The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-09-23
THE TEACHER

1T IS significant fact, and one well worthy OF
Z attention, that few of the returning members
of the A. f. f. are taking up their abandoned
work of school teaching. Many of the young
soldiers returned from service in France, were
offered positions in the schools in their COM
munities, but in nearly every instance, the Of
fers have been rejected. School teaching is
becoming one of the spurmed professions and
because of this it is high time, that something
were being done about the matter. Much has
been written about this subject, but little of it
seems to have taken effect. Our schools are
becoming poorer and poorer, and fewer and
fewer young men care to shoulder the burden
of teaching. With true American materialsm
we have begun to scOrn our school teachers for
the one reason alone; they do not make money
The time has long since passed when the school
teacher was the criterion of his community, and
when the honors of his position made up to him
for the lack of lucrative results. Today he has
neither honors nor money. His is a constant
struggle to remain in the good grace of his
board" and at the same time to live upon his
meager income This is a question which af
fects every man in America, from the richest to
the poorest, for every mans children must be
educated. 1t seems strange and a sad thing,
that this republic should be so ungrateful to
that which has made it what it is today-the
public schools. There the poorest mans boy
has the same chance with the richest mans son.
1t is the acme of equality and from the highest
to the lowest, Americans are to blame for the
present condition Of our educational affairs.
The public schools are kept alive by the
taxpayer. Everyone knows that, and taxes have
become so many and frequent, that we shudder
at the sound of the word. However, while we
are paying taxes on many things we could well
do without, we are Withholding our money from
that which we cannot do Without-om schools.
The laborng man, the farmer, the banker and
the professional man, pays his tax on automo-
bieS, on cold drinks, on tobacco, on clothing, on
land on diamonds, on pianos, on dogs but he
resents the idea OF paying any more tax for his
school appropriation. This thing which is Of
such vital concern to his children and their fu-
ture, is let drift along until it bids fair to become
a lost art. Already, it is said thousands of teach
ers are hired by school boards and placed in po-
sitions of responsibility, who have failed in so
many other things, that they fall back upon
school teaching as a last resort. The scarcity
Of teachers is so pronounced, and the method of
selecting them so lax, that this year, many girls
fresh from high school last June, have been Civ
en- positions which they are in no way capable
OF filling, and are getting salaries equal to other
men and women who have finished their uni
Verslty courses and spent much money on fit
ting themselves for their work. This is OBJ
viousy unfair, and shows the state to which we
are reduced. 1t is not that the high school girl
Is getting too much money, but that the other
teachers are getting far too little. The road
which capable and able teacher must travel