The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-11-01
SCHOOLS FACE CRISIS
Shortage of Teachers Seriously
Affects Schools in the Counties.

iOiIOItdSc Vi ledClleTS OtT1OuSly
Affects Schools in the Counties.
State Superintendent of Schools, M.
Bates Stephens, reports that serious
danger confronts the public schools on
account of properly qualified teachers
The many new departments created by
| the national government in the con-
duct OF the war, as we'll as the hun
dreds of vacancies in Baltimore and
the larger towns caused by the absence
of men in military service have created
an unceasing demand for Office and
other help, and the liberal salaries of
fered have induced hundreds OF Mary
lands best teachers to forsake educa-
tional work. The situation is partic-
ularly acute in counties adjoining the
larger industrial centers and Washing
ton. In Montgomery county more than
fifty teachers have resigned since May,
and in Anne Arundel, and several other
counties, the superintendent are I'M
able to find enough teachers to open all
the schools
I Since May six principals OF approved
nigh schools have entered military ser
vice and as many have resigned their
positions tC take up other work. As
most high school teachers in the coun-
/ ties are women, it has been especially
hard to find suitable candidates for the
vacant principalships. The commercial
and manual training Departments of the
high schools have also suffered severe
loss. Only for the academic subjects
has the supply Of eigh school teachers
been equal to the demand.
While living expenses were relatively
low, and not so many other avenues of
employment were open, it was COM
paratively easy to find teachers for all
the schools. Today, girls with less
than high school education have little
difficulty in securing positions in bust
ness offices and government bureaus at
twice the salary their teacher receives.
/ As a result teachers are leaving the
schools to go into other lines of work,
and since fewer young men and women
are now in colleges and other schools
preparing for teaching, it is a serious
question with school authorities how
the schools may be kept open and up to
the standard
The great need of the public schools
of Maryland for years has been proper
ly qualified teachers, trained especially
for service in the one and two-teachers
school, with a desire to live in the
country. To render the best service in
country schools, teachers need to be
specially fitted to meet rural life
problems. They must be rural minded,
with an interest in the country com
munity and Its institutions. and must
have good capacity for initiative and
leadership; and while this need has
never been adequately met, a good be-
ginning has been made under the pro-
gressive school legislation. passed by
the last sessions of the General AS
semblY. Following the report OF the
Maryland Educational Survey Commits.
sion, the Legislature of 1916 passed
laws providing for many improvements
in the State School System. which have
given Maryland the credit for having
the best school legislation of any state
in the Union. Just as this law is get
ting into operation, there is extreme
danger that its high standards set up in
the interest Of the school children of
Maryland may be nullified through the
lack of teachers who measure up to for
mer standards.
The underlying cause for the lack of
adequately trained teachers is general
apathy towards the needs of the schools
and mistaken notion of economy in
public school support. Over three
thousand teachers in the counties of
Maryland are paid the minimum salaries
permitted by law. With the increasing
cost of living, and the other avenues of
employment open to teachers, more
money must be available for teachers
salaries if the schools are to be kept up
to former standards. In no other way
will teachers be able to continue max
ing the necessary preparation for their
work, and meet the expenses for furth-