The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1951-02-22

| lSSallablc. II our ciNll servants anu
,ublic school teachers are not giycu
'aises in salaries. they will in effect
by the imposition of higher federal
.aXes) receive cut in salary and be
required at the same time to carry a
still more inequitable burden in sub
idizng the very government for
which they work
While / am DESTROYS that our civil
servants and our teachers be paid
fairly and generously, am frankly
mole concerned with what will hap
pen to our children if we do not act
in this matter. As right thinking citi-
zens we cannot permit our children to
90 without qualified teachers, or,
worse still, without teachers. Please
efresh your memory and recall that
this is what did happen during the
war period. Remember also the huge
classes Of fifty and sixty children,
and the number of teachers and So
| called teachers that some classes had
within the course Of a single year
This must not happen again. do not
think it will happen if we act prompt
ly. We have been given warning and
opportunity; if disaster occurs it will
be our fault
What are the facts? A preliminary
study by the state Department Of
Education shows that teachers are
beginning to leave the schools not
only for military service bat for bust
ness and industry. The tragic aspect
of the matter is that the latter teach
ers do not want to leave quote from
letter Of resignation which ono
superintendent received in the same
mail with two others; all three resig-
nations gave the same reason-high-
er pay and financial problems all
three teachers were rated excellent.
THE work is most pleasant and the
school one of the finest. still, | find
myself in a rather serious situation.
| am married man and am in the
early steps of buying and furnishing
new home Financially, it is abso-
lutely impossible for me to meet my
obligations and still maintain a state
Of social comfort in enjoying certain
limited luXulies 1t is needless for me
to mention the numerous drains on my
monthly take home pay Of $4,000
am almost certain you understand my
situation. | am aware Of being under
contract, but on the strength Of under
standing by the county office, | am
requesting to be relieved as Of Febru-
any /, 1851
I he teachers who are leaving and
who will leave first are the young and
vital, and the hope of the profession
IN the future They are the young
men and women, mainly under thirty
years of age, who had their training
interrupted by the war and who there
fore have had emily a few years Of eX-
perience in teaching. Their salaries,
in practically every county and the
City would be less than $4,000 annual
~. With a growing family and other
financial responsibilities there is no
reason to hope that we can keep them
in the schools.
am concerned also with the future
supply Of teachers. Young men and
women have been coming to our teach
ers colleges so rapidly during the
past few years we have not been able
to accommodate them because Of
limited physical facilities. Even
though we may lose men. there is
reason to believe that the young wom-
en- will continue to come if we demon
strate clearly and Immediately that
we do not intend to let the teaching
profession sink to trying economic
conditions.
The problem of salaries should be
acted upon Immediately The State,
the counties and Baltimore City,
should all act The State should pro-
vide an increase Immediately through
the regular state salary law and with
additional state funds, and the coun-
ties and Baltimore City should add to
their salaries as the situation de-
mands.
A farsighted government is con-
cerned with the morale of the people
in any crisis, actual or pending. The
normal things of life, particularly
those that affect the mind, should be
provided as far as possible. In this
connection, | call attention to the
need for not only continuing but for
expanding our library program. We
have been operating on very small
budget, but the interest and growth
has been tremendous. Thirteen coun-
ties and Baltimore City now have
library programs. The State subsidy
for this purpose is small and because
of rising prices the amount is in eff
feet less than the amount provided
when the program was inaugurated
State aid for this purpose should be
increased.
The State Board of Education at
its last meeting passed a resolution