Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-19
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Teachers Want Better Pay.

Omaha, Feb. Ito the Editor
of The Bee: The recent announce
meht that teachers salaries are to
be increased only 500 for the rest
of this year. beginning with s11O
next month, has stirred up no end
Of dissatisfaction among Omaha
school teachers. QueStionnaires re.
Gently sent out from the office of
superintendent of instruction were
| filed in by the teachers and when
returned showed that teachers sal
aries lacked from $500 to $500 of
| covering necessary expenses per
year. These questionnaires and the
publicity given the results caused
| Omaha teachers to believe that the
school board would give them re-
lief, and make it possible for them
| to continue their work with the as
surance that they would be amply
| cared for financially.
! This small increase gives little re-
| lief and makes it still necessary for
| many Omaha teachers to get finan-
! cial help, food or clothing from
home every month in order to make
both ends meet. And then comes
| the cheering statement that the su-
, perintendent will present to the
school board, "fOr their c0nsidera-
ton" a salary schedule for next year
increasing minimum salaries $500.
There is no assurance that the board
| will adopt this recommendation but
it is hoped that the board will con-
slider it favorably, and that those of
us who are able to continue teach
ing until then may be somewhat re-
lieved by it.
Has it occurred to you, Mr.. Tax
payer, that many of the best and
most loyal of the teaching profes-
sion are being forced to resign, and
take up commercial work at salaries
far ahead Of those paid by the school
board and that inexperienced and
much less efficient women are taking
ing their places in the school rooms?
Do you realize that it is you and
your children who are suffering be
cause of this?
The cost of living has more than
doubled since 1914. Teachers at
. that time were receiving barely a
living wage. as had been the case
for wears Since we are not now re
ceiving as much as twice the salary
then received, it is plain to be ssen
that our pay has actually been de
creased.
We take honest pride in our call
ing, but the time has apparently
come when we must either appeal
to the public to see that We get JUS
tce and the financial support that
will enable us to keep up the ideals
and standards for which we stand, or
lose a never increasing number of
the cream of the profession to com
mercialism.
Teachers would like to hear from
the fathers and mothers, from the
taxpayers, from clubs and societies
as to whether they are satisfied to
have so many inexperienced, inef-
ficient instructors over their boys
and girls. Teachers would like to
hear from business men as to
whether or not they consider the un-
derpayment of help a false economy,
and as to whether so per cent pay
can produce 100 per cent efficiency.
Teachers would like to hear from
school board members as to whether
they think they are serving to the
best possible advantage those who
elected them to their positions, when
they do not pay the teachers even a
living wage. The writer of tbis let
ter, and | feel sure members of the
school board, would like to hear an
expression from the teachers them
selves as to the extent to which they
are generally satisfied"
NANCY.