The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-01-10

raise the salaries of our public
school teachers. rms is 1t subject
that has been occupying the minds
vi the school officials CT our State
SINCE IKE DCginuInS of our scholastic
:, ear alta lnueed curing the summer
vacation II became evident that
there would not be enough regularly
ceItificated teachers in Maryland TO
| fill the schools.
" hiIr dorchester has not Jared so
oadlN aS have the counties contigu
Gus 20 the cities and nearer the
large industrial centers, yet the con-
ditions mere are alarming.
Since the schools opened in Sep
tember We have had 30 designations.
Most OF these have been from teach
erS who have gone into other work
| for more salary. The positions made
vacant by these designations have
mad to be filled by emergency teach
ers who hold only provisional GER
! tificates. In fact, in order to open
all OF our schools in September, 1t
was necessary 10 employ a number
! of teachers holding such certificates.
At present, of the 1919 teachers in
our county, white and colored, we
have SO who are not regularly GER
| tificated. While many of these tea
cheers are qualified they
have not had the professional train
| ing required by law, and can only get
| this professional knowledge through
| experience, which in general means
at the expense of the children being
| taught.
One OF the provisions of the new
| school law of 1916 was that after
June, 1916, no one should be en-
ployed as public school teacher in
Maryland who did not hold a certif1-
| cate from the State Board of Educa-
| ton and who had not had at least
| 6 weeks of professional training for
| the work. The trainers of this law,
during the school year, when it
| would be impossible to get teachers
| meeting these requirements, added
| another provision to the effect that
| in such an event a provisional GER
| ,ificate might be issued by the State
| Superintendent to meet the emer-
| gency. Such certificates to hold
| good only until the end of the school
year
1t is generally agreed among all
| school officials, and can but be con-
| ceded by every one, that the only
way to maintain the efficiency of
| schools is to maintain high stand
| ard for teachers. and this high STAN
dard for teachers must necessarily
| mean adequate salaries. This is
doubly true at present, when the
cost of livin ghas practically dou-
bled in the last three years, and
when there are so many other lines
| of work open to our teachers at in
creased salaries.
The teachers OF Dorchester are do
| ing good work. They are conscien-
tious, loyal, and devoted. Those
who have left have done so reluc-
family, most of them having express
ed a willingness to remain at less
salary than they can command in
other callings. but they must have
living wage.
Our present salary schedule shows
that we have 27 white teachers work
ing for $500 per year; 10 for $3.50;
25 for $500; 80 for $3.50; with 6 re-
ceiving $500, and 9 at $3.50. The
remainder are principals, and High
School teachers, who receive slight
ly more, but not enough, considering
the amount paid for the same grade
of work elsewhere, and considering
| the 6AtTd SApSuS0 VI pISpdI dllOu lOI
these higher positions.
The salary list of the colored tea
cheers is SO at $235 per year, and
two teachers teaching in the Indus-
trial school in Cambridge at $352.50
and s375. respectively.
! Cnde7-or present school law, the
school finances are handled under
budget system. This budget must be
do Nv he, rd
Education and presented to the
County Commissioners during the
month of April for the next scholas-
ers must act on it on or before the
first of May, the date they make
their levy.
There are three sources from
which we get the money for public
levy, which for the present year
cents on the hundred; the State
school tax, Dorchester's apportion-
ment of which should be about $44,-
900; and the oyster license tax.
which in normal times amounts to
between $4,000 and $4,000. This
year, l understand, it will be consid-
erably less than usual. This makes
about 100000 for the schools or
Dorchester county for the scholastic
year 1918. OF this amount, about
$4,000, or 70 per cent, goes to
teachers salaries. The remainder
goes to the other necessary expen
ses, such as fuel, furniture, repairs,
sanitation, textbooks, supplies, ad
ministration, etc. The fact is that
not enough is left for the necessary
expenses. Our schools are ne prop
erly equipped with furniture for
lack of funds. We are unable to
make even necessary repairs for
lack of funds, and while these things
are sadly needed, yet the crying and
immediate need, the need that must
be met at once, is more money for
teachers salaries.
AS this 100000 was fixed by the
county and State levy before the
present school year began, there is
nothing that the Board of Education
can do toward increasing salaries at
present, unless more money is gotten
from some source. The School
Board did go before the County
Commissioners early in the school
year and ask relief, but as they, too,
work under budget system, they
are powerless to help during the
present fiscal year.
A committee composed of teach
ers. school officials, and patrons, wait !
ed on the Governor in December,
urging him to include in his budget
under the item public schools sum
sufficient to materially increase the
salaries of our teachers, and while /
hn ~,
self, he did offer some encourage
ment, though he said he felt that |
the counties should bear their part
of the burden.
Granted that the Legislature does
increase the school tax, that will give |
no relief as present, as the rate fixed |
by them during this session will be |
for the years 1920. AS pointed |
hxy III ~ tel