Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1957-11-14
Coins Other Side
Teachers Wife Tells
Of Financial Woes

was very much interested in the letter to
the editor written by the wife of a county main
tenance man. 1t was written in response to your
editorial on Montgomery County teachers holding
various jobs to supplement their teaching salaries
can fully understand this wife's position.
After working several years, her husbands pay
raise amounted to only 20 cents an hour.
AS an administrator in a county school, my
husband (employed by the county for ID years.
received a rase-$365 a month 40 months) for
which, if he worked strictly 40-hour week, would
amount to IN cent per hour rase-but his actual
"take-home" pay is almost $500 per month less
than last year. This was due to a new salary
schedule adopted last year in an attempt to
equalize salaries within the profession. True, 1
was not pleased but we are not complaining.
There are several reasons, the most important
being, my husbands dedication to his profession.
If he were not, he would have left it years ago.
Years, when we were raising a family of
four on $21O0 year (paying $1O0 month for
housing)-years, when he drove miles to the Uni
versity Cat great personal expense and sacrifice)
to earn his Masters Degree to enable him to
better himself professionally same years
we saw him only at meals and Sundays because
of night and Saturday classes, study, and re-
search-Years, he never once shrked his teaching
duties such as instructor, counselor adviser,
chaperone, correcting all homework and tests
many hours after midnight, and always unselfishly
ION call" to any student who asked for extra
help.-Years, when "sparetime" and summers were
spent at odd jobs to provide for his family. Times,
when our children (who without complaint,
learned at very early age the limit of our fl
nances) were overheard explaining to friends,
"Oh, we can't do that, or we can't go on vaca-
tons because my Daddy must work and go to
school" (These past few years teachers salaries
land would Shudder to feel at the expense of
other employeesl all, in way softened the hard
ships of those beginning years. The public has
been better informed and has finally realized that
to keep teachers, salaries must be attractive and
comparable to those in other fields)
So you see through experience, we have had
similar problems But even though am genuinely
sympathetic, cannot let mistaken and unfair
statement 60 without further Qualification.
In reference to the published letter, quote
"A teacher makes more in nine months of school
than maintenance man makes from IL months
work" No doubt this could be true but look
bit further at this comparison. Compare the
cost of the time and educational preparation for
both jobs. There is quite difference! Consider
too the professional upkeep that is, personal APP
pearance, clothing, tools, and continued study.
There is marked difference! But the largest
discrepancy appears when trying to compare sal
airy per hour spent in each respective work day.
ard wages to "baby-sit' (not teach) our children
for $50 days. Each teacher would "baby-sit"
with 80 pupils each day. At IS cents an hour
(below current rates) a teachers salary would
be $6,750 These are very attractive wages!
However, no teacher is ever paid for the
time he gives to his job because the time would
be impossible to compute. Anyone familiar with
the profession knows it is not to job. Con-
sidering the recent articles in the Washington
Post hghlighting the various schools and their
administrators, especially the article on Mr.. Tar
allo-hs position is fully representative of admin
istrators and teachers in the county My hus-
bands average day begins at am and ends at
5:45 pm. Many nights he returns to school for
various meetings Other nights spent in
professional meetings where he can learn more
about his profession, and ways by which our
schools problems can be faced, solved and cond
tons improved for our children. He doesn't get
extra time for these meetings He considers
them necessary and important part of his job
Just as he considers community, church. and
patriotic meetings important in helping him to
better understand all peoples problems.
feel can write without prejudice because
we know many people in maintenance work and
are fully aware OF their financial problems and
their needs.
! sincerely hope this letter does not ALLEVIATE
"stilI Hopeful" or any fea9sr # Is solely my in