The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-06-06
by SIDNEY ESPEY.)

fected school teachers has received the
attention of the United States bureau oil
education. From the reports on the
progress of the inquiry, ii Is to be gath
cred that some of the pedagogues are in
pretty bad way
To begin with the bureau declares
thatthe average school teachers salary
is about the same as that of the average
workingman or mechanic. But il is
pointed out that the school teacher must
meet more diverse, and in many cases
greater, expenses than the workingman.
Community demands, says the bureau,
are greater upon the school teacher. A
school teacher must wear more expen-
Sive clothing and a greater variety of ii
than the workingman. The school
teacher must live in house in keeping
with the houses of other professional
persons and must frequent the same
places of amusement, such as high
priced thcaterS, concerts and the like.
In fact, many superintendent of
schools and state superintendent make
recommendations which are construed
by many teachers as being very near TO
orders, 10 attend such performances in
order that they may be able 10 discuss
them with their pupils in school. The
teachers are expected to purchase books
and pictures and TO pursue their own
studies, oftentimes taking special post.
graduate university courses in the even
ingS, in order TO increase the efficiency
of their labors. All this expense, how
ever, is not taken into consideration,
says the bureau OF labor, by those who
pay teachers their salaries and therefore
the teacher is in bad way
AS TO the effect of the high cost of
living, the bureau shows that the 5000 a
year school teacher of today is receiv
ing what would have been equivalent to
a SllO year salary in 1897, because of
the great difference in the purchasing
power of money, now and then. If
measured by 1897 prices the 81 900 a
year school teacher of today is getting
remunerat on of only 1923 1t is true,
the bureau of education says, that the
tables of statistics on file will show that
teachers salaries have been increased
but the other tables, those relative TO
the cost of living has been running a
race with the salary raises and has won.
One of the special reports on the stu
alton was prepared for the bureau by
DR.. Robert c. Brooks, executive secre-
tary of the National Educational AsSoci-
alton. 1t shows that wholesale prices
in 1911 were AL per cent higher than
in 1907; that retail prices had increased
5O.2 per cent in the same period while
in June, 1912, retail food prices were
OIL per cent higher than in 1896. With
these figures, DR.. Brooks demonstrates
the sorry plight of school teachers
whose increases in salaries on the aver
age have been very slight during the
same period.
One of the items in the report 10
which special attention is given by the
bureau of education is the statement that
teachers do not receive high enough
salaries TO enable them to carry adequate
life insurance. Out of 900 teachers in.
veStigated only thirteen were found
who possessed property valued at more
than $4,000. Practically every one of
the thirteen, who did owed their good
fortune to some other source than their
salaries as school teachers. OF the
teachers investigated, scarcely one car
ried more than the most limited life in
SuranCe.
The bureau points out that the mar
ried teachers are worse off than those
who are single. The investigation of
DR.. Brooks was carried to many mar.
ried teachers and their circumstances
were found TO be extremely difficult
The testimony OF a Denver teacher is
given prominent place in the report
He declares that his SuperiorS in his
school, and he himself, believe that a
teacher should take courses of study
and that he should attend educational
plays, go TO concerts, operas and lee
lures. This teacher declared in his
testimony that, as he was married, it
was a question of whether 10 spend
money for these things or TO raise
family, and that he decided TO raise the
family although he believed that he
should be able TO do both.
The bureau of education is urgent in
its recommendations to states TO in.
crease the salaries of teachers where
there is state control and to counties
and municipalities in other instances.
1t points out that greater efficiency will
be forthcoming if the teachers are given
more suitable salaries.
And the bureau of education blameS
it all on the increased cost of sub.
Sistence. The time has passed when
the little red SchoolhouSe and the
district school held sway in rural COM
munitieS and when the teacher got
along very we'll indeed because he was
considered the honored guest of the
community at large. Boarding around"
was an ancient custom universally |
practiced In the rural districts of the |
United States. The teacher would be
given an itinerary by the school board,
a board composed of the patriarchS of
the community, of places of where he |
or she would board during the term.
The teacher would live and take his
meals at one farmers house for a GER
tain number OF days and then move TO
anOlhCT'S
The hosts in this system were the
fathers of children attending the school.
In the summer time when school was
not in session, the teacher, if a man,
would get job as farm hand, receiv-
ing slight wage and board with his
and, if a woman, would get a
position doing homework for some
well 10 do farmers wife or as a waitress
at small town hotel.
But the days when this system was in
vogue are past and gone and there is
community in the country
where il obtains. So the school
teacher and the cost of living, in city
and country alike, are constantly at
swords points.