The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1919-02-07
PAYING THE TEACHER.

We may talk as we like about
progress in educatlbn, lilt If we
TAIL to spend money for teachers
there will be no progress. school
boards who take complaisant at
titude about teachers pay should
read the National Education Associa
ton report on teachers salaries.
They will find there solemn words
about the Threatened collapse OF
The teaching profession sensation
al words used by men accustomed to
weigh their utterances carefully.
In the new world of freedom and
democracy that Is emerging, intelli-
gence, knowledge. and skill will coun,
for more than in the old. Education
becomes the CHIEF business Of legis-
latures and congresses representing
the people
In America We measure values In
terms OF dollars and cents, and men
and women have formed the habit
of selling their labor of whatever
kind in the highest market they can
command. II is only Though i'm
crease I'm pay, therefore. tx we
may hope to improve TO any large
extent the character of the person
mel of any profession or trade. II Is
only by very large increases in pay OF
teachers that we may hope to inn
prove our schools upprcciabiy. Small
increases of .. 10. or 20 per cent
will not avail, for they will not be
sufficient to hold in the schools men
land women OF superior ability. Teach
ers are now paid less for their worl,
than any other class of workmen,
and the increase in their pay in th2
last few years has in nowise been in
keeping with the increase In pay of
other workmen. or with the increase
in the cost of living While the cost
OF living has increased approximate
~ so per cent-food. 50 per cent;
clothing 100 pc. cent, drugs 100
per cent; fuel 50 per cent and house
furnishing goods - per oent-thc
salaries of teachers have increased
only u per cent The purchas.ne
power or the salary Of the teacher in
our public schools Is. therefore, only
about 60 per cent of what IL wac four
years ago. Mail carriers, policemen
.unskillcd laborers. cooks. telegraph
messengers are p.,G much higher
wages than are teachers. As re
salt many OF the better teachers are
leaving the schools and their place
are taken by men and women of les
uauye ability. less education and cu
ture. and less training and expert
B ence. Many Of the places are not filie'
r at all. As an inevitable result th
character of the schools Is bcint
3 lowered just at a time when it ough
e. 20 be raised to much higher stan
. lard.
Students now entering the norma
y school TO prepare for teaching al
not of as good quality as they wer
c formerly, which means that the sta
o dards of the schools must continue
s fall In some normal schools the ei
q rollment is far less than in formC
years
The only remedy is larger pay f.
teachers. IF school boards. legslato
p. and county and city councils wou
oi Immediately announce the policy
" doubling the average salary OF touc
IN ers within the next five years and
Ne adding not less than 80 per cent mo
S. within the 10 years following {
id expiration of this period so that
Ii ihc end Of - years the average 81
AIRY of public school-teachers Won
be not less than S1.500-about o
- aud one-half times larger than th
g. receive AT present andthcn "a
steps for carrying out this poll
much good would be accomplish
thereby at once. Such a policy a
such a prospect would attract to
schools more men and women of
pe,ior ability and would hold the
working contentediy and, thereto
probably for the children and
public welfare. Such increase i'm S
airy should carry with 1t an mere
NJ of not less than % per cent in
average length Of the school te'
which is now less than 100 days.
To those who are not acquain
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