The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-03-22
HERE'S MORE ABOUT
Teachers Pay
9 aRTS ON pAGE ONE

reduction, declared full restora-
ton Of their cut could be made this
year. Debt reduction. in their eyes.
is the taxpayers responsibility.
Teachers now are being paid
about ten per cent under the fun
fixed scale. those entitled by scale
to get the maximum Of 1920
getting $1,000.
Warrant debt reduction, the
teachers organizations wrote in a
long letter to the school board.
should be done by means Of extra
millage.
Comparisons Made
Citing maintenance Of pay scales
for city firemen. policemen and
other city and county employees,
the teachers declared the taxpay-
ers have not had to pay what they
would have if the schools had been
treated on par with other gov
ernmental departments.
School employees" they charged,
have during the past 10 years.
paid S1,700,0O0 toward operation
of school district No. TO-"
Board members were favorable
toward submitting extra millage
for warrant reduction to vote Of
the people, but said they would not
go as far as to anticipate favor
able vote.
Would Leave $4,000
Cutting into this years surplus
for full salary restoration, Secre-
tary- Manager Carl G. Caddy point
ed out, would take $4,000 and
leave only about $4,000 for re-
duction of the S3eS,344 warrant
debt.
The sum now left after the one
twelfth pay restoration will about
wipe out the accumulated deficit
of the past two years.
Director DR.. John w. Griffith,
defending the present state Of
salaries, declared it "all the traf-
fic will bear"
1T is the policy of the board"
he said, Ito adjust salaries as lit
tie as possible though revenues are
fluctuating."
The present reduced pay was
declared the best possible average
between the peaks and valleys of
revenue, while still leaving some
thing for warrant reduction.
May Be On Ballot
While no definite action was
taken, it was considered that the
voters who provided $4,000 for
construction of the new Lincoln
bowl by voting an extra mill tax
a week and a half ago may be
given a chance to vote more at the
November election.
To take care of the full teachers
salary scale with present anticipat-
ed regular revenues, Director DR..
l.. P. Norton said, will mean vot-
ing six extra mills in extra taxes
every two years.
1t is conceded that voting extra
millage is impossible in an Off
year special election.
Gist of the teachers open let
ter to the board was that the
district is getting too much for
its money.
High Standard
STANDARD of services rendered
by the school staff" they declar-
ed, has not only been maintain
ed but in many instances raised.
In this respect Tacoma has not
Jagged behind the most progressive
districts In the state.
ut must be recognized that the
quality of service is high when the
staff. in spite of considerable
increase in the teaching load and
continuous decrease in remune-
ration, is not only willing but
anxious to move forward"
Cited improvements were in
music. health and physical educa-
ton, the expanding guidance pro-
gram, curriculum revision, and
visual education program.
Classes Larger
At the same time, they said
teachers in junior and senior high
schools have jumped from five tc
six teaching periods day while
size Of classes has increased In
all grades.
Each time there has been q
deficit in revenue for school pur.
poses" declared the teachers, "ths
load has been placed on the schoo
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