Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-10-18
TEACHERS PAID
SALARIES LESS
THAN LABORER Rs
Educators. AS a Rule, Car
not Live Comfortably and
DeCentIy on Their Present
Pay, Survey Report Shows.

(By The Associated Press)
New York. oct 1.-The sala-
RIGS. training and experience of
public school teachers in the Unit
cd States are declared TO be lin
adequate by the nation commit
tee for chamber of commerce CO.
operation with the public schools
Despite recent salary increases the
committee asserts that the crisis
has not been passed,
These conclusions are drawn in
summary of Il survey of the
schools OF 359 cities conducted by
the committee, which is composed
of thirty-threc secretaries of
chambers Of commerce and thirty
three superintcndents of schools,
Questions TO Consider.
'"Thc thoughtful citizen needs TO
ask himself." declared Or George
w. Suayer of Columbia university.
chairman of the committee "in the
light OF the returns presented by
our inquiry. questions like the fol-
lowing Can teachers in our com
munity have comfortable place
to live. good food and decent
clothes for the amount of money
which We pay? Are the teachers
who work in our schools able, on
the salary paid to them, to make
provision against the liabilities ot
illness and old a"et Do the teach
ers in our cities have salaries suf-
ficient to enable them to buy
books. to subscribe to magazines
TO cnjUv music. TO travel, to con-
tinue their profession study and
otherwise to lead .hc type OF life
which makes 'hNm the kind Of
men and Won ai chat can be post
helpful 10 my boys and girls?
Would ! want my son and daugh-
ter to go into teaching? Is the
recognition given to teachers, in
terms of salary in my city suffi-
cicnt to attract the abIcst of the
young men and women in our COM |
mmity?" The replies to these in |
uuifies, in view of the findings, |
must all be in the negative, says !
DR., Strayer
Average Salaries Paid.
In 1913-14 one-han Of the mon (,
elementary teachers in cities with =.
n population of from 5000 to 80, |
zoe, the report shows, receive less
Mpan 1896 In 1920, one-half |
N the same group were receiving
Tess than $i.262, an advance of
S316 or 80 per cent. Meanwhile. it
was stated, the cost of living had
104 per cent.
American cities paid high school
AN aver sc Of $500
last year while elementary school
received an average sal
I sAf H. col
aries paid in these positions requir-
ing the management of complex
organizations and skilled leader
ship" the report points out, "are
not enough to secure competent
secretary. bet alone to be consid-
cred adequate pay for the princi-
pal" A summary of the survey
issued by the committee says:
"The survey also discloses that
the salaries of artisans and labor I,
ers throughout the country are
much higher on the average than
those of teachers. These low sal
aries have resulted in a serious
teacher shortage throughout the
country. The demand for teachers
In 80 great that students leave nor
NAL schools when their courses
have been but half completed. An
alarmingly large proportion of the
teachers as result are emergency
teachers lacking in proper training
for their work,
Lack Proper Training.
Reports from the cities of this
survey show that so per cent of
The teachers in the elementary
schools of American cities have
had less than six and one-third
years OF training beyond the eighth
grade; that so per cent of the
junior high school teachers have
had less than seven years training
beyond, and that so per cent of the
senior high school teachers have
had less than eight and ors-half
years.
"Cha mbers of commerce in every
state have assumed the leadership
in condu ting local campaigns to {
bring the seriousness of the situa- !
tion to public attention ANA or i.
game community forces for I'M
proving condition."