The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-02-04
State Aid Pledged To.
ward Retention Of
School Teachers

Discussing the crisis faced by many
counties of the State with regard to
losses among the school teaching
stats, Governor O'Conor declared
emphatically that II am of the opin-
ion that these school teachers in
creases should be continued for the
present in order to induce these we'll
trained workers to remain In the
class rooms.
ITO help accomplish it | believe
that additional appropriations should
be made by local governments. Al
though the State government could
well take the position that 1t has
done it's share by putting up two
thirds of the amount representing
the increases for the whole period,
l nevertheless feel that additional
State assistance could be given. We
are in an emergency; we cannot az
ford to let educational standards be
lowered in our Maryland educational
system, which has moved to high
position. 1t should not be allowed to
deteriorate in any degree, If a rea-
SOndDle HHdHCidi ouIi"y S"h PS'NH'
it.
Before concluding on this sub
ject | desire to say that my efforts
will be continued to effect county
and state participation whereby we
may be able to continue to finance
this adjusted compensation plan!
mo group of people in Maryland
performs more important work, OF
such far-reaching consequences, as
do the school teachers through our
State" the Governor added. "In their
hands rests the welfare, and the pro
per education of the thousands and
thousands of our children These
children now in the formative period
of their lives are entitled to have the
very best in regard to teaching per-
sonnet that can be supplied them. In
fact they must have it, If they are to
be trained adequately to meet the
demands of new world into which
they will emerge following the dew
astation of the present war.
t.Maryland enjoys the highe t
standards in it's educational system,
Maryland enjoys a general teaching
staff, composed of men and women
who are especially trained through
years of dutiful application to their
profession. In the past they were
grossly underpaid. That is why, i'm
mediately after assuming office in
1899, / made provision for additional
appropriations to raise the teachers
pay scales.
state appropriations for educa-
ton have increased in each of the
budgets, since l have been Governor
and this year the largest amount ever
to be appropriated for public schools
in Maryland's history is being spent
through State appropriation. This is
as it should be and such an invest
ment, large as it is, will pay divi-
dends in the form of more enlight-
ed citizenship and better trained
workers for the future up-building
of America.
1.-THE war emergency has present
ed unusual problems for school
teachers Their salaries were not in
creased in any degree commensurate
with the salaries paid in the war in
dustries. Our local and State govern
ments could not hope to compete
with private concerns handling war
contracts. But we have been anxious
to effect an arrangement to tide
over" teachers until salaries and
prices generally will be stabilized. 1t
was for this reason that when the
Legislature was in session last year
l advanced the plan under which the
State and Local governments would
participate in paying school teachers
$4,000 monthly for the seventeen
month period extending until next
January when the Legislature would
again be in session.
1.-THE State agreed to pay two
thirds of this total sum of $4,000
per teacher, and provided $780,
10000, sufficient to meet the States
share. This money was appropriated
and is being paid. However, all of
the local subdivisions have not ap-
propriated the amounts necessary
and some have paid out the extra
appropriations to the teachers al
ready so that sufficient funds do not
remain in the treasury of the local
governments to continue these salary
payments after May l next"