The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-17

JftItS ~
Registration fees (teachers) S,96s SO
Tuition fees paid by nom
resident teachers ...... 4,sg3 SO
state appropriation ,... 10000 90
8 Ss,54S 10
Added to this expenses OF
teachers at $50 EACH, 1Ss,6s0 90
Ard no have the total ex-
pense OF summer nor
mai schools ....,.. S247, 2z5 10
or which all but s44, 6s3 so fs con-
tributed by the teachers. The teach
ers of this state and q few outsiders
are therefore taxed each summer the
great sum of s202.54f.60 to obtain the
benefit of the summer normals. We
are compelled to say that our sym
pathies are with the great mass or
the country teachers who are grossly
underpaid, receiving an average OF
about $40 per month for the school
year.
journal of Education.
The Virginia Journal OF Education
is hard to describe Physically 1t is
publication which appears once
month FOR ten months In the yeaI.
II advertises itself an the official
organ OF the department OF public in
siruction though II Is disowned by the
superintendent Of public instruction
as q governmental function. From a
sta.,ment made for the year ending
june 80. 1915. il appears that the In
come Of the Journal was as follows:
subscriptions .......-......SA. 6ob.S 81
Advertisements .......,.... 2,649.50
Appropriations By state
board ......--''...''.''' .ao'"o
Miscellaneous ....,......,. A&'eo
sS.3sss6
or this amount the editor got ST..
egg.93 and his clerks, sl,fst2s,
Pressure is brought to bear upon
many Of the public school teachers
to subscribe. the subscription price
being Is per cent. Many OF the iocai
schoo, boards subscribe for the teach
ers OF the county and pay the sub
scriptions out OF the public funds,
A monthly report required of the
public school teachers of the state IN
cludes question No. ~. which Ia as
follows. Are you a subscriber to the
Virginia Journal OF Education"
one young lady teacher writes that
she il not given certain holiday In
the wear unlnss she ls a subscribed.
Most OF the teachers whose suhscrip-
lions are paid out OF the local school
funds seem to think the journal Is a
good thing; the teachers who are, In
effect, compelled TO subscribe out Of
their own pockets. do NOT seem en-
thu<iastic as to its value.
A Journalistic Parasite.
Apparently the Journal is Il para
site upon the department of public
instruction and its relation to the state
government varies according to con-
ventence.
think no publication with such
relations to the department OF public
instruction should he allowed. 1t Is
semi-public and semi private and has
been, and probably always will be.
used for political purposes by tho su-
perintendent controlling II. Al least.
there Will always be the temptation
so to use II.
The editor frequently acts as off,
cial agent for the department Of pub
lie instruction, and 1t is often uncer-
tain whether he is acting in public
or private capacity.
Private Concern Canouftage.
This concern which has been care
fully camoufiaged to make 1t appear
to be state public agency Is In real
ity private Business run for private
profit by Messrs J. r. Fentress and
w. c. Blakey. two Richmond school
teachers II is another parasite which
of education. though It In In fact a
private enterprise conducted for pri-
vate profit Messrs Fentressa and
Blakey made contract with Joseph
w Everett. editor of the Virginia
Journal of Education. by which they
organized the State Cooperative
Teachers agency. The state furnished
these gentlemen an Office free, paid
for out OF public funds. The object
of this association was to furnish per-
sons who desired to teach with
schools. In other words, to bring to-
gether the teacher who wanted a
school and the school which wanted
teacher. The teachers for this SER
vice had 10 pay Messrs. Fentress and
Biakey. doing business in an office
furnished by the state. registration
fee of 81 and at first three per cent
% per cent? on the total first years
salary of the teacher and afterwards
five per cent Is per cent? on the first
years salary OF the teacher.
Both Messrs. fortress and Blakey
claim that this Is their own private
business with which the state has no
concern. We disagree with them.
The first came into existence by rea-
son of a contract with tho editor Of
the Virginia Journal OF Education,
who In hi turn is named by the SUI
perintendent of public instruction.
The firm enjoyed free Office rent from
the state, and its name as well as its
affiliations marked 1t as a public state
agency. Such private concerns should
not be permitted to be on such reia-
tions to the government OF the state.
A teachers agency should be either
entirely private or entirely public.
The teachers get little enough as 1t
is. without being mulcted Ave per
cent (5 per cent? of a years salary
in order to get placed
To bring "a teacher to a school
which wants teacher should be a
public function administered by on
cials of the department OF public in
struction with no charge to the
teacher,
Perhaps there are some few special
lists In Virginia who may understand
the system of certifying teachers, but
Ii Is certainly Incomprehensible to the
average teacher. Harris Hart, the
Of public instruction.
elect. writes under date of April 81,
1917, as follows: The list OF certin-
Gates am appending is. think. long
enough and complicated enough TO
give you 1t least an index to this fact
e ,Sa fsss 81 u s.sa4 tS5