The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-01-24
State Superintendent Mcclenahan
Has Some Figures Of interest
Regarding Salaries and
Positions.
SHORTAGE rs REPORTED
This is Due to Fact They are Leaving
This Profession for Others
With Better
Pay.

1 P. E. McClenahan, state superin-
tendent of public instruction, says
that the average teaching period OF
a public school teacher in Iowa Is
! but three years. Mr.. McClenahan
also states that teachers cannot be
obtained for country schools because
; of low salaries offered. In speaking
! Of the situation, Mr.. McClenahan
says:
{ 1.-THE secretary Of the National Edu-
cation association has just given out
some very startling facts with refer
ence to public schools and public
school teachers.
! "He makes the statement that more
than 100000 teaching positions in the
public schools are either vacant or
filled by teachers below standard;
that attendance at normal schools and
Misunderstanding schools has decreased
20 per cent in the last three years.
These startling facts are based upon
an investigation made by the National
Education association. They represent
the report Of more than 1900 super
/; intendents from every state, and
represent 238,573 teaching positions.
These reports show a shortage of A.
685 teachers. or slightly more than 8
percent of the teaching position repre-
sented, and $4,000 teachers who are
below the standard are selected to fill
the vacancies. 1t is estimated that
there are 100000 in teaching positions
in the public schools OF the United
States, and at the same ratio, for the
entire country. $4,000 vacancies and
+ IS, 900 teachers below the standard.
Many Drop Out.
These same reports show that dur
I ing the past year % percent OF the
teachers dropped out of the public
schools. 1t also shows that there is
/ the greatest shortage in the rural dis
tricts where salaries are lowest and
teaching conditions are less attrac-
tive.
THE percentage of shortage varies
greatly in the different states. Cali
fornia reports a combined shortage
and below standard of only 3h per-
cent, Massachusetts IA percent and
Illinois Z percent. In at least six OF the
southern states more than one-third
| of their schools are reported without
1 teachers or being taught by teachers
who are below the standard. Nearly
| all of the superintenden,S declare that
teachers are leaving the profession for
other work.
/ "The total attendance in seventy
eight normal schools and teacher.
training schools located in thirty-five
different states in 1915 was 33,051, in
1919 the attendance in the same
schools had fallen off to 26,134 The
total number in the graduating classes
of these schools is 1920 was lis.
These figures show a decrease IN the
number Of graduates OF over 80 per-
lcent in your years.
The Wage Question.
| 1.-THE National Education association
has compiled statistics to show that
! machinists reveive on an average $500
a year more than high school teachers,
fathers $500 more. bricklayers nearly
$500 more, wire men and structural
Iron workers S750 more, blacksmiths
] 5000 more, machine tenders in print
ling establishments and compositors
$3.50 more, and plumbers $500 per
year more than high school teachers
| The same comparison is made with
the salaries of intermediate teachers.
iThey receive on an average about one
half what is received by plumbers and
fathers. -.
/ "The question of teachers salaries
lis not local one, but problem that
is nationwide and hundreds OF men
whose interest in the welfare of their
country is marked, are thinking OF
these problems. In the state of Iowa
| the present annual report shows that
we have 25,526 teachers with 1896
men, or approximately 7 percent OF
| the teachers in the state are men.
This condition does not seem so
serious unless ii is understood that
the life of the average teacher in
the state is about three years, that
one-third of our teachers are new each
year, and another one-third are chang
ing locations This makes never
ending problera>fo for the school board.
city and county superinteuaents."
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