The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1920-03-27
FOURTEEN REASONS
Why Provision Should Be Made for
a Statewide Tax-Levy for the
Support of the Public
Schools of the State.

!. There is an emergency in educa-
tion-140,000 teachers left the pro-
fession during the last year. Many
of their places are filled by young
or incompetent teachers, and many
vacancies yet exist.
2. The great majority of those who
left the teaching profession did so
To enter positions offering better
pay; hence, it is evident that they
were of the more ambitious, intelli-
gent and progressive class.
3. AS these have left the teaching
business, and others in great num-
Ecrs will doubtless follow, to euter
better paying positions, it is clear
that the only way to meet the emer-
gency is TO secure better pay for
teachers.
4. A very great number of districts
are now levying the maximum limit
Of fifteen mills, and this in many
places is found to be inadequate
ard it will be inadequate in far more
places next year, to provide the sal
AIRY funds necessary to keep the best
teachers in the profession.
D. In districts where The limit is
not being levied, they are in many
cases having short terms of school
with poorly paid teachers.
&. Education is not a local affair
lis cause is statewide, and the
State should protect its interests
and help to support it.
!. The cities are dependent upon
The poorer rural districts for their
existence and support, and the sup
port is made possible only by max
ing the rural districts such that the
farmer can afford TO keep his child
rem there, and he can not afford to
keep them where there are not good
. schools; hence, the welfare of the
.si,ies demands that good schools be
provided for the rural districts.
Is. A siX-mill statewide tax levy
will amount to about fifteen dollars
to each boy and girl of school age
iG the state, and will almost double
the amount of school funds now
available.
10 Such levy will guarantee all ru-
RAJ districts a good school with well
paid teachers, even where school
boards are not progressive, and will
onible towns and cities to meet the
emergency confronting them.
10. Such levy will give the boys
! and girls in the poor districts more
nearly an equal opportunity with
the boys and girls in cities or OF
wealthy districts.
| II. Where the limit is now sufli.
cieni or unnecessary, the SiX-milI
levy will reduce the present loca1
levy by six-mills and not hurt the
district, be it rural or city.
~. With good pay or even the
prospect of good pay, the best teach
ers will remain in the business
many well qualified teachers who
have left it will return to it, and
our normal schools and the educa.
tlonal departments of other inStitu
tions of learning will become filled
with the best and brightest of our
| oung men and women who will
soon become prepared for teaching
and thus supply the depleted rank
of the profession; yet, it will, at the
very best, require three or -four
years to replenish the teaching for
ces with teachers as competent as
they were in pre-war days.
13. When the ranks fill the stand
ards of qualification will be raised
and we will then, and not until
then, be able to eliminate the incom-
petent teachers.
Il. The children-our future men
and women-deserve our best eff
forts and unstinted help. This is
our opportunity to give it and in so
doing manifest the true spirit Of Am
ericanism. Will we do it?
w. C. Canterberry, Sec,
Okla. Education Assn.