The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-12-25
MARYLANO'S PUBLIC
SCHOOL SYSTEM
What Will The Legislature do For it
This Year?

Every member of Maryland's Legis-
lature received last Wednesday a copy
of ga Comparative Study of the Public
School Systems in the Foyty-eight
States" This study, made by the
Russell Sage Foundation, is nation
wide investment in which the school
system of each state is compared with
the school system in every other state.
The study shows, among other things,
that in eighteen states out of the as
the average annual salary of public
school teachers is less than one dollar
day and that one state rents its con-
victs per annual for more than it pays
its teachers; 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
invested in school property ranges from
$4in. Mississippi to $l15 in Massachusetts,;
and that the providing of free text books
IN one state resulted in 10 per cent
increase in high school attendance.
Rhode Island has the longest school
year of any state-l93 days but If
these 1913 days were divided equally
among the children of achool age in
the state, the result would,be 119 days
of schooling each. This is the effective
school year." The result of this COM
parison shows that this state provides
70 days as its effective school year. In
nearly quarter of the states the effec-
tive Eschool year is lsss than three
months. AS nation, the United States
has shorter school day. shorter
week, and a shorter school year than
any other highly civilized country in
the world.
American expenditure for public
education has more than doubled in
the past ten years. Today the people
of the United States spend nearly half
billion year on their schools. The
expenditures per child of school age
range all the way from So in South
Carolina to nearly eleven times as much
or 1872 in Washington.
The amount that the state has in
vested IN school buildings is an index
OF its past interest in education. In
Mississippi, the average investment is
81, while in Massachusetts it is nearly
20 times as much or $115.
In current expenditure per child of
school age, this state ranks 18th among
the 48 states, while on the average
value of school property the standing
is 39th. A significant fact in con-
connection with this expenditure for
school property is that as a
nation we allow our public schools TO
burn down at the rate of one for every
school day IN the year
Many states through lack of COM
pulsory attendance laws, or through
their non enforcement, waste much of
the money that they expend on their
schools. Many states have long school
years and short attendance in years.
The per cent of attendance ranges from
60 in Maryland and Mississippi to
more than 80 in Oregon and Massa-
chusetts.
In North Carolina, New Mexico, Ark
ansas, and Alabama the attendance
period is SO short that the average
pupil would need % years to complete
an elementary course of eight years of
nine full months each. If he were COM
PEELED to live up to this standard, he
might enter school at five, and not get
his eighth grade certificate until he was
81.
In 18 the 48 states, the average
annual wage of public school teachers
amounts to less than a dollar day.
In just five statesiis it more than two
dollars day. The highest.average sal
airy paid In. the United States is 1913 in
California, ..the lowest is 5000 in North
Carolina. The. rank ofaMaryland is 18th
among the 48 States, with. an average
annual salary of $515 per teacher.
According to the study, the average
annual wage Of. carpenters in the United
States is about 1902, of coal miners $500,
of factory workers $3.50, of common la
borers $5l3, and OF, teachers $485.
Throughout the southern states, thous-
ands of rural teachers earn less than
$3.50 year. In one New England state
hundreds of teachers earn less than Sc a
week. In one county in a Central At
lantic State the average for all teach
ers is $129 year. One Southern state
rents its convicts to contractors at lit
tie more than $500 per year. while it
pays its teachers slightly over $500.
The right of the state TO tax the
property of the state to educate the
children of the state is now firmly
established. A free common school
education is the common brthright OF
every American child. Nevertheless,
there appear startling differences in the
endeavors of the different states tc
meet this.obligation. In Oklahoma and
Washington, expenditures for public
schools.each year amount to about Il
cents for every 500 of wealth and this
proportion is nearly four times as great
as that found in such states as Wyoming
and New Mexico. Maryland spends q
cents for every 800 of wealth.
One-thlrd of the states have no laws
regulating the construction of public
school houses and Maryland is among