Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-03-20
MINIMUM TEACHERS SALARY

years have passed, so that the mini
mum average salary for teachers will
be $1,500-this is the program urged
by DR.. P. P. Claxton, United States
commissioner of education. Doctor
Claxton says:
1t is only by large increases in pay
of teachers that we may hope to i'm
prove our schools appreciably. Small
increases of 5, 10 or 20 per cent will
not avail, for they will not be sufficient
to hold in the schools men and women
of superior ability.
! Teachers are now paid less for
their work than any other class of
workers, and the increase in their
pay in the past few years has in no
wise been in keeping with the increase
in pay of other workers, or with the
increase in the cost Of living. While
the cost of living has increased ap-
proximately so per cent-food, IS per
cent; clothing, 106 per cent; drugs
1903 per cent; fuel, SO per cent, and
house furnishing goods, IS per cent
the salaries of teachers have increased
only about II per cent The purchas
ing power of the teacher in our public
schools is, therefore, only about 60
per cent of what it was four years
ago.
MANY of the better teachers are
leaving the schools and their places
are taken by men and women of less
native ability, less education and cul
ture, and less training and experience.
Many of the places are not filled at all.
AS an inevitable result the character
Of the schools is being lowered just
at time when it ought to be raised
to a much higher standard.
''Students now entering the normal
schools to prepare for teaching are
not of as good quality as they were
formerly, which means that the stand
ards Of the schools must continue to
fall. In some normal schools the en-
rollment is far less than in former
years.
"The only remedy is larger pay for
teachers. If school boards, legislators.
and county and city councils would
Immediately announce the policy of
doubling the average salary of teach
ers within the next fse years, and OF
adding not less than SO per cent more
within the ten years following the ex-
piration of this period, SO that at the
end of fifteen years the average salary
of public school teachers would be not
less than 81 5O0-about one and a half
times larger than they receive at pres
ent-and then take steps for carrying
out this policy, much good would be
-, ~
"Such a policy and such prospect
would attract to the schools more men
and women of superior ability, and
would hold them, working contentedly
and, therefore, profitably for the chill
dren and the public welfare. Such in
crease in salary should carry with it
an increase of not less than % per
cent>in the average length Of the school
term, which is now less than 100
days:
ITO those who are not acquainted
with past conditions and who have
given the matter no intelligent
thought, the increase recommended
may seem large, but in fact it is not
It would in most states mean a range
of salaries from $1,000 to $4,000. No
person who is fit to take the time
and money and opportunity Of the
children of this great democratic re-
public for the purpose of fitting them
for life, for making living, and for
virtuous citizenship should be asked
to waste the time and money of the
children and to fritter away their OPP
portunity for education.
'It is not for the sake of the
teachers that this policy is advocated.
Schools are not maintained for the
benefit of the teachers. If men and