The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-01-08
EDUCATIONAL.
To City Superintendent, Principals,
and School Boards:

| ana school Boards:
1t must be evident to everyone that
our educational affairs are, so far as
the supply of teachers is concerned, in
the worst condition at this moment
! that they have ever been. We have
had an imitation of our currency, which
makes the dollar worth only about half
what it was worth in purchasing power
before the war. While some may not
be willing to admit it, it is nevertheless
perfectly obvious that this would call
for a doubling of teachers salaries
plus the natural and steady increase
which would otherwise have gone on.
Many teachers feel and say that they
must get out of the business for their
own protection and welfare. Many of
these teachers feel that school officials
have taken advantage of their lack of
business ability. In other words, they
believe they have in a sense been ex-
plotted. They believe that boards last
year, knowing more about business
than the teachers knew, should not
have permitted them to engage their
services at salary which often does
not meet the living expenses even for
the period the school is in session, to
say nothing about the three or four
months teachers have to live during
which they have no income unless they
do some odd job to help earn a living,
Many of them have figured out what
teachers must have in order to come
out even in June when schools close.
In one good sized city the teachers
have gone at the matter very conScien-
tiously and carefully q have the item
ized budget before me as ] write), and
they find that $67.75 per month is the
minimum cost of living. When ! state
that this does not include clothing, or
travel, or summer expenses, or reCrca
ton, or car fare, or summer school, or
ncidentals it is perfectly obvious that
1t lalis very lar S''o'' VI ''lee''''s ''''
absolute needs of teachers When these
o'"'' 't'"'' arc ''"'U ''''o ''"eu''''
am 'o'''' Sa! '""' ''o''""s S'o'' y. CIV"
month the year around, or $1,000,
will meet the modest needs of the sit
""''oh' N'e 9"''li'' WY Iopo'' - ''
eS'''''"'eo' VoS' u Pii'' !e'' i'' NV
ing eNPe"SeS lor 'e"'''erS' iio'' an
o''er S'llo'' '''y Vo''''S d" l'eli'"'' "'
'ounl u ii'ealS io' "'y' i"' i,'''''
are le" an" not ol al '"l'''''''' "''''
e'''crinS M" 'he '"'"" anu ye' i az
8rega'eS Hl'f" "dE VI " 'o'"' u P''o"
Il week.
Teachers in many places, prohahIy
most places, are becoming dissatisfied
and unhappy, and who can blame
them' They have planned to make
teaching their business, at least 50 long
as they earn their own living through
rendering service. They have educated
themselves to this end ana now they
find they cannot make living at
teaching The problem with them is
what to do next.
The great problem with the puhIlc IS
to determine whether education IS real
ly worth while or not IN other words
worth paying for. Teachers can quit
the business of teaching and 90 into
something else. II ought not TO take
them long to make the transfer wheh
they have once determined upon IT, !
90 not fancy any OF them WIN ma 1t a
lie ana death matter lhere WIN De
few tragedies, at least among the
younger people but VINO VIII take the
places OF the trained teacherS' ana VINO
Will he the sufferers as the result OF no
school or OF INFERIOR teacherS; lhere
is only one answer TO the question:
"Who will suffer- ana that 49, 'Ihc
children Teachers cannot be made
III day; at leaSt framed 'e"chcrS Gun
not, Where poor salaries nave caused
deterioration IN the teaching 0ody the
! result has been that those VINO teach
are much younger less wen tfa'heu'
less experienced, ana from poorer en-
ylronment' Otten 1t results ihal the
teachers scarcely know our language
and are all but ignorant OF our A'ner'-
can ideals, our history ana our me'h-
DDS of government.