Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-06-17
MONEY FOR SCHOOLS.
To the Honorable Mayor and Council
Wilmington, Delaware

To the Honorable Mayor and Council,
Wilmington, Delaware
Gentlemen Mr. Robertson, IN making
his comments upon various items IN the
budget, which was passed by Council,
last Friday night. spoke of having sent
to the Board of Public Education mem
orandum of Councils wishes as TO the
use of part OF the money appropriated
for the Board of Education for increasing
the salaries of the teachers. lie stated
that he thought, as the wishes of Council
had been recorded in black and white.
that there would be no opportunity for
any misunderstanding by the Board OF
Education of Councils wishes In the mat
ter. | was sorry that MIR Robertson felt
1t necessary 10 make such a statement
as an uncalled for lack OF confidence In the
Board Of Education was shown regarding
the use of the money they appropriated,
although previous to the passage of the
budget il has been made perfectly clear
to me what the desire of Council was
1t will have 10 be admitted by members
Of Council that the Board of Education
with the professional head of the admins
tratiOn of the schools, our superintendent,
must know better than members Of Coun-
ell how the teachers salaries should be
increased. The arrangement for the IN
crease of the salaries of the teachers. as
handed to MIR. Robertson, was made IN
strict accord with our classification sys-
tenn, which would have made IT possible
for us to increase the salaries OF the low
est paid teachers to a point where We
could feel that we could hold them In
your arrangement there will be about
- teachers receiving the smallest sal
aries who will get considerably less
money under your plan Of increase than
they would under our arrangement, which
was made in accordance with our classi-
hcation system This means that there
will be large part OF these teachers that
we will not be able To hold because of the
fact that in the lower counties OF the
State they are offering larger minimum
salary than we can offer and this is also
the case in regard 10 teachers whom we
have to bring from outside the State
This IS a serious matter and II by the 10th
Of September We find ourselves so short
handed as to our supply OF teachers that
We are unable To open up some of the
schools, We will, of course have to place
the responsibility, where IT rlghtfully be
longs, on your body. Ii is readily seen
that the parties TO suffer in such an event
are the children for whom we will be I'M
able to provide proper educational facih
ties
Our plan for the classification Of teach
ers is one Of the very best things IN the
professional administration of our schools
Ii furnished an incentive to a teacher 10
improve her preparation for teaching in
order that she may get better classified
tion and in that way better salary and
at the same time become better teacher
Many cities OF the United States have
adopted practically similar classified
ton system since we started ours several
wears ago 1t IL the intention of the |
Board Of Education to maintain this /
classification system and the increase |
in the teachers salaries, which will be
given for the ensuing year through your
willingness TO appropriate additional |
money for the purpose, will have to be |
given as a special increase with which |
they can meet the abnormally high cost |
of living at the present time
am sorry that your body could not, |
at the same time that you were consider |
ing the matter OF high living conditions, |
also take into consideration the fact that |
the teachers of the public schools of this |
city are receiving much lower salaries !
than are paid teachers in the majority /
of cities throughout the United States |
and that YOU might have had sufficient |
confidence in the Board of Education |
OF this city, to have allowed lis to pay |
this money To the teachers in accordance |
with our classification plan so that the /
salaries would have been properly IN !
creased in accordance with our system, |
so that the teachers would have appre-
ciated the fact that we increased their |
salaries also because we felt that they |
deserved higher pay
That YOU may understand the position
Of the Board of Public Education in this |
matter, | will say that at the meeting |
held last Monday night the following |
resolution was offered and adopted by |
the unanimous vote OF The board, and |, |
as president, was directed "a forward the |
with this communication, which |
was also approved hy il:
Resolved, That the Board OF Public |
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