Evening star., 1924-03-14
Lampert Pleads for Adequate
Salaries in Approving
Keller Measure.
"SERVICE TO COMMUNITY
SHOULD BE REWARDED"
Legislation Would Make Sched-
ules Permanent Rather Than
Subject to Annual Action.

a strong plea for the payment of
adequate salaries to teachers and
other employees of the school system
in the National Capital is found in n
report filed in the House today by
Representative Florian Lampert OF
Wisconsin, chairman of subcommit-
tee which recently conducted extern
sive hearings and which urges the
prompt passage Of the teachers sal
ary and school reorganization bill
fathered by, Representative Oscar
Keller of Minnesota.
Representative Iampert assures the
House that 1T is the purpose of this
bill to provide adequate compensa-
ion for the teachers and the officers
in the public schools of the District
of Columbia and to authorize certain
changes in organization that are es-
sential to the Improvement of the
school system.
'If the school teacher is to render
efficient service to the community, the
report says, "she must be given a
salary that will help her to keep
abreast with educational progress and
afford her an opportunity to seek
higher professional attainment. 1t is
expected of the teacher that she oc-
cupy position of respectability and
leadership as public servant. Teach
ing is now recognized as profes-
sion. Therefore. the salary should
be attractive to men and women who
purpose to enter the profession as a
life work.
Needed for Years.
For number of years there has
been the need of a salary schedule
authorized by appropriate legislation
that would render more permanen,
the compensation of those entering
the teaching profession in the District
of Columbia. Since 1906 the increases
granted to the employees of the board
of education by successive appropria-
tion acts have been of a temporary
and limited nature. Your committee
feels that this new legislation should
not only bring assurance to the teach
ers. but should provide compensation
sufficiently large to attract persons
of high qualifications into the school
service of the District of Columbia.
"The maximum salaries establish
ed and the annual incrementS or the
pay schedule should be commensurate
with the increased competency of
progressive and ambitious teachers
Your committee IS impressed by the
opportunity that presents itself to
dignity the teaching profession in the
reasonable standard of compensa-
tion may be established for the
country.
This bill provides only for the edu-
cational employees Of the board of edu-
cation. Other employees are covered
by recent reclassification legislation
for federal employees. Therefore. this
bill does not carry salary adjustment
provisions for the following groups
of employees of the board of educa-
ton:
Clerks and stenographers. medical
inspectors, dental inspectors, school
nurses, janitors, engineers and Gus
todiai positions.
"In addition TO new salary sched-
ule the bill carries legislative author
ization as follows:
Il. 1t legalizes and renders more
permanent the salaries of employees
At present the salaries of employees
bills.
"2. 1t authorizes and provides sal
are fixed annually by appropriation
which have developed in the public
schools since 1906, such as junior
high schools, vacation schools, COM
munity centers and administrative
principals.
"3. 1t abolishes session room pay
as a method of paying principals OF
elementary schools.
a. 1t also abolishes the grouping
,, of the elementary teachers in salary
classes l, 2, 3, 4 and and substitutes
for the inadequate automatic in
creases of $25. $50 or $40 per annun
uniform annual increase of 800 pei
annum for all teachers.
as. 1t authorizes the employment
of temporary teachers and the ap-
pointment of annual substitute
teachers"