Evening journal., 1918-03-12
CITY teachers EGAIN
URGE WAGE Increase
Send TO School Board Seized.
uIe Fixing Minimum
Salary at 5000
BOARD PROMISES
TO BACK MOVEMENT

After adopting proposed wage
schedule at a meeting Of all public
school teachers. OF the city in the audi
torium Of the High School yesterday
afternoon, a delegation Of teachers ap-
peared before the Board Of Public Edu-
cation last night and presented the
schedule and urged the necessity Of its
adoption by the board. The delegation
consisted Of Miss Sallie Reid Shaw, Miss
Ellen Samworth and Miss Nellie J..
Sawin and slviy-seven other teachers.
They MADE It plain TO the school board
that something would have to be done
by the Board Of Public Education and
City Council towards allowing them
wage that would permit them 10 meet
the ever-increasing cost Of living The
proposed schedule provides as follows:
Minimum salary for graded teach
ers. $500, an increase Of 800: instead
Of the increSe Of $50 and S25 a year
for teachers Of A and b grades. re-
spectively. double that amount: an in
crease In the maximum Of 81. 100 for
High school teachers; a maximum for
graded teachers Of $1,000; adjustment
Of the principals salaries: 81 800
year for heads OF departments. The
salaries Of supervisors and special
teachers are to be left for adjustment
te the administrative heads Of the
Board Of Education, as heretofore.
Several members Of the board, in
Guiding the president, spoke Of the
need Of larger salaries for the teach
ers and unanimously offered their
support for the proposed increase Of
the school budget Following the
teachers addresses before the board,
conference Of the teachers committee
and the superintendent Of the schools
was held, after which Il was decided
TO defer action on the details Of the
budget until the next meeting Of the
board.
At the meeting Of the teachers in the
afternoon, there was some opposition
% the proposed schedule. several Of the
teachers saying 70 did not provide
sufficient increase. Dr. Clifford Scott.
superintendent OF schools. who was
present, informed the teachers that
while he approved the schedule, he
thought 10 was the patriotic duty Of
the teachers TO stick by the children
and not 90 desert their school rooms al
this time he said it is a serious prob
lem when the government itself is
making a bid for qualified services at
the highest remuneration.
Teachers cannot live on $500 a year
n they have 10 depend on their own ef-
forts exclusively and this, or no other
community has the right or should eX-
pect any TO endeavor 10 do so. The
lime has come when the teaching pro.
fession Is being rapidly depleted,
sho tage OF twenty-five per centum ex-
listing at the present time Schools all
over the country are closed because
they cannot secure teachers for any
sum.
Wilmington must not lose her
teachers. The time has come when
they should and must be paid better
salaries Your action meets with my
heartiest approval, and shall be happy
to help you In any manner possible"
The afternoon meeting was pre-
sided over by Miss Shaw. who said
Wilmington school teachers were un-
derpaid in normal times, and now. as
the purchasing power OF a dollar has
decreased fully one-half. many Of
them ind Il almost impossible TO live
on the pittance they receive.
II teacher IS to do efilcient work"
TIC NulAs rlt UAlrA Nf NIIl nOuIlHutu
physically; she must dress we'll, for
the psychology Of clothes has It's effect
even in the school room; she must
subscribe TO cultural and professional
magazines and buy cultural and pro-
fessional books II she is 10 grow pro-
fessionally. All these and many other
demands are made upon teachers con
siantly, and 10 Is not 10 be wondered
that teachers here, as well as else
where. are desertine their chosen life
work for less congeuial but better paid
positions.
we propose" Miss Shaw said. "to
so before the Board Of Education and
ask for an increase IN the salaries OF
teachers an along the line While 10
is true that the youngest teachers now
receive $500 a year, which Is an in
crease OF $3.50 over the salaries Of two
years ago, that sum is wholly made
quate 10 attract or hold teachers In the
lower grades. These salaries must be
Increased 10 a living standard But also
believe that the teachers who have
been long in the service and who have
borne the burdens Of the day and made
The Wilmington school system what il
is. should also have their salaries ih-
creased. We viii ask The Board OF
Education only for what is fair. and
Tor what we believe will enable the
teachers 20 live as they should while
they are engaged in most important
work of the state