Grand Forks herald., 1922-06-02

a matter Of fact the law Is, not q
salary law but a qualifications law OF
untold value to the schools of North
Dakote, and its relation to salaries
has to do almost wholly with proper
" apportioning salaries so as to re-
ward merit.
4 !. Economically unsound' not
based on law of supply and demand
The answer Is that it is based abso-
lutely upon this law. Insofar as 1t
involves the salary question it has
employed a far more Scientihc ana
careful knowledge OF the character
istics and actual quantity OF hiSh-
grade teachers than the average en-
ployer can possibly obtain.
Qualified ,eachess would accept
less than the legal n,insmum,-True.
a few would, because OF necessity.
local advantage etc. but Is certain
tha. a great national school system
csnnc, be built up Out OF these tall
ease-s nor can a better class OF seacn-
er,s become available on the salary
basis OF the worthless Good people
cSn he attracted as class only by
salaries thSs arc fairly good ana
stable. The <caaas few who will work
TOO cAessaS 10 h3isd real schools are
sarag>ss as serious y menace to 5000
schools as the worthless teacher.
Class legislation, isn't, any
rs.cre than is liking the salary OF con-
1-eS=asen. Gcss masters, soldiers. lesiS-
esso-s, judges game wardenS, county
s@ce-Sr,en6erIS ard aN csher county
aa3 township Officers, factory en-
pscrees. or any ether large group OK
s>soo,s who have siuailar lines OF
~e.s. Then the ,eseher has pub
.sc, even state. function that dues
not heicug TO '-he butcher, the eaSer
and the candleS,ick Il Is
not class legislation either in leSal o.
in common sense.
Principle .ha: is new and un-
,r!ed'-wrons again. We have had
4 minimum salary law for teachers
in this state for seventeen years Sew
eral other states and nations have
used tt,e principle. Salary schedules
have been used in city school system:
for sixty years and today are uSeo
wherever numbers are employed II
the same kind of service, in state, na
,ional and private employment.
LIN conflict with the ,hree-year
average law'-Yes, in places Tha
law is unwise. unfair. and wrong
Right always conflicts more or les
with wrong.
IAN infringement on local rights
| The Law does not fix salaries. l
, studied minimums, for which mos
| boards feel grateful. and leave
salary fixing to the local board. A
! that salary fixing is not inherently
! titled to all the infence she WELD
local fundation. and the state IS en-
in salary matters as the result OF he
| share in school support.
Cant supply schools with h!s
school graduates in 1ess'-with a
appropriate salary and by beginnin
early with an international service
could be done easily. but not with
continuous threatening and fluctus
ton of salaries.
mo incentive to improve schola!
aship'-Each year Of scholarship abo,
the minimum commands at lea
$4,000 more than a lower year r
gardless Of experience rating. Boart
of education may make greater a
lowance for scholarship, both in II
amount and number of annual i,
creases. just the same as they cou
before this law went into effect.
".No incentive to best work-U
der the poorest usage Of the law
teacher must choose periodically
tween dismissal or re-employmel
and this necessity should be suf
!, ciently incentive to the best effort.
many schools exceptional service "
|, be rewarded with increases in exec
!, of the minimum. making at lei
!. three grades of rating. The Re
teacher. however, wants to ma
: good and will always give her b
. service. 1t will be perfectly safe
', eliminate all others.
Teachers oppose the law'-C'
- - tainly. There are three classes
20 them: % Those who see the la,
:. real faults and would correct tn
u without destroying the law. which
:. cludee the great majority of teache
(2O Those who do not fully und
e stand the law. and who must be
e right; and (3l the incapable on
:. whose opposition shows the r
:. merit Of the law"