Evening star., 1963-03-22
Teacher-Pay Plan
Backed inArIinqton
Board Pledges
To Vote Funds.
For Fall Term
BY JOHN BARRON
Star staff Writer

49, Se~AA WAANNA
Prompt adoption of Arling-
toms radical teacher salary
plan has been assured.
The county board last night
enthusiastically approved the
plan which will enable a ma
jority Of Arlington's teachers
10 make as much as $4,000
annually and permit those who
are outstanding to earn up to
S14, 900.
Although the board must
wait until May to appropriate
funds for forthcoming budgets,
1t pledged to provide all money
to start the new salary
program next fall. It pro-
claimed its intentions in q
cordial meeting with the school
board so that Arlington re-
Immediately can begin
an aggressive" hunt for the
best young instructors being.
graduated this spring.
The pay scale will be by far
the highest in the Washington
area.
This is causing neighboring
communities to fear that they
will either have to raise
taxes to approximate Arlington
salaries or else paSsively yield
first place to Arlington in the
yearly competition for gifted
teachers.
Explored Elsewhere
The Arlington plan also is
being explored elsewhere in the
country as a possible solution
to some of the basic problems
confronting subulb bs, where
parents increasingly demand
the best possible schooling for
their children.
Two national magazines are
preparing articles discussing
1t. At a conference Of educa-
tors in New York last week
School Board Member Elizabeth
Campbell was besieged with
inquiries about it.
Universities have sent repre-
sentatives or called to obtain
complete details.
The salary program is gen.
Grating such interest because
1t represents a complete de-
parture from past methods of
compensating teachers.
Three Separate Scales
1t viii establish three sepa-
rate pay scales.
The basic one will apply to
beginning instructors, those
who intend to remain in Ar
llngton only a few years and
those who cannot qualify for
superior salaries but are too
near retirement to be dismissed.
It will pay teachers with a
BA degree 5000 to $1,000 and
those with a MA degree $500
to $500.
After five years Of expert
ence, an instructor may request
transfer to the second or "ca-
reer' scale which ranges from
S. 400 to $l0.500 for thoseswith
a bachelors degree and from
$500 to $4,000 for those with
a masters degree.
All Arlington teachers with
sufficient tenure may submit
applications for this scale by
May is and it is anticipated
that most will be accepted
Study Required
Once accepted, they will have
TO continue graduate study in
the field they are teaching and
those who do not already have
graduate degrees doubtless viii
seek them. Teachers joining
the Arlington system in the fu-
, ture win have to possess a
graduate degree before they
can become eligible for the
career scale. Furthermore.
Arlington intends to award
credit for graduate study only
II 1t pertains to the subject The
instructor teaches.
Beginning in 1864, a third or
distinguished" pay scale rang
ing from s8.400 to $4,000 will
so into effect.
It will be employed to attract
and reward the exceptionally
able who make unusual con-
tributions.
The new plan authorizes the
superintendent to Jump out
standing instructors several
steps on the pay scale in a
single year and TO grant new
teachers up to ten steps
credit" even though they may
not have ten years Of expert
lence.