Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-03
School Teaching in Maine.

Fhe current Maine School Report
shows that for the last school year g.
$50 different teachers 1876 of whom
were women, were employed in the
elementary schools of the State. Since
there was a reduction of SIS in the
number of different teachers employed
the conclusion is drawn that teaching
service was on the average somewhat
more continuous. This is regarded as
an educational gain. Frequent changes
in the teaching force in a town or a
school tends to make for unrest and
for the generalization of school work.
The employment of teachers for the
entire school year rather than from
term to term is regarded as an eco
nomical measure from both financial
and educational points of view.
1t appears from the report that the
percentage of trained teachers is grad
ually increasing. Ten years ago a lit
tie more than % per cent were grad
yates of normal or training schools,
while last year practically one-third
or nearly "a per cent were of that
class.
A careful analysis of the figures
shows that these trained teachers are
not all of them to be found by any
means in the larger towns and cities.
| The impression that normal graduates
are not to be found in any except the
cities and larger towns is apparently
not sustained by the facts since there
were only LAG plantations and towns
that were not served at some time dur
ing the year by graduate of normal
or training school.
AS the report indicates there is a
close connection between the quality
of the teaching force and the wages
paid. The average salary for women
/ teachers in the LAG towns nd planta-
tons not employing trained teachers
was S264.49 which was s9203 less than
the average annual salary of women
teachers for the whole State.
Moreover, it is of interest to notice
that 43 per cent of these 146 towns as
sessed themselves for common schools
at rate less than the average for the
! State and could without an excessive
rate of taxation correct in implied de-
| ficiency. OF the 81 per cent claims were
! considered in connection with Equal
ization Fund appointments and
awards in many cases were made for
the purpose of increasing teachers SAL
aries.
On the general situation of teach
ers' salaries the report shows still i'm
| provement, the annual salary of wo-
men teachers increasing over the pre-
ceding year from s345.93 to s356,52.
The report suggests that in view of
the unenviable position held by Maine
! in the matter of teachers salaries
there should be no relaxation of effort
until the srhools can hold we'll quail
| fled teachers in competition with
neighboring states. Despite the gain
1 in some of the towns and counties
/ there were still last year two counties
where the annual average salary of
women teachers fell below $780, The
/ report emphasizes the fact that the
! real test of the result of teachers
wages is not to be made by an applica-
/ ton of an average figure. The weak
ness is apparent when in any school
/ the wage of the teacher is so low as to
make impossible or extremely difficult
a well sustained quality of teaching
service through a period of years.
The returns show for example that
/ there were last year Lie teachers
/ who were paid annual salaries of $3.50
or less and that there were 1150 9TH
ers whose annual salaries did not go
( ABOVE SZUO. IneSe salaries IN the Opln-
/ ion of the state superintendent do not
Justify reasonable expectation of a
! high grade of teaching service sus-
| tanned year after year. The question
raised by these figures is not so much
/ one of justice to teachers as it is one
of assuring to children a reasonable
efficiency of instruction and to the
State proper safeguarding of the ed
ucation of its future citizens. Further
comment implies that the state might
well take under consideration the
adoption of a minimum salary act with
a view to eliminating more speedily
the number of grossly underpaid
teaching positions. Speaking of the
professional activities of teachers the
/ school report shows that for the year
| ending July l, 1914, the last to which
| local certification of teachers applied,
there were employed in elementary
| schools 1885 state certificated teach
ers. More than 1000 teachers attended
teachers meetings, while nearly 500
attended sessions of summer schools.
In commenting on teachers institutes
| and summer schools the report states
that lin a teaching force that has so