Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-12
f'ssuint;'H ETsnins 9estsSday sssas 143O8
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More Pay for School Teachers.

More Pay for School Teachers.
The Philadelphia Board of Education
after a careful consideration of the sub
ject, has agreed upon plan for revision
of teachers salaries, which Will result IL
increases aggrega ting about S1oo.OOo
wear. These increases, based on equal
compensation for men and women teach
ers, apply to Kindergarten, primary and
grammar grades, and advance high
school salaries to the maximum limit. A
flat increase of 500 per annum was al
lowed all clerical assistants.
The minimum for elementary teachers
was advanced from 1875 per annum TO
81 900; kindergarten salaries were adj
yanced from 1915 to 81. 100, to q minimum
of 5000 and a maximum of 81 400. here
is a general advance of all maximum
salaries for women in the elementary
schools to 81 500. with graded immediate
increase according to the number of years
the teacher has been in service.
These are matters of large interest
to the people of Wilmington, who have
had this subject under consideration tor
several years. Some increases have been
granted to Wilmington teachers, but the
situation is still unsettled, and will so
remain until the Board of Education
not only prepares schedule of salaries IN
accord with present conditions of living
and appropriate recognition of good SER
vice. but is provided with funds sufficient
to meet all the requirements.
That the compensation Of school teach
ers in Wilmington should be equal to
that allowed in Philadelphia Will not be
disputed by those who look intelligently
upon the real merits of the problem. 1t
requires as much ability to teach success
fully in the schools of Wilmington as in
those of Philadelphia, and the requisite
ability should receive like recognition IN
both cities. And in these days, the old
argument of cheaper living costs IN smaller
communities does not apply. The average
cost Of living in Wilmington at this time
is higher than it is in Philadelphia. 1t
ought to be, in some respects, lower; GER
tainly it should at least be on an equality.
I Unfortunately for the deserving school
teachers of Wilmington, the Board OF
Education is not in financial condition
TO deal adequately, at present, with the
important problem of fair compensation.
The bohrd has long been in severe financial
straits, ldue largely to the stinglness OF
City Council in making school approprIa-
tione, year after year, that were mani
festly insufficient to meet the reasonable
requirements of the schools. This sltua-
ton, of itself, was bad enough, but 1T has
been aggravated by poor management In
the Board of Education, a deliberate
entering upon the field of floating indebt-
edness by spending each year much more
money than the board had at its COM
mand. Far better would it have been had
the Board Of Education, years ago, resolved
to firmly to live within the appropriations
allotted to it by City Council, and, after
exercising due economy in all expenditures
proceeded as far as its available cash
resources would warrant, and then shut
down. One experience of this kind, In all
probability, would have brought City
Council to a realization of its duty, and
better conditions might have prevailed
today
But it is with conditions as they are
that we have to deal with at this time,
and they are not at all encouraging. 1t is
gratifying to note, however, that as a |
result of the latest school election some |
new blood has been injected into the |
Board of Education, including some men,
bers who seem to have an intelligent |
view of the situation and sincere desire
to make things better Mr. Stradley of the
Ninth ward, chairman of the finance
committee, is giving serious attention
to- the financial problem, including the
increase and equalization of teachers
salaries, and is working industriously for
these ends. But the B ,ard of Education
can do nothing without the cordial and
full cooperation of City Council.
The time is approaching when City
Council will take up the duty of providing
for the money requirements Of the next
fiscal year. 1t should be the aim of the
Board Of Education to lay it's full needs
before the City Council, and it ought to
be considered by City Council as stern
duty to make arrangements for meeting
'hese requirements to the last dollar. Then
I would be up to the Board of Education