Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-02-22
NEEDS
FOR WORCESTER
co. SCHOOLS
Meeting Of County Superintend-
ents Hold Conference In
Salisbury
TRANSPORTATION AND
TEACHER SHORTAGE

Worcester County will need an cir
reducible minimum" of three addition
al full-time academic teachers and
one special teacher for high schools
next year, not mentioning the ele-
mentary needs. These needs for Wor-
cester County and all of the other
counties of the state are contained in
the text of policies adopted by the
Maryland County Superintendent OF
Schools in Conference last week.
The preamble to the superintendent
statement gives their attitude and con-
illusions concerning the public school
policy in this state.
"In the economic crisis which the
American nation has faced during the
past few years, the adequate educa-
ton of the nations children has. been
seriously threatened. A representa-
tive government has always recognize
ed that its own perpetuation depends
upon an effective program of educa-
ton and has therefore created and
changed school systems through their
administrative officers, to whom is
given the responsibility for planning
and conducting the education of the
children. The school administrators
of Maryland, in recognition Of this
responsibility, set forth certain gen
eral principles of the school policy.
They follow in brief:
1. The county superintendent of
Maryland desire to declare their un-
qualified approval of the policy which
is now widely prevalent among the
states of the nation apd which author.
ICES the State to share in a large
measure the burden of financing the
public education program of the To-
cal administrative units through
definite policy of State aid, to the end
that adequate educational opportun-
ity may be provided for all the chill
dren of all the people.
2. The county superintendent be-
lieve that the program of education
which is necessary for the ever in
creasing and varied group of pupils
enrolling in the schools should receive
adequate financial support in the State
wide educational program.
8. The adequate training of teach
ers is fundamental if the efficient
conduct of state program of educa-
ton is uniformly recognized. The
county superintendent believe that
any curtailment of the teacher-train-
ing program of the State will be detri-
mental to the ultimate welfare of the
children.
A. It has long been recognized that
the salaries of teachers generally have
not been commensurate with the i'm
portance and responsibility of the pro-
fession; yet reductions made in re-
spouse to demands of the economic
emergency have been graciously accept
ed by the teaching personnel of the
State.
The superintendent believe that
recognition should now be given to the
following facts:
a. That the costs Of living have
greatly increased during the past two
years.
b. That the increased enrollments
have greatly increased the number
and size of the classes for which the
individual teachers are responsible.
c. That the dignity and Importance
of the teaching profession, along with
the above facts, demand favorable sal
airy consideration.
Incidentally the salaries of the
teachers in the white schools of Wor-
cester County range from about $500
to $4,000 per week. In the face of
the rising costs of living, can they
maintain the proper standards of liv-
ing?
In this report it is also stated that
again it is the plan to have the coun-
ties pay so per cent of the high school
transportation. During the past two
years this has been done without in
creasing the tax rate by dismissing
needed teachers, leaving repair work
undone, limiting supplies and texts.
This cannot be continued. If the
county must shoulder this burden, it
will mean an increase of more than
two cents on the tax rate or the in