The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1922-04-22
TEACHERS SALARY NOT TOO
HIGH.
A Taxpayer of Hancock County Is
of the Opinion Teachers are Not
Sufficiently Paid--Gives Reasons;
Gives Average Salaries Paid In
County.-How Can One Live?

Editor Sea Coast Echo
Are the teachers being paid too
mucn? This .ga question that is
being asked faT .and near across the
country and no om except the teach
er has been trying 80 answer it. |
was glad to seesNT article In last
weeks Echo from taxpayer de-
Tending the teachs salary, and if
you will be patient - another num-
Der, l shall present MY views on the
question, which | must confess, COM
plies with his.
| doubt if there is a county in Mis-
sissippi where the school board,
county superintendent and supervi-
sors are not continually pounded with
the old worn out story, "There's no
use, we are paying them too much"
That is all | have ever heard, no
reason-and no explanation for no
reason-just They get too much
money" | have heard it so~long
and SO much until [ have decided to
take it under consideration and try
to find out, just for the public's bene-
fit, how many millionaires have come
from the teaching profession.
Don't think it's going to be big
job.)
In Hancock county the average
salary paid 20 the principal teacher
is $4,000 and assistants $40, for six,
seven, eight or nine months, accord
ing to your school term. 'That's
good money!" | hear someone say;
sure it is for the length of time it
lasts, and if it lasted the year round
they could live on it and would have
nothing to say, but we must kindly
remember that when the school stops
the county superintendent has or
ders to stop the pay. Such salary
is not too high, but in many instances
far too low to secure the best teach
ers. I am going to ask every person
afflicted with or exposed to this de-
sease of grumbling about ''too much
pay for the teacher" to look for
, themselves into the teachers expense
ami when you have done so be honest
enough to confess what you have
found out.
The teacher has a greater expense
than the average person. He has
books to buy, papers and magazines
10 subscribe for, attend teachers
meeting all at his own expense Just
! to keep posted in his profession for
our benefit. He has got to give to
every charitable call from babyhood
to the grave because public opinion
demands it. He has to wear better
clothes than the person of the avee-
age occupation-and all at his ex-
pense, just to keep me and you feom
saying "He looks like a hobo" Then
you had stop to think that it costs
him something to live. His "mash''
and other necessary commodities cost
him from $50 to $40 per month, the
year round. And that's not all. We
tell him he must go to a normal and
keep up with the times. How is he
going? That's easy-at his own ex-
pense. This will cost him from $50
to 5000 for the term for no other
reason in the world than to better
prepare himself to serve US. Then
we have the nerve to say he gets too
much money. Figure his salary above
and give an average cost of these
items and instead of trying to find
out how much he will have left see
how much he will have to borrow be-
fore the next school term.
A good teacher cannot be paid too
much, and sorry teacher ought not
TO be paid anything. A good teacher
should teach for life as well as we
no. There is not a citizen in this
;ounty with any pride about himself
Who is not trying to earn something
ibove his living to take care of him.
lelf and family in later years. What
S to become of the teacher when he
ian no longer teach? How is he go
ing to live? What teacher who gives
his life for your child and my child
must labor year in and year out, de-
nying himself of much that we en-.
Joy, to live and serve US as he believes
!. be should. And then when he has
rendered his best for us with no com
pensation except a meager living