Evening journal., 1922-08-22


] encouraged and thought. through a
combined effort. that we could have
at least one new building ready for
occupancy at the opening of the
ensuing term. This enthusiasm died
out and the cooperation we ex-
pected failed to materialize, and It
was necessary to abandon the
project for the present.
1T has been, think, about seven
years since money has been appro-
priated for new school in WI
mington, and l do not see how any
one of our people could critlcise the
/ action of the Board OF Education,
should they see fit to erect one at
| this time, under any conditions.
Our city has continually grown and
! the enrolment materially has
greatly increased. Almost every,
city Of the country has appropriated
large sums within the last few
years for this work, whilst we have
been doing nothing in the way OF
new buildings.
THE sum of $3.50. 600 900 will be
spent in the United States in public
schools during the year 1922. New
York State alone has planned 10
spend 52,O0O.OO0 divided among a
large number OF cities. among them
being Albany $4,000, 900, Glen Falls, |
s350,000; Port Washington. $780, !
900. l think every State except Del |
aware has spent large sums OF |
money on school buildings. and Del |
aware is such a dear little State and I
so very important. being the frs. |
isn't II deplorable to think she /
should be thus educationally neg |
lected2
Cleveland. Ohio, has just COM
pleted. or nearlyi so. a S15.0OO,0 900 |
building program. Duluth Mimi,
is about to issue bonds for a $500
900 school. Detroit. Mich, is spend
ing on her schools between S20,-
100000 and s3O,OOO,OO0O.
considerable has been said re-
garding our teaching corps. the per-
sonnel, salaries paid them. etc. /
would say that during the past Year
| have been in personal touch with
nearly every teacher, have at
tended conventions where our
teachers have been present I have
had various occasions where the
personnel might he fairly compar- ,
ed, and I have never felt that Del
aware or Wilmington had any apol- (
ogy 10 make. This applies to edu- ]
cational ability. age, and everything !
that goes TO make up the qualifica- {
tions Of a good and influential teach !
er-.all this Notwithstanding the fact S
that our monetary conditions are II
such that we cannot and do not pay '
them as much as teachers are paid !
In corresponding grades in other
cities.
Defends Salary Plans
"As regards the salaries paid our C
teachers, I would say that our sal f
aries are about as low as any city s
Df equal enrolment in the country, +
md IL is not only very difficult for
IS to procure new teachers when g
hey are needed. but hard for us Il
% keep those we already have, as g
hey are sought after by other cities k
who are offering them much more Il
attractive salaries. 7
You have heard. or read, SONS C
criticism Of the board in continuing 4
IN force the Automatic Salary In G
crease Plan / would say that II u
an action eliminating this plan had
prevailed. the conditions in our n
schools by this time q
would have been next to impossi y
lie. for while this increase which :,
ppliee only to three years would !,
ring the annual salaries up to the =,
maximum. Il would have been abso- n,
itely unsatisfactory to those who n
xpeot to attain that standard. and
m sure. they would not have con- c,
nued in the work. ~
Il am glad nothing was done to OF
Intimate this plan. even though we al
ould not increase salaries in any bI
her way. This action was taken
blowing a conversation with one fic
our teachers who had just told dc
e she would not return to the VIII oa
ington schools as she had just nc
zen offered 5000 more elsewhere. I We
quite a number who are consd- be
ing accepting positions at increas- 70
salaries In other places. in
1--WE flnd II very hard to keep our ca
achers or to employ new. both in tn
e city and state, at the salaries we m'
q able to pay. Just a few days ch
20 the state Board made applica- FOL
ons to several teachers agencies
II grade teachers throughout the mi
ate. The minimum price we are BE
,ying is $3.50. Upon making ap- co
ication we were asked what the thi
inimum price paid teachers was su
pom being told Il was $3.50 we nil
ere asked why any teacher would err
'cept a position at $3.50 when by tai
,ing just across the river. not so
II away. they could get $1,000? ms
his is but one case of many that WI
'uld be cited. md no citizen OF ne
IT city or state need have any anx- tn
ty about our teachers getting any ieN
ore than they are entitled 20. th'
we expect. by the introduction 'a
nd Installation OF the Platoon Sys- SCI
m in several Of our buildings Nel
here il is possible. to bc able to an
Ike care OF a much greater num- pm
pr OF pupils the ensuing year and oel
Dpe that IL may he possible for us 'el
accommodate all on fun time. rel
his being new undertaking cel
ith us. however. we cannot be SCI
,inite as TO the outcome at the arc
'esent time. or whether the schools oel
in be ready in time for the fall no
'ening. On
I'VE think that this system can he wi,
stalled in quite a number OF ho,
npf,. bnvrnsfor