New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-12-10
TEACHERS PAY
IS TOO SMALL
WORSE OFF THAN SHE WAS BE.
FORE THE WAR, FINDS CON-
MiTTEE OF INQUIRY.
CONDITIONS IN $50 CITIES
Average Increase in Salaries Has Been
81 Per Cent, While the Cost of Living
Has More Than Doubled Since 1918
1914.
BY M p.

BY JAMES p. HoRNADAY.
WashingtOn.-"In view Of the de-
creased purchasing power of the dol
lar, the average school teacher in the
United States is worse off than she
was before the war" is the conclusion
drawn by a committee of 33 secretaries
of chambers of and 81 SUI
perintendents of schools who have just
completed tie report of an inquiry re-
garding the schools of 359 cities with
a population of 5000 or more.
The decision to make the survey re-
suited from n conference of IA group
of superintendent of schools with IA
few chamber of commerce secretaries
held at Cleveland IN February. 1920,
at the invitation of the American City
bureau. At this meeting the national
committee for chamber of commerce
cooperation with the public schools
was organized. That committee made
the survey, with the cooperation of
the American City bureau. DIR. George
ID. Strayer of Columbia university Is
chairman.
The questions to which answers were
sought and obtained In 1863 cities were:
"How much training do your teachers
have?' How well do you pay your
school e~mployees?" and "What special
Inducements do you offer the teachers
in your %schOolsi" The inquiries to be
reported later are: "How well do you
house your school children?' what is
your educational program Z" How ade-
quately do you safeguard the children's
healthi' How much does education
cost yOur cityT' and "EIow will the
rising cost be metz"
Means Raising More Revenue.
The problem of teachers salaries is.
In the last analysis, the problem Of
support ana taxation, the report says.
Men and women who wish well for
their communities and are determined
to maintain the standard Of public edu-
cation which has already been devel-
oped must think in terms of these fun
damental issues. If the schools Of n
community are to be as good in 1920
81 as they were in 1914, the com
munity must double the rate of tax
alton, double the valuation of property
upon which taxes are levied, or find
new sources of revenue.
The salary inquiry may he thought
of as an index to the situation on the
financial side, since teachers salaries
make up considerable more than half
of the total cost of education.
The average increase In salaries of
teachers In the elementary, Junior
high and senior high schools has been
81 per cent since 1913-14, the report
and during this period the cost
Of living has increased more than 100
per cent. The grouping of salaries In
three classes according TO the popu-
OF the cities shows q wide range
of salaries I'm each group, and a ten
dency to increase the lower salaries
than the higher ones The com
considers this tendency com
mendable TO the point where all teach
ers receive n Giving wage" hut that
after this has been secured ii is very
essential in securing competent teach
ers and administrators hat the sal
aries for positions of additional re-
sponsibility shall be raised high
enough 10 induce men and women of
ability TO become teachers. and
to know that their ability and eXtra
efforts will be rewarded as IN other
tines of work.
Ratios Of Increase.
Superintendent and assistant super
have received an increase
Of only "a per cent during the time
hat teachers snlaries have Increased
u per cent. Salaries Of superintcnd-
In large cities have Increased but
T. per cent. The average salary OF
high school principals for the year
was about s2,5O0. Only a small
Of the school adininistra-
.ors are paid salaries which place
hem In the executive" class. and the
'eport predicts that the schools will
a marked shortage in these
positions unless the competition Of
he commercial fields Is met.
II was found that of 6S.291 teachers.
',493 have had only one years OK
OF this number 75s are high
ichool teachers and 2.735 are elemen-
ary teachers. More than 10000 wom-
n, however. and more than 800 men
ave been teaching 90 years or more.
Emergency teachers, lacking proper
for their work. are said To
ompose IAN alarmingly large proper
ion" of those now in the class rooms.
{ is a commonly accepted standard
mong city boards Of education. the
eport points out. that the teachers
D the elementary schools should be at
past graduates of standard normal
which means a twoyear pro-
essional course above graduation from
four-year high school.
Program Of Short Session.
The senator's and representatives {
no have already come on for the !
ist session Of the ~Sixty-sixth con {
ress. which Will open the first {
in December. are agreed that :
cry little general legislation will J
p undertaken at this session. II Is I
that the new President will ,
al an extra session shortly after {
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