The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-03-19
Public School Crisis

Many Of the best teachers of our
public schools are resigning to enter
into other callings and many more are
contemplating such a move because OF
the inadequate salaries they receive.
The school has not lost attractiveness
to them nor has their interest waned
in educational work and its far
reaching influence. There are sacri-
fees for the general good which even
the most altruistic teacher should not
be expected to make. His own we'll
being and that Of those dependent up
on him must be taken into account
Teaching has never been one of the
remunerative callings or professions.
The labor and application required to
properly equip a teacher and make
him an efficient and responsible in-
structor for the youth of our land, 1t
applied in some other practical direc-
ton would give promise of large ma
terial advantage in life and surround
him with more comfort and less NOR
al responsibility to the community at
large. But your true teacher is
drawn to his calling by a higher and
more altruistic ideal, and he is willing
to make some sacrifice Of the things
which majority of mankind hold as
the chief aim in life. T..
Although the salaries paid our pub
lie school teachers always have been
abnormally low, they have struggled
on, striving always for better eff
cheney and mental equipment in spite
of that handicap But great finan-
cial change and industrial unrest has
overtaken us as well as the balance Of
the world. We have just passed
through the throes of destructable
world war. Our Government has
fioated billions of dollars in bonds
which the people in their patriotic
war ardor have taken up. The Gov
ernment has been compelled to place
premiums upon all sorts of necessary
manufactures, food stuffs and de-
structive implements of war, until the
prices on everything have scared and
our currency circulation been so in
fated that the normal dollar has lost
fully one-half of it's former purchas-
ing value. Teachers as well as others
working on pre-war salaries cannot
in the circumstances meet the de-
mands of even a modest standard OF
living based on American ideas of
comfort. And SO, unless there is
some decided encouragement held out
to them to tide them over the difficult
and abnormal financial condition that
confronts us today, more OF our best
teachers will be seeking other ave-
nues of business in which they can
better meet the requirements of liv-
ing, and our schools will be robbed OF
a large percentage of their efficiency
What that would mean to the present
and following generations is not q
pleasant reflection.
Every school district in city, town
and rural community must make ar
earnest effort to meet the situation
retain our best teachers and encour-
age others to prepare themselves for
this most important work of the
whole country-the preparation Of our
youth to carry on. You people OF
Pennington and st. Francois county
should have your minds and hearts
impressed with this fact in way that
you will keenly realize that it is your
personal duty-a responsibility that
rests upon each individual--to see
that our public schools are maintained
and kept up to the very highest stand
ards. Our public school system is not
only the best but the most economi-