Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-10-18
Survey of Public
Schools IN 359 Cities
of United States

New York. Oct 16.-The salaries
training and expeRsenre of public
Oh public school teachers in the
Enited States are Declared In be I'm
adequate" by the National Committee
fnr Chamber OF Commerce eo-epern-
unn with the public scnnnis. Despite
recent salary increases the commit
TEE asserts that the crisis has mot
been passed =
THESE conclusions are drawn ina
SUMMARY of a survey Of the schools of
SOB cities conducted by the commit
tee which Is composed OF 30 score
tazies OF chambers of commerce and
S3 supHrutEndenrs uf schools.
Tire thonghrfui citizsn needs To
ask himselt declared DR. George W
StrzHer of Columbia University.
chairman OF the committee, .in the
light of the returns presented by our
inquiry. questions Like the following.
Can teachers IN our community have
a comfortable place to live guod rood
and decent clothes for the amount of
mnney which We pay them Are the
teachers who work IN our schools
able. ON the salary pald To them. 10
make provision against the liabilities
Of Illness and old age Do the teach
ers in Our critics hHve salaries. srrff1-
cient To enailie tnem ID buy books I'd
subscsibe 10 mHgzzines, To enjoy
music. 10 travel. no continue their
professional STUDY and otherwise to
lead the rvpe Of life which makes
them the kind Of men and wamen that
can ne muaf helpful to my boys and
Eiris2 Would I want my son and
daughter 10 go inrn teaching? Is the
recognition given To reanhers. in terms
of salary. in my city sufficient To at
tract the ahiest OF the Young men and
women IN our community" The re-
plies ID these inquiries. in view of the
findings. must all be IN the negative
sRvs DIR. Sfrayer-
In 1sIS-ls ene-fIalf Of the men
elementary teachers in cities with a
population OF from s.010 10 lose. the
report shows received less than s946
In a20-2g. one-faif of the same yrnup
were receiving less than si-262, an ad-
vance of $s1s or 90 per cent Mean
while. X Was stated, the cost Of nv-
ting had advanced Ida per cent.
Amerlnan CITIES paid high school
principals an average of $500 lasT
year while elementary school prin-
lcipals received an average salnrv ef
$I82e Many of the salaries paid
in these positions requiring the
mHuagement of complex Organize
tiuns and HkiIfful leadership" the
report paints ont. ARE nut enough
m secure a cumperent secretary. let
alnne 70 be considered adequate pay
for the principal" A summary of
the survey issued by the COMMITTEES
sRys:
The survey also disclgses that the
saiaries of artisans and iaborers
throughout the country ara much
higher an the average than those of
ftacners These low saiHries have
resulted in u ser1ous TEACHER shortage
throughout the couutrv The de-
runnd for teachers lis SO great that
students leave normal schools when
fneir COURSES have been but half
sumpletsd- An alarmingay large pro-
portion of the teachers as a result
are emargency TEACHERS lacking in
proper training for their work.
.Kepurfs frnm tine critics of This
survey show tffzt 80 per cent of the
tsaclers IN the elementary schools af
American feachers in the elementary
schnUls of Am1ricun CITIES have had
less 1innn six and one third wears OF
training beyond the eighth grade.
thzf 60 perrenf of the jl1uiOr high
srhuDlfcach1rH hnve had 1ess than
seven years or training beyond. and
f1lnk 20 pnrceuf of the SENIOR high
srl1uui .t1aciSars hxxe And iens fhHn
oiU1nf and une-nnH yanrs.
.s-huux11Rx Of Cuuuuarua IN au4x-v