New-York tribune., 1920-10-17
Teachers Pay
And Training
Not Adequate
Salaries and Lack of Expert.
ence OF Instructors in u. S.
Deplored i'm Report by Ma
siOnalCommerce Chamber
Survey Made in $50 Cities
Average Educator Receives
Much Smaller Wage Than
That Paid 10 a Laborer

The salaries, training and expert
ence of public school teachers in the
United States ale declared to be mad
equate by the national committee for
Chamber of Commerce cooperation
with public schools. Despite recent
salary increases, the Committee asserts
that the crisis has rot been passed
These conclusions are drawn in
summary of a survey of the schools of
359 cities conducted by the committee,
which is composed of thirty-three sec
retaries of chambers of commerce and
thirty-three superintendent of schools.
Question of Fay Comes First
"The thoughtful citizen needs 10 ask
himself said Dr. George W. Strayer.
OF Columbia University. chairman of
the committee, ain the light of the re-
turns presented b. our inquiry, ques-
tions ike the following: Can teachers
in our community have comfortable
place to live, good food and decent
clothes for the amount of money which
we pay them? Are the teachers who
work in our schools able. on the salary
paid to them, to make provision against
the liabilities of illness and old age
"Do the teachers in our cities have
salaries sufficient to enable them to
buy books, to subscribe to magazines.
ia enjoy music, to travei, to continue
their professional study and otherwise
to lead the type OF life which makes
them the kind o. men and women that
can be most helpful to my Boys and
girls Would want my son and
daughter to go into teaching? Is the
recognition given to teachers, in terms
OF salary, in my city sufficient to at
tract the ablest Of the young men and
women In our commnni' -"
The replies to these inquiries. in view
OF the hndings, must all be in the neg
ative, says DR.. Strayer.
In 1913-'14 one-haM Of the men Gle
mentary teachers in cities with pop
ulatlon of from 5000 to 10000, the re
port shows, received less than 1916 In
1920 one-half Of the same group
were receiving less than $1,262, an ad-
vance OF $3l6 or 33 per cent. Mean
while, it was declared, the cost Of liv-
ing had advanced 104 per cent
American cities paid .gh school
principals an average Of $1,000 last
year. while elementary school princi-
pals received an average salary Of
S1.s39
Many Of the salaries paid in these
positions requiring the management Of
complex organizations and skiilful
leadership the report points out. ARE
not enough to secure a competent sec
retary let alone to be considered ade-
rl1atN rGv y 1DrINclD9l y
Teacher Shortage Acute
A summary Of the survey issued by
the committee says:
"Tho survey also dlscloses that the
salaries Of artisans and laborers
throughout the country are much
higher on the average than those of
teachers. These low salaries have re-
suited in a serious teacher shortage
throughout the country The demand
for teachers is so great that students
leave normal schools when their
courses have been but half completed.
An alarmingly large proportion of the
teachers as result are emergency
teachers lacking in proper training for
their work
"Reports from the cities of this sur
vey show that so per cent Of the teach
ers in the elementary schools of Amer
lean cities have had less than six and
one-third years of training beyond he
eighth grade; that so per cent Of The
junior high school teachers have had
less than seven years training beyond,
and that so per cent of the senior high
school teachers have had less iran
eight and one-half years.
"Chambers of Commerce in every
state have assumed the leadership in
conducting. local campaigns to bring
the seriousness Of the situation to pub
lie attention and organize community
] fnrcns Cor imnrnuing conditions