Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-12

Letters TO / ne Star
Teachers Representatives State
Case for Increase in Salary
To the Editor of The Star:
The Teachers Advisory Council OF
the public schools of the District of
Columbia wishes to place before you
the following facts:
Recently bill was passed which gives
Federal classified employees a salary in
crease of IA per cent to meet increased
costs of living. You may be surprised
to learn that the teachers of the Dis
trict of Columbia are not included I'M
der the benefits of this law
Special legislation must be passed to
change salaries of District teachers. In
1924 a teachers salary bill was passed
which was in force over 20 years, or
until new salary bill was passed in
1945. This l945 bill made permanent
the wartime bonus of $500 year grant,
ed by Congress, and made some other
changes in salaries, chief of which was
the increasing Of the initial salary Of
elementary teachers from 81 400 to ST.
300 year, change greatly to be COM
mended. However, experienced teachers
at the top Of their grades received only
500 In additional pay this year, or
slightly over Sc month after the de-
duction Of taxes. These teachers were
further placed at disadvantage by
fI,tc hill IN hut &c
them for two years from the chance
Of promotion to a higher classification,
since teacher must have reached the
maximum salary in her classification
before she may qualify for promotion
to a higher grade.
Salaries of District teachers are often
quoted as follows:
Minimum. Maximum.
Ele. teachers 1880 81 900 $1,000
Jr. high teachers 1900 3,70O
Sr. high teachers 2,100 $500
The minimum salaries as quoted are
accurate but the figures quoted as maxi
mum salaries give an incorrect picture
as to 80 per cent Of District teachers.
Teachers are classified into two groups,
Glass and Class B. Incoming teach
ers are placed in the Glass A group and
must remain in this group until they
reach its maximum. which is $500 lower
than that of the Glass B group. Glass
B salaries are restricted to 376 teachers
or approximately 10 per cent of the
teachers. Teachers must qualify for
Class B by taking a special examina-
ton, but are admitted to a Glass B
salary only when vacancy occurs on
the Glass B list, due to death or retire.
ment. Therefore, most teachers are
never promoted to Glass B and most
maximum salaries are actually $500
lower than is quoted.
Recently the Veterans Administration
appealed to high school pupils over l6
to take temporary jobs for the sum-
mer. The pay offered was at the rate
Of $3.50 a year-more than is paid a
regularly employed teacher in the ele-
mentary schools of the District
The cost Of living is estimated to have
increased so per cent in the course of
the war and is steadily increasing, &C
cording to May, 1916, report of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, but teach
ers' take-home pay is less than before
the war, in spite of wartime increases.
The recent Federal salary bill will place
District teachers az a still greater dis
advantage as its effect is bound to IN
crease further the cost of living here.
District teachers find themselves in the
position of being pushed relatively low
ser In the economic scale while all other
wages and costs are increasing
The Board Of Education and most
teacher organizations of the District
have Endorsed the proposal for . fiat
$500 increase in pay for all classified
educational employees. We feel that
this is much fairer than a percentage
increase as percentage increase would
give little relief to those in the lower
salary grades. The increase asked for
is based entirely on the need to meet
increased living costs.
At public hearing, June 4, the Com
m1ssioners of the District of Columbia
expressed themselves as favorable to
this increase, but asked the members
OF the Board of Education and the
teachers present to propose means of
raising funds to meet the cost involved.
The Advisory Council wishes to point
out that 1T is not the responsibility of
either the board or the teachers to pro-
vide sources Of revenue. That is the
responsibility Of Congress and the Com
missioners, whose duty it is to rectify
a most unfair situation However, The
Star recently printed an estimate show
Ing that the effect of the Federal nav
increase Will be to put approximately
S5o,O00,OOO more In cash annually into
the pockets OF Federal employees here
in the District. 1t is pertinent to the
situation to point out that his sum
should provide base for increased tax
revenues sufficient to meet the cost out
lined above, which is estimated to total
only 100000 annually.
Furthermore, in the interests of
maintaining an efficient public school
system, this increase is really manda-
tory. The teacher shortage is most
acute, while the enrolment in teachers
colleges is dropping in an alarming way.
The graduating class at Wilson Teach
ers' College is very small and only five
graduates have signif1ed an intention
OF becoming public school teachers.
Other cities are finding it necessary to
raise salaries. Denver has recently in
creased its teachers pay by $7s0 an
nually
"A good education is not luxury, 1t