The Republican journal., 1914-12-10
Tbe Maine Schools.
s.,,t payson Smith Notes Hopeful
state '' r;or in Annual Report.

annual report VI AAo"' "yoo'
inc + Augusta, State superintendent
Snl'n ' VI schools, shows that for the
Of paD Dnol wear 6, 800 different teachers,
1851 w. a whom were women, were en-
5H0 = the elementary schools of the
p'ys''s Since there was reduction of 57s
stals' lumber of different teachers en-
ID 'D' the conclusion is drawn that teach
pIoys' wire was on the average some
bs - ,ra continuous. This is regard
What nlor' educational gain. Frequent
si az in the teaching force in town
changes ooI tends to make for unrest and
Of a Tu0GJ Generalization of school work.
fQE lne ,invmept of teachers for the en-
The tlh gooi wear rather than from term
u5 ,erm is regarded as an economical
to lt .nre from both financial and educa-
peas" peas nonts Of view.
hqla. opnears from the report tina: the
i aP taga of trained teachers is grad
peT n2 "3arreasing. Ten years ago little
nsiy than y per cent. were graduates
nor rsi ar training schools, while last
Of H'la.rarrjrally ore third or nearly "a
ysai we're of that class.
Pc! 'g.rsfn' analysis of the figures shows
\ .Lass trained teachers are not all of
ids. ', W. Az found by any means in the
t5sp' t,a0s aud cities. The impression
S s, ,sra4' Graduates are not to be
ID r.. s1> except the cities and larger
iou's IS snrarently not sustained by the
lo".7 sl.e. there were only LAG planta-
is-'E towns that were not served at
agg' 1,-. iurug the year by graduate
sg' ,.-r If training school.
o. +r. mort indicates there is close
G,9. setween the quality of the
f'.. mr. .5rca and the wages paid. The
F',z salary for women teachers IN
g'11e towns and plantations not en-
ns trained teachers was 1864. 40,
P,!.aIss S92. 03 less, than the average
s g 81 ly of women teachers Tor the
73 1,,aoy.- it is of interest to notice
,'t AZ uyr cent. of these JAG towns as
na themselves for common schools
:.''' rate less than the average for The
e. !. Ind could without an excessive
2 ats If taxation correct an implied de-
sno,cg Of the 81 per cent. claims
-srs considered in connection with equal
;,s,ioo fund apportionments and awards
u r,any cases were made for the pur-
l..- increasing teachers salaries.
SALARIES INCREASED
AZ, t5a General situation of teachers
salaries the report shows Improvement,
'1s 5r,.ua} salary of women teachers in
crossing over the preceding year from
Sss % 20 $3.50. 81,
Ia. rsport suggests that in view OF
.s5ge4eyjaole position held by Maine in
1s matfse of teachers salaries there
s5o,,g be- no relaxation of effort until
i+s schools can hold we'll qualified teach
,rs competition with neighboring
2-a,ps Despite the gain in some OF the
lawn. and counties there we're still last
gsa- tve counties where the annual aver
sga salary Of women teachers fell below
Kan Tie report emphasizes the fact
tbst the real test of the result of teach
srs wages IS not to be made by an ap-
nlication of an average figure. The
weakness is apparent when in any school
tbe wage of the teacher is so low as to
make impossible or extremely difficult
well sustained quality of teaching SER
vice through period of years.
The returns show for example that
there were last year 1,119 teachers who
were pal1 annual salaries of $3.50 or less
and hat there were l, $50 others whose
annual salaries did not go above 5000.
These salaries in the opinion of the
State Superintendent do not justify a
reasonable expectation of high grade
Of teaching service sustained year after
year The question raised by these fig
ures is not so much one of Justice to
teachers IS it is one of assuring to chill
3rar reasonable efficiency of instruc-
ton ard t. The State proper safeguard
ng "a The education of its future citl-
zen.
NINIMtM SALARY ACT
Flrtlr comment implies that the
Stale insight we'll take under considera-
a5 -a- adoption of minimum salary
ag with 4 view to eliminating more
Speedily -h4 number of grossly under
pst eacnng positions. Speaking OF
u- professional activities of teachers
tbs sc5og report shows that for the year
ending JAY l., 1914, the last to which
Dea aerttcation of teachers applied,
taets wera employed in elementary
schools es5 State certificated teachers.
More Jhau 1000 teachers attended
teachers meetings, while nearly 500 at
tended sessions of summer schools.
In commenting on teachers institutes
and sumner schools the report states
thai IN q t-aching force that has so large
proportion of unframed teachers and
that EXISTS the services of its numbers
iorse short 4 period it is imperative that
every reasonable means be taken to pro-
ietl pupils from the unfavorable results
q ineXperience and lack of preparation.
Ihe conclusion that the teachers who at
tend the various institutes and summer
schools are those who are particularly
Jealous II self improvement and that
Their influence does not extend to many
schools that especially need such influ-
ehees is doubtless correct one.
Inc fact that there are more than
z10Q teachers whose work was not
touched at all during the year by these
Means Of Improvement gives point to
me commentator that the law be 80
amended as to make possible the holding
Vi a larger number of local Institutes
VIVA View to reaching the more poorly
pa'l anc more remotely located teachers
sHa the adoption of some means of en-
lWelhg or further encouraging the at
'enaance Of the class of teachers who
especially require the means of improve
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