OCR Text |
Show INCREASE OF TEACHERS' PAY. We notice in the Herald yestorday morning an oditorial plea for highor pay for tho principals in tho public schools of this city. It is all well enough in its way, but hardly appropriate appro-priate to tho time aud occasion. It will be remembered that tho salarios of tho principals of the schools in this I city wero increaped Inst year. Tho salaries of tho grade teachers, however, wore not increased. It was stated that tho reason why this increaso was not made to the teachers in the grades was becauso, while tho Board had evory disposition dis-position to mako such incrciisc, it did i not have the money to mako it. It. hnd the money, however, to increase tho )ny of tho principals, of tho superintendent, super-intendent, of its own clerk, and of such favorites as it chose to reward. Inasmuch, however, as tho Board claimed that it did not ha'e tho 11101103- to advance the pay of tho grado teachers, those teachers formed an or- I ganization and worked up a practically practical-ly unanimous sentiment in this city in favor of an increase of one mill in tho school taxes for the purpose of getting get-ting tho money which would allow of increasing tho pay of theso grado teachers. teach-ers. During tho session of tho late Legislature n bill was introduced permitting per-mitting of this increaso of ono mill j in the tax levy for the purpose indicated. in-dicated. Various hearings wero had. from the representatives of the teachers teach-ers jo favor of the proposod measure for the purpose indicated. xVmong others tho committee on education of the Commercial Com-mercial Clu.b heard tho representative of tho grade teachers state their position posi-tion and make their plea for the increased in-creased levy so that they might re-ocivo re-ocivo tho higher pay which the Board admitted wns their due, but which it claimed it had not tho money to. grant. On this representation the committee reported unanimously in favor of the bill, putting it precisely on tho ground slated by tho representative of tho' teachers. That is to say. that tho money should bo applied to the increaso in-creaso of salaries of the teachers in the grndes and in the primary classes. I That, was tho distinct and clear under- I standing. Tho amount which this increased mill would yiold the current school year is j close .to $17,00Q. . . This applied as -the petition and agreemont designed it to be applied to the increaso of pay of teachers in tho grades and primary classes would be a substantial addition to the pay of upwards of two hundred tcachors of those classes. If something wero left appropriately for the in- creaso of the pay of principals above the increase which was made to them last year without this additional levy, we do not supposo that anyono would object to it; but tho point is that tho first claim on this increase Is undoubtedly un-doubtedly that, of the tcachors of tho primary classes and in the grades, . So far as wo learn, the Board has not so far made the increaso which is entirely en-tirely warrantod by tho additional income in-come provided for that purpose. In fact, as wo understand, tho additions to the pay of the primary and grado teachers amount to a sum not in excess ex-cess of half of the revenue which the ono mill additional levy for their benefit bene-fit will provide. Wo soo no occasion, therefore, to make any plea for the principals until the Board more fully moets the understanding with respect to the pay of the primary and grado teachers. Tho amount of money in excess ex-cess say of $10,000, lo which we should estimate the primary and grade teachers teach-ers lo bo fully entitled, might appropriately appro-priately go to tho principals. But the point is that, the pay of tho primary and grade teachers should be increased first, and increased in a ratio commensurate com-mensurate with the added revenue provided pro-vided .by the bill which was.1 avowedly and expressly for their relief. Tho Board should measure out to the grade teachers what is coming to them; and then of what is left let the principals get a fair share. But it should be recollected first and foremost that all of that ono mill tax, that sum of upwards up-wards of $46,000, was designed solely for the pay of the grade tmd primary tcachors. Principals should como under that designation, of course, in a way, but in a secondary degree. The first reward should bo lo the teachers and then to the principals, in so far as thoy arc. now underpaid and in n proportionate pro-portionate degree to tho added revenue. For, if tho Board docs not deal fairly in this matter, it will be unable to I retain tho best school teachers. |