The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-08-11
UNEQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK
Public School Teachers Receive Wide
Variation.

Wide variation in the pay for the same
or similar work is one of the most strik-
ing situations revealed by the investi-
CATION of teachers salaries just COM
pleted by the u. s. bureau of education,
under the direction Of j. G. Boykin, edl-
tor of the bureau. Public elementary
school teachers may receive $2,4OO a
year. as some do in New York City, or
$45 a year, as in certain rural communi-
ties. Even in cities of the same class
there are considerable differences in the
salaries paid teachers. On the admins
trative side there are county superin-
tendents with pay ranging from Sll5 to
$4,000 per annum, and college presidents
receiving salaries all the way from 5000
to Sl2,400.
In city school systems salaries have
increased steadily in recent years, par
ticularly in the western states; and In
general, salaries in city school systems
are fairly we'll standardized The aver
age salary of the superintendent OF
schools in cities of over 250 900 popula-
ton is S7,l7S; the range is from $4,000
to $4,000. In the same group OF cities
high-school principals average 5000
and elementary teachers LOIS. Even in
the smallest cities listed, those between
5000 and 10000 population, salaries are
fairly uniform. The maximum Tor SUI
perintendents in this group is $4,000 and
the average Sl,9l5; but elementary
teachers show an annual average of
1888, with salaries as high as 1880 and
as low as $l04 1t is in the colleges and
universities that the widest variation
prevails The salaries of men with tile
rank of professor" range from $3.50 to
S., 500. Professors" in some lnstltu-
tuons receive less than instructors" or
even assistants" in others. Salaries OF
deans of these institutions vary from
$500 to $1,000. University teachers of
subjects for which there is direct COM
mereial demand outside receive some
what higher salaries than those in
charge of the traditional academic sub
iects. but the difference is less than
might be expected. The highest average
salaries for full professors are paid in
law and civil engineering. Law claims
the highest paid professorship in any
subject, with one salary OF $500; but
there are professors of physics, geology,
and Latin who receive $1,000. 1t is
significant, however, that on the basis
OF the figures reported most college
teaching, particularly in the first two
years, is done by men of instructor
grade with salaries of 1000 to 81 200,
or by assistants who receive on the
average about $500, usually for half
public instruction.
Quite as noteworthy is the variation
in salaries for state superintendent of
public instruction. The salaries of the
chief school officers in the various states
range from $4,000 in New Jersey and
New York; 81 800 in Illinois; $1,000 in
Massachusetts, and $1,000 in Pennsylva-
mia. Wisconsin, California, Indiana, and
Louisiana; down to $1,000 in Delaware,
Nebraska and Nevada; 1900 in South
Carolina; and 81 500 in South Dakota.
The report contains detailed compari-
sons. showing the increase in teachers
salaries at different periods. The figures
thus collected will be utilized as the
basis for further investigation by the
bureau of education and by organizations
such as the national education associa-
ton. to determine the actual conditions
of the teaching profession.