Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1926-02-19

affairs OF our local school system
and it is most displeasing to me
to disclose through the press the
condition Of which 1 complain, ,
for the reason that il necessarily |
involves the salaries of compe-
tent and deserving young women
in the teaching corps Of this
county, who are in no measure
responsible for that condition
and whose salaries no doubt are
scarcely commensurate with the
service they are rendering. It'll
is, however, the discrimination
in the fixing of these salaries. as
well as in the selection of the
teachers themselves, that fur.
nishes the basis Of my protest
and discloses a condition that
should not be tolerated.
1t so happens that | have a
daughter who, during the incum-
bent scholastic year, has been
teaching what is known as Wink
ler's Shop School" in this coun-
ty, at salary of $50 per month.
No complaint was ever made by |
her as to her salary, until she
learned by chance chat another
young lady of the same grade Of
teachers as herself was receiv
ing $40 per month, = and this diff
ference in salary despite the fact
that she had three years of pre-
vious teaching in the county and
two summer school courses to
her credit, whereas the other
teacher was teaching for her first
full year with a credit of only one
summer course. Both had com
pleted courses at the Notre Dame
School at Bryantown, which was
not recognized as a High School
by the State Board of Education
at the time either of them finish
ed their respective courses.
My daughter thereupon wrote
to the County Superintendent
for some explanation Of this ap-
parent discrepancy. She re-
ceived no reply, and l then talked
to one of the mem bers of the
County Board of Education about
the matter; the Superintendent
shortly thereafter writing my
daughter a letter, the contents of
which / now publish +:
La Plata, Md, Jan. 30, 1926.
Miss Gladys Edelen,
La Plata. Md.
Dear Miss Edelen
All recent meeting OF the Board of
Education | brought up the matter of
increase of your salary. AS you must
know. your salary is nov $1,000 per
month more than we are compelled ny
| law TO pay. Because of the low sala-
ries of the teachers with the low grade
certificates / assumed the responsible
1 ity 81 paying slightly more than re-
quired to those teachers. The fixing
of salaries is function of the Board
and not Of the County Superintendent,
therefore ] say, ] assumed tue respon-
sibility
The Board instructed me to write
you that since / had been paying the
Increase, they would not sci these sal
aries back at present, but II the matter
comes up again they will be compelled
to do so.
Very truly yours,
fSiVnpdl r = GWYNN
County Superintendent.
This letter, which is no re-
sponse whatever to the inquiry
made, or the explanation sought,
| but simple and dastardly threat
of reduction in salary should fur.
ther effort be made by this teach
er to have her alleged grievance
at least explained, l presented
to the School Board at its meet
ing in La Plata on Tuesday, Feb
lrnary 9th. After being given a
hearing before the Board, ] was
advised that my case would be
given consideration; but, up to
this writing, | have received no
communication as to the result
of the Boards deliberations, al
though | have learned indirectly
that no action in the matter was
taken.
Section 50 of Article a., Code
of Public General Laws, title
Public Education" provides as
follows
The County Board of Educa-
ton shall appoint, on written
Recommendation of the County
Superintendent, all principals
and assistant teachers and fix
their salaries, subject to the pro-
visions of Chapter 8 of this arti-
Gle"
l now ask if it is wise policy
for the County Board of Educa-
ton to adopt, to permit the Su-
perintendent to assume" the
regulation of the salaries of The
school teachers of this county,
especially when that assumption
leads to unwarranted discfimi
nation :? Does Chapter s OF Ar
ticle n, in conjunction with the
bylaws adopted by the State
Board of Education, permit or
justify such discrimination ? Is
it not within the power of the
County Board of Education to
correct discrepancies, due to the
over assumption" of the Super
intendent, when such are fairly
brought to its attention
Again, what explanation can
the Superintendent make Of his
action during the past summer,
when he refused to consider the
application of my younger dangh-
ter for permission to teach in
this county, insisting that she
would have to take course at
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