The diamond drill., 1919-03-08
PUBLIC FORUM
The Teaching Profession.
CBy f. w: Tiegs.J

Among the bigger things which nave
become established scientific facts In
education and which came out in the
various meetings at Chicago, last week
was this: With proper teaching, on
ly the lower third Tin mental ability
OF our pupils need six years TO com
Dlete the work OF the first grades.
The middle third can do II In about
four and one-half years, while the
upper third, mentally. can do 1t in
three years. This is not entirely new
TO many because educators have long
known that because OF faulty peda-
gogy, organization, custom, etc, much
time has been wasted. The particular
significance OF these findings, how
ever, lies in the fact that definite
scientific steps are now being taken
to eliminate this waste. (This does
not mean that the child will be put
into high school after five or six years
OF work, but that he will spend profit
ably, the two or three years not vast
ed during the first eight grades)
The biggest single factor in the
education of the child is the teacher.
The new developments in education
call fer much better prepared, more
loyal and more efficient teaching that
has ever before been thought of. 1t
follows naturally that this kind OF
teaching will cost more, and no one
who understands the situation will
hesitate to make this investment for
tho sake of their children.
The employment Of properly pre-
pared workmen at higher salaries with
the consequent elimination OF waste
and the Improvement OF the new prod
uct has enabled many factory manag
ers TO earn much larger dividends for
the stockholders. Applying this scien-
tihc principle to education, the en-
ployment of only the better teachers
will eliminate this waste, the product
OF the schools will be much improved,
and the educational dividends which
the community stockholders have a
right to expect will be greatly in
creased
The people OF community, when
they see the matter in its true light,
do not want to pay the smallest sal
aries that will hold teachers any
more than a man wishes TO buy the
cheapest suit that can be obtained.
Service Is the criterion. In the past,
TOO many communities have had their
eyes on the salaries and have forgot
ten the service which the teacher rem
dered Patrons have objected If
school boards have paid salaries that
would secure and hold strong teach
ers and have complained when low
salaried teachers have done poor work
What is the remedy? 1t is now
possible, as it was not few years
ago, to measure with reasonable
degree Of accuracy the results which
teacher obtains. The superior
teacher must be recognized and paid
The poor teacher must seek some 9TH
er line Of activity. Every community
owes this to the rising generation.
On the other hand statistics have
now been published showing beyond
question, that only small percentage
Of the grade teachers OF Michigan are
receiving salary equal to their act
ual living expenses.
In order TO get at the true facts OF
the situation. open and impartial in
vestigations were made in 14i Michi-
gan cities and towns In which school
boards and school patrons often took
part. This report has been published
and IL is found that in just 26 OF these
towns were grade teachers able tc
live on their salaries. In other words
after the parents OF grade teacher
have spent from two to three thousand
dollars on her education (many grad,
teachers now hold degrees) she car
ALMOST support herself requiring
only railroad fare and free board foi
the summer.
High school teachers. the repor'
shows, can support themselves In 4
greater number OF cases, but their in
vestment Is always larger, and theii
salaries ought in fairness to be liz.
stlc larger
The A. T.. A. convention unanimous.
ly adopted resolution calling for {
minimum Of $1,000 all over the United
States. One state already has this
minimum. Every teacher, even in tho
smallest rural school, gets beginning
salary OF $1,000. Another state Is now