Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-10-25
A PLEA FOR BETTER RURAL
SCHOOLS.
70. NJ. Plummer in Portland Live
stock Reporter

stock Reporter.)
II is now that time of year when
the taxpayers OF rural school dis
tricts come together and levy a tax
to carry on their schools for the COM
ing year. In no part OF the state
should there be better teachers than
those found in the country. Sad to
relate, however, country conditions
are the very poorest. No amount Of
money spent in commercial club pub
licity or other form of advertising
can approach the good done by an
efficient school system. School di-
rectors should comb the country for
the best teachers to be found; should
be satisfied only with normal trained
teachers, and consider money appro-
priated to secure such superior teach
ers an investment and not tax.
Young teachers who have been in
country district year or more,
and who are giving good satisfaction,
should be given a salary which will
retain them, instead Of allowing
them to go to some large city, then
breaking in a green teacher.
Do you want your boy and your
girl to be under the charge of the
best teacher than money can get, or
are you willing that your board OF
ucation should 90 out in the market
and shop" for bargains in the way
of teachers? Do you want your boy
and your girl to have three different
teachers in one year, or do you pre-
fer the same skilled teacher year af
ter year? Why should the country
be considered the training cap for the
seasoning of city teachers? Why
not reverse this process? Every city
teacher is under the eye OF an ex-
perienced supervisor. Why can not
the country father and mother see
that it is to their advantage to come
to the city and take our best teach?
ers? The average salary in the city
is about 800 per month; in the
country anywhere from $50 to $50.
According to statistics, every child
who finishes the eighth grade has an
earning capacity during his life's
expectancy of about $4,000, one
who finishes the high school $4S,00O,
and a university trained man or
woman $4,000. This gives the boy
or girl who finishes the high school
course a salary of $40 a day for
every day spent in the school room
during the high school course; for
every year spent in getting the uni
versity training is an equivalent to
$50 per day; in a rural school with
twenty children there is an earning
capacity Of from $40O to $1,000 per
day. Are you mothers and you faith
ers going to let the matter Of 81 per
day difference in salary between a
real trained teacher and an un-
trained teacher stand in the way of
your boys and you girls future?
Let every man and woman vote;
go to the school meeting this fall
fully determined that the best is not
too good for their district; that they
shall have standard schools-schools
such as are making Oregon famous
throughout the country; that their
teachers shall be of normal school
training or an equivalent experience.
Get behind your schools; make them
something Of which you may well be
proud; talk about them in your work
ing hours and dream of them during
your sleep.
Every dollar spent by you in edu-
cation will be returned to you hun
dredfold. Make the states of the
northwest known as the home of
splendid rural opportunities. In no
other way can we so rapidly build up
our country.