Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1920-01-07
Teachers Salaries.

The recent meeting of the State
Board of Education and school direc-
tors at Burlington, a full report of
which appeared IN this paper, brings
home to Vermonters critical condi-
ton Of affairs. Reports from other
states and the daily reports of our
out-of-state papers show is that 9TH
er communities are acting at once in
the matters of education by increas-
ing the salaries of their teachers.
The situation OF the teachers is in
deed different from that of ordinary
wage earners. They are public ser
wants. intimately associated with the
most vital concern of government, the
education of every boy and girl in the
nation. Under our compulsory school
system all of our future citizens come
under their training and influence
The teacher, like all public SER
wants, is answerable to the public, an
swerable to a greater degree-and
correctly so because of the nature of
/ his WORKMAN any other class of
workers. The question of dress, of
! attitude toward public questions,
their manner of living and their
method of spending their leisure as
well as their general character is the
concern of every citizen and prob
ably viii be as long as education shall
endure.
The term of employment of teach
ers practically precludes them from
entering upon any employment dur
ing the so-called vacations and GER
tainly from attempting to increase
their wage by other work after their
school day is finished. Every teach
er, who is interested in school work,
and today that Is about the only eX-
cuse for teaching, would like to bet
ter fit himself for his calling by sum-
inner school work which necessarily
uses up the vacation, and a large sum
of money which must be furnished
by. the individual.
THE nature of the work of the
teacher is eXacting in the extreme,
calling for a high nervous tension for
six hours day, with careful prepar-
ation<of work after the school day is
finished. Anyone who believes the
life of the teacher in the school room
is the essence of leisure and pleasure
should stand for five minutes upon
the playground of any large school
and appreciate the dynamic life that
must be governed and directed every
minute of the school day. There is
no calling today that demands great
er continued concentration, repres-
sion of feeling and elevated enthusi-
asm than that of our modern teacher.
The teacher is a fine believer in
democracy inasmuch as democracy is
the foundation stone upon which our
public school system rests. Teachers
as a whole believe that it is the duty
> of all public servants to rest what
ever grievance they have in the hand
of the proper authority for proper
consideration and redress. They be-
lieve that strike methods are unbe-
coming to public servants end mimi
cable to government, for 1t is only
, through the constancy and integrity
J of its public servants that any SEM
iblance of authority can exist.
Vermont as a state and Newport as
Q reprcs- NATIVE of the state, should
5 consider seriously that its teachers be
2 at once adequately rewarded and sal
! aries which have not materially in
! creased since 1915. shot Id be brought
! up to a point where the teachers del
= lar today viii purchase as much az
, formerly; that its teachers as public
= wants should have a square deal
{ which is the only righteous demand
Of those who serve The public by it:
authority 1t is 6rIy by awakened
public spirit that serious danger cal
be averted and The profession of th'
L. teacher, so vital to government %
X restored to its proper position o.
q trust and respectability.