Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-21
THE TEACHERS BONUS.

bonus Of 5000 for the coming rear.
Perth Amboy has always taken a
great deal of pride in its public
school system. It would be a pity
to have the system d~eteriorate dur
ing the present crisis when other
progressive municipalities are adopt
ing every means to hold together
their teachers staff.
While 1t may be possible to fill
vacancies as they occur at the salary
now being paid here. the standard
of teaching could not help but be
lowered; the fact that there arc now
employed hero teachers who are not
what they should be shows the trend
downward. This can be checked only
by making the profession of teach
ing attractive to those who are
capable of earning a great deal more
the average city is o paying
it's teaching staff.
While it may be true that under
our system the inefficient teacher
gets the same benefit as the efficient
one when a bonus is given. that is
no reason why the best should be
out because of low pay in
order that the wage standard may
be kept down to the level of the in
competents. BY encouraging the best
and getting rid, If possible, of the in
capable ones the city is decidedly
benefited.
The eff possible in connection
getting rid of the incapable
teachers is said advisedly. With the
various state laws covering tenure of
office, ex-service men and the like 1t
is a difficult matter to get rid of a
teacher that has been a member of
the staff even for a year or two.
School boards that have tried 1t have
had to fight the matter through
appeals to different state
commissioners and state boards so
that it is only in extreme cases that
a teacher is dismissed now.
This doubtless is the reason why
the school board so worded the
resolution that the bonus which has
lust been granted may be withheld
from a teacher for "willful neglect
of duty or unprofessional conduct"
This is no reflection on the teaching
staff of Perth Amboy. as we under
stand It; it is an effort to get the
few, perhaps, who are not all they
should be as teachers, yet whom it
would be difficult to remove because
of the conditions already referred to.
That there are such teachers now
holding positions in our schools we
think all will admit who know any
thing about the schools at all.
But, as said before, the great ma
jority are a conscientious, hard
working lot of instructors who are
greatly interested in their work and
who give the city faithful and efic-
lent service Many of these teachers
have been in our schools a long time
and much of the credit for the ex-
cellent standard maintained by our
schools is due TO them. They are
deserving OF the utmost considera-
ton. In these trying times when the
cost Of everything is 80 high and
when other cities like New York,
Newark ard Trcnton are raising sal
aries for teachers in order TO retain
their efficient ones and attract the
best from other places. it behooves
Perth Amboy to be on guard to see
that the excellent standard OF the
public schools here is maintained.
This the Beard of Education is Go
ing. The city can well afford 70 dc
without some of the other contem-
plated improvements IN order thai
this bonus TO the public sohoo'
teachers may be paid.
NO COAL STORAGE.