Evening star., 1952-11-16
Wage Increase
For Teachers in
Maryland Urged
Commission Offers
Whole New System
With $500 Roise
BY the Assoeiotsd Press

With $500 Ruise
BY the Associated Prsss
BALTIMORE, Nov. 15.-A COM
mission which Gov. McKeldin
helped pick said today Marylands
public school teachers in low-pay-
ing counties ought to get a $500
raise which he three times has
turned down.
The commission revealed re-
vealed in making its report that
the Governor already has put the
necessary funds for the raise into
the budget he will submit to the
General Assembly in January.
Beyond the 5000 increase in
State Minimums for next year, the
commission suggested a whole new
salary system which would go up
another $500 in 1855 and speed up
length-of-Service advances 50 some
of the older teachers would get
steady $500 increase for several
years.
State Would Bear Cost.
The cost, in the first few years
of the new program at least, would
be borne entirely by the State.
It would take about $1,172, 900
in the school year which starts in
the fall Of 1853, another $1.993, 900
in the following year. and $5,674,-
900 in the school year which starts
in the fall of 1855.
The Governor was in New Or
leans for the conference Of South
ern governors when te proposal
came out. He said before he left
he would have no comment on it
until he has had a chance to
study the commissions findings
and recommendations in detail.
The salary program put forward
today came from the Commission
on Public Education and Finances
which the Governor. President
George Della of the State Senate
and Speaker John Luber of the
House Of Delegates named last
June.
Gov. McKeldin vetoed teacher
salary increase passed by the 1851
General Assembly and two others
passed by the 1852 General As
Sembly after it had failed to ov-
erride his veto Of the 1861 act.
McKeIdin Had Understanding.
When he vetoed the latter two,
he had an understanding with
the legislators about letting up the
commission to thrash out the
whole problem and come up with
a completely new approach this
year.
The commission, headed by
Harry ]: Green. Baltimore at
torney, and Democratic Party
leader, said the Republican Gov
ernor did right in his vetoes.
The bills the General Assembly
presented to him, it said, were
hodgepodge and makeshsift. They
did not fit into the complicated
Republication" formula by which
the State lends school aid to its
counties and Baltimore City. They
would have had the State pay
the counties about 8 million In
school support in order to raise
teachers salaries by 81 million.
Some counties would have gotten
big chunks Of money without hav-
ing to pass any of it on to their
teachers.
Salary Proposals Listed.
Here are the commission's
salary proposals:
The State minimum for a start
ing teacher with a degree should
be $4,000 a year, instead Of the
present $4,000.
In her second and third years
she should get a stepup Of 500 a
year-$2,6 800 the second year she
teaches and $2,700 the third year.
In the fourth year, this annual
increase should Jump to 5000,
until she is getting $4,000 in her
18th year Of teaching.
The present salary scale pro-
vides for 500 increases each year
until teacher makes $4,000 in
her 18th year.
The proposed system would ap-
ply for two years.
Then. in the school year which
starts in the fall of 1855. the
minimum would Jump another
$500 to $4,000 year for a starting
teacher with a degree. =
She would get $4,000 the second
year, $4,000 the third year, with
5000 annual increases from then
on until she got $4,000 in her 11th
year.
Speeding up the annual in
creaSes would afford further raises
for many older teachers in the
year between the first and second
phases of the new plan, and again
in the next year or so after the
second boost.
All Pay Above Minimums.
All of Maryland's counties now
are paying at least 5000 above the
present State minimums, three of
them as much as $500 more.
What the State would do in the
early stages of the program is f.
nance the difference between what
they now are paying and the new
minimums.
The additional State money
would go to the teachers, instead
of reducing the premium the
counties are now paying.
The commissions program con-
templates revision of the intricate
formula by which the State lends
financial aid to the counties for
schools. It would go into effect
in the summer of 1855 and the
counties would be required to levy
q 75-cent school tax on each 500
of assessed valuation in order to
be eligible for State support. The
present requirement is a 65-cent