Show URGES 1500 MINIMUM AVERAGE SALARY FOR doubling the salaries ot of teachers within the next five years and then adding 60 50 per cent before another 10 years yeara have passed so that tha minimum average salary for teach irs ars will be 1600 1500 this la Is the program urged by dr P P claxton j S commissioner of education dr claxton says it la Is only enly by very large increases in pay ot of teachers that wo may liopo hope to improve our sal schools 0 appreciably small increases of 0 5 10 or 20 per cent will not avail for or they will not net be sufficient to hold bold li ii the schools men and women ot of au pv ability Te teachers achors are now paid less tor for their work than any other class ot of workers and tho the Inc increase in their pay in the last few yeats has in nowise been in keeping with tile the increase in pay ot of other wor workers kerg or with the increase in the cost ot of living while the cost of living has haa increased approximately SO 80 per cent food 85 95 per cent clothing per cent drugs per cent fuel ol 01 per cent and house furnishing goods 76 per cent the salaries ot of teachers have increased only about 12 per cent the purchasing power of the salary ot of the teacher in n our public schools is therefore only about 63 61 per cent of 0 what it was four years year s ago many of oc the better teachers are leaving the schools and their places are taken by men and women ot of less native ability leg less 9 education and culture addless and leas less training and experience many ot of the places are not filled fille d at all A As a a an n in inevitable C v bitable result the character ot of the schools Is being lovi ered just at a time lime wilen when it ought to be raised to a touch much higher standard students now entering the normal schools to prepare for teaching are not of oe as 15 good quality lu allty as they werl were formerly which means lucans that the standards ot of the schools must con coil tanu e to fall in some normal schools the enrollment Is far less than in former lears ears the only remedy is 13 larger pay for teachers if school boards legislators and county and city councils council 3 would immediately im me lately announce the policy ot of doubling the average salary of teachers within the next nett live years and ot of adding not less than 50 per cent more within the 10 years following the expiration pi ration of this period so that at the end of 15 years the average salary of public school teachers would lie be not less than 1500 about one ai and d a recelle half times larger than they receive at present and then alien take steps tor for carrying out this thia policy much good would be accomplished thereby at once such a policy and such a prospect would attract to the schools more men and women ot of superior ability and would hold them working contentedly and therefore profitably N for the children and the public welfare such increase in salary should carry with it an increase of not less than 25 per cent in the average length of the school term which is s now less than days 0 to those who are not acquainted with past conditions and who have given the matter ro no intelligent thought the increase recommended may seem large but in fact it is not it would in most states mean a range of salaries from 10 00 to 3 no person who is fit to take the elie time and money and opportunity of the children of this great democratic republic for the purpose ot of fitting them tor for life for making a living and or virtu virtuous alis citizenship should be asked to work for less than 1000 10 00 a year in any community or in any community or in any state no one who Is unworthy of this minimum salary is fitted to do this work and no such person should be permitted to waste the time and money of the children and to fritter away heir opportunity for education it is not for the sake of yle the teach ars that this policy is advocated schools are not maintained for the hie benefit of the teachers II if men and women of ability are not willing to teach tor for the pay offered them they can quit and do something else lor for a living as hundreds of thousands of the best do it is tor for the sake of the schools the children and tile the prosperity of the people and the hie strength and safety of the nation that the polley policy is advocated |