school
week, and q shorter school year than any
other highly civilized country in the
world. American expenditures for pub
lie education have more than doubled in
the past ten years, according 10 the bull
letin. To-day the people of the United
States spend nearly half a billion dollars
a year on their public schools. The ex-
penditure per child OF school age ranges
all the way from So in South Carolina to
nearly eleven times as much, or $32. in
Washington.
The amount that the State has invest
ad In EChn0l hIlfldinCQ ia index IF IFS
past interest in education. In Mississippi
the average investment per child in
school buildings and property is 81, while
| in Massachusetts it is nearly 20 times as
much. or s1i5 A significant fact in coz
nection with this expenditure is that as
nation we allow our public schools to
burn down at the rate of more than one
| for every school day In the year.
Much Money Wasted.
The bulletin sets forth that in many
states through lack Of compulsory at
tendance laws. or through their nor-en-
| forcement, waste much OF the money
| that they expend on their schools. Some
| states have long school years and short
attendance years. The percent of attend
ance ranges from about 60 in Maryland
| and Mississippi to more than so in Ore
| gon and Washington.
In North Carolina, New Mexico, Ar
kansas and Alabama, the attendance pc
| ROD Is so short that the average pupil
would need about % years TO complete
an elementary course of eight grades OF
nine full school months each. II he were
compelled TO 1--we up to this standard, he
might enter school at the age of five ard
not get his eighth grade certificate until
he was p. In is Of the As states the av-
erage annual wage of public school teach
ers amounts to less than one dollar a
day. In only five states is II more than
two dollars a day. The highest average
salary paid in the United States is 1913
| In California, and the lowest is $500. in
| North Carolina
| dino e.
! wage of carpenters in the United States
i is about 1902, of coal miners $500, of
factory workers $3.50, OF common labor
| ers $512, and of teachers S485.
| Throughout $hs Southern States thou
SANDS OF rural teachers earn less than
$50 per year. In one New England state
hundreds of teachers earn less than sis
! oonars per week; In one county in g
| teachers is s129 per year. One southern
| state rents its convicts to contractor:
at little more than $500 per year, while
IL pays It's public school teachers slight,
over $500.
Series Of Leaks.
IN each school system there is q serie.
| OF leaks through which the children es
cape before completing the course Jso-
this reason the membership of the lowe
grades is large; that of the upper one.
| much smaller; the high school enrcllmen
smaller yet; and when the college Il
reached. few OF the original beginners re
main. In this process of elirnfnatio,
great differences are found between III,
states, with the result that in some part
OF tne country large proportion of tn
young people are receiving higher educa
ton, while in other localities the proper,
| ton Is low. So great are these differ
ences that the proportion of college stu
dents in Massachusetts, California. ant
Indiana is greater than the proportion o
| those receiving high school education Il
twelve Of the southern and western
states. The report quotes but does no
youch for an estimate by the United
States bureau of education to the effec
that In the country as whole less thar
half OF the children finish more than TIN
first six grades: only about one In fou
ever enters high school. and less than
in 100 go to college. The right of tn
state to tax the property of the state t
educate the children Of the state Is nov
firmly established. A free common schoo
education is the common birthrtght O
every American child. Nevertheless
there appears startling differences IN tn
endeavors OF the different states to NEE
this obligation. In Oklahoma and Wash
ington expenditures for public school
each year amount to about rs cents 70
each $16e Of wealth and this proportfo,
Is nearly four times as great as tina
found in such states as wyoming an
New Mexico. one-third Of the state
have no laws regulating the constructfo'
OF public school houses. the report de
clares. We nave only three types of in
| situations where attendance Is cornruI
| sory-jails, asylums and school houses
| Few of US have TO stay long or freduenti
in fails or asylums, but all Of us spen,
many wears in school houses. Never.he
| less, Ohio alone has complete reSulatio
OF school house construction 20 fns,ir
the safety and sanitation Of these buaBa
ings.
A somewhat better situation Is foun
with respect to medical inspection @
schools, which is provided for by the law
} of twenty states That such laws ar
, needed in the remaining states is show
) by q mass of experience which demon
, strateS the efficient medical inspectfo
! betters health conditions among schot
| children. safeguards them from disease
, and renders them healthier, happier an
| more vigorous.
, According to this report the system {