Evening star., 1921-11-20
FAVORS tEGARHlG
. EMPLOYEES WAGES
Supt. BaIIeu of Public
Schools Also Urges Pay
Be Increased.
ITEMS IN ANNUAL REPORT
Notation of Changes Since the Act
:, of 1906 Established Present
system.

lat1on designed 10 increase tneir
wages are two of the salient recon-
mendations of Superintendent of
Schools Ballou in the third section OF
his annual report. which was made
public last night.
The superintendent pointed out
that the salary of every employe or
the board of education is subject to
a point of order in Congress, because
it is not provided for in law, and that
increased compensation for the school
workers is necessary If the WashlnS-
ton school system is to compete sue
cessfully with other school systems
in obtaining efficient teachers anu
officers.
The report contains a mass of sta
tistics in which comparisons are
made between salaries of several
typical groups Of teachers IN the Dis
trio school system with the salaries OF
corresponding groups OF teachers ana
officers in fty-eight cities. lnforma-
ton was sought from all cities with
over 100000 population
Urges New Salary Schedule!
.Leeislation should be secured at
once covering new salary schedule
for all employees of the board OF ecu
cation" the report asserts. There
are several reasons for the urgency
OF this legislation.
''The present salary OF practically
every employe of the board of education
Is subject 10 II pDlIlt "a oiuSA ~ oo@
gress because it is not provided Tor III
law. The several increases in compen-
sation which teachers and others have
received are authorized only IN appro-
priation bills and hence are only Legal
from year to year The salaries OF all
employees of the board of education
should be established by law and should
not be left in their present uncertain
state"
DIR. Rallou stated that since the act
of 1906. which established the present
school system. However, they art not
ganization of the school system nave
taken place These changes indicate a
progressive development of a growing
school system. However, they are now
now fully recognized by law as they
should be. A few Illustrations of these
changes will suffice, the report con-
tinued.
In this connection the superintendent
explained that the junior high schools
have been organized in the school sys-
TEN, but there Is no legally authorized
serving in these institutions now serve
either as a class ga of high school
teachers or class 4 or of elementary
school teachers. He stated that 1t Is
impossible to organize effectively
Junior high school under the restrictions
thus imposed:
Refers to Elementary Schools.
Administrative principalships of ele-
mentiary schools with sixteen or more
classes have been created, he pointed
out. They have no salary schedule: AS
in the case of all teaching principals,
their salary now consists Of salary as
a teacher and additional compensation
based upon the number OF session
rooms.
The community center department
is recognized by law, but no salary
schedule has been legally established
tt., hA
Lump-sum appropriations are now
made. The recommendation is made
that the salaries of permanent en-
ployes in the department should be
fixed by appropriate legislation.
1t was further recommended that
the vocational schools which have
been established should be legally
provided for in salary legislation. 1t
was emphasized that this was par
ticularly important because 1t Is de-
sirable that this type of institution
be largely extended in the school
system.
Abolition of the session room pay.
which amounts to $40 year for each
and its replacement by an appropriate
salary schedule higher than their
present compensation, Is urged by the
superintendent He also urged that
the FIVE classes into which teachers,
of the elementary schools are now
grouped be abolished and the salary
schedule made uniform for all regu-
lar elementary teachers. Since the
same for each class, the continued
existence of these five classes is no
longer deemed necessary or desirable,
according to Dr. Ballou.
RecOmmen datIOn to Board.
The superintendent advised mem
bers of the school board. when con-
sidering the proposed salary legisla-
finn. the funds
to make it possible for them to dis
charge their responsibilities in law
for providing an efficient system of
education for the children of the Dis
trict. In asking for the establish
ment of a new salary scale for teach
ers the school board has been guided
by the following principles:
The minimum salary of a teacher
in any position should be sufficiently
high to prompt competent persons to
fit themselves by study and training
to fill such position said the re-
port. 1t should De high enough to
provide a decent living for those who
receive it.
""The maximum salary of a teacher
should be high enough to bring con-
tentment of mind and reasonable
satisfaction to those who receive it.
It should be sufficiently high to COM
\ pete successfully with wages in COM
hmerce. industry and other professions
in bidding for the services of those
well qualified to take up teaching as
a life work. 1t should be sufficiently
high to make it possible for teacher
to live as the profession and the pub
lie expect her tc live. The maximum
salary of teachers in the school sys-
tenn should be high enough so that
the great majority of teachers may
live comfortably and professionally
contented without being tempted to
y. seek promotion to higher ranks in
the service for purely financial rea-
sons. The maximum salary should be
high enough in every case to induce
teachers to make the necessary prep
aration for teaching and to retain
them in the service of teaching as
professional career.
Longevity Pay Regulation.
"The annual automatic increase in
salary longevity pay) for successful
service should be large enough to
provide annually reasonable reward
for increased competency. Moreover.
it should be large enough 80 that q
teacher will reach the maximum sal
airy of her rank by the time she has
sion.
"A we'll regulated salary schedule
should provide a higher maximum for
those teachers who have demonstrated
their individual superiority. Such
maximum should be obtainable by
those teachers who have, by study,
training and teaching efficiency, and
other evidences of professional inter-
est and growth, clearly demonstrated
their leadership among the teachers of
the school system.
The salaries of school officers and
teachers in one community must be
regulated in relation to the salaries
of officers and teachers in other COM
munittes of similar size and resources.
If the sala rfes of one community are
lower than the salaries of another the
flow of officers and teachers will al
ways be to the community with the
:. higher salaries. In the preceding