The Washington times., 1920-02-07
NOULDBOOST
+. SCHOOL PAY
o. C. Commissioners Frame Bill
Calling for Raises Of rs
to so Per Cent

OF school officials, the District Com
missioners today submitted TO Con-
gvess q bill, which the Board OF Edu-
cation explainsv does not attempt to
rsorganize the school" but will meet
several serious conditions"
A new office-thAt OF business
manager OF the schools-is provided
with a salary of $500 attached. This
will relieve the school superintendent
ef the task of directing the opera
tions OF the financial office. which
necessarily limit the time that lac
can devote to educational work.
Commissioners Brownlow and Kutz
sent tho bill to Senator Lawrence Y.
sherman. chairman Of Senate District
Committee, and Carl E. Mapes. chair
man OF the House District Commit
tee, with no comment. They. how
ever, attached q letter OF transmit
tai, composed by the Board Of Edura-
tion. which gave detailed explanation
Of the reasons for asking additional
appropriations at this time.
Permanent Increases.
Salaries provided in this bill are
asked for a permanent period. The
board states II believes these salaries
are just under normal conditions. and
adds that the school administrators
would be pleased to see the war
bonus of $240 continued.
Retroactive to January 1 last, Con-
gress would have to appropriate $984,-
265 to provide for salary changes in
the bill up to July / next. the end
of the fiscal year. For an entire year.
IL Congress saw At to pass the bill
in it's present form, ii would be neces-
sary to provide between $643, ,665 and
S1,S2S. .765, the minimum and maximum,
oIy nd nff al on
either salaries, which could not pos
sibly occur. 1t would cost next year
possibly $1,5O0.00O.
For teachers in class A. who now
receive salaries ranging from $40 to
81 400. a minimum salary of 81 800
and maximum Of $4,000 is provided
with an increase Of 500 to be made
for each year Of service, up to five
years. In class A are included grade
school teachers. special teachers. and
librarians, 1641 in all
Teachers In Class b.
For teachers In class B, who now
receive salaries ranging from 81 600 to
81 $50. a minimum salary of $4,000.
maximum of $4,000, IS provided. with
increase of 500 per year for each
year of service up to ten years. In
this class are teachers in normal. high
schools, principals Of grade schools,
and others teachers and librarians
promoted from class A. There are
331 teachers in this class.
In the next class, c, are only
twenty-eight teachers, who by super
ior work were promoted from class
b. These teachers now receive SAL
aries ranging from $1,000 to $4,000.
The bill provides a minimum Of $4,000,
maximum $3.5oO, with an increase OF
500 every year up to five years for
these teachers.
The next class. d, composes clerks
of the school, the most poorly paid
employees of the system. A majority
of these clerks receive $720 year,
five receive $1,000 a year, two receive
81 400 and one $1,000. The bill will
give them a minimum salary of $1,000,
maximum 81, 600, with increase of 500
for every year up to four years.
Salaries of officials.
The salary of the superintendent Of
schools is increased from $4,000 to
$1,000; assistant superintendents from
$4,000 and $4,000 to $4,000; the ac-
countant from $4,000 to $4,000; the
statistician from 81 400 to $4,000; the
secretary Of the Board Of Education
from $4,000 to $4,000: and the new
office Of business manager is created.
with salary of $4,000 per annum.
The bill provides that the longevity
pay shall go on as before. In franz
ing the bill, school and District offi-
cials were very careful to see that
the present rights of teachers were
respected.
other changes in salaries follow: ::
Assistant principals of high schools,
director of Americanization work, di-
rectors of music, drawing, physical
culture, domestic science, domestic
art kindergartens. penmanship, and
nature study, in both white and col
ored schools, heads of departments in
the high eschools, and general COM
munity secretary, shall receive un-
der the new bill. $500 a year.
Heads of the departments of the
board of examiners, $4,000, and these
other officers at the same salary: Dt-
rector of intermediate instruction, di-
rectors of primary instruction in both
white and colored schools, supervis-
ing principals, supervisors of manual
training in both white and colored
schools, principals of normal, high,
manual training high, and junior high
school.
Indorsed ny Council.
In transmitting the request for in
creased salaries, DR.. John Van
Schaick. jr., president of the Board
of Education, told the District Com
n,issioners that this bill has the in
dorsement of various civic bodies,' in
cluding the Board of Trade, Chamber
OF Commerce, Rotary Club. Fedora
ion of Woman's Clubs, Parent and
Teachers Associations, and Fedora
zion of Citizens Associations, form
ing a school betterment council"
DR.. Van Schaick states that the ef-
hciency OF free government depends
upon the output of the public schools,
pointing out that a shortage of teach
ers and consequent lowering of stand
ards threaten the school systems
throughout the entire country.
I'VE can't guarantee the output un-
less we stop the exodus OF the bright
est and best teachers from the pro-
fession, "the Commissioners were
told.
Teachers now in tho service are
suffering on the salaries they draw"
tho Education Boards letter says.
Thousands OF other employees are in
n similar condition. II Is worse for
the community to have teachers un-
derpaid than almost any class OF Gov