Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1920 — COUNTY EDUCATIONAL NOTES. [ARTICLE]

COUNTY EDUCATIONAL NOTES.

The State Department of Public Instruction has issued a letter to the county superintendents of Indiana requesting that they inform the school officials of their respective counties of an apparent shortage of teachers that will lead to much trouble next fall The following letter from Supt L. N. Hines is self-explantaory: Indianapolis, Ind. January 20, 1920 My dear Supt. Sterrett: There is in Indiana at the present time a shortage of teachers. The situation will be worse next fall, according to present indications, unless some drastic action is taken. Larger salaries must be paid if the emergency is met in a satisfactory manner. There are other elements that enter into the situation, but the demand for more money for teachers is the most pressing matter at present. Accordingly this department has deviSed the following table in the way of suggestion for paying more money to teachers and as a guide Jo schdol officers m arranging salary schedules: First column Class; second column, present multipliers; third column, present minimum wages; fourth column, recommended multipliers; fifth column, minimum wages. A $56.55 4% $ 87.30 B 3% 75.00 5 97.00 C 4% 87.30 5% 106.70 Exempt 4% 87.30 5% 106.70 D 5 97.00 6 116.40 _ (.Class A, B, C, teachers are those holding 12, 24 and 36 months licenses respectively. Exempt teachers are those who have taught for six consecutive years and then make a thirty-six months’ license. This exemption expires whenever a teacher suffers one year to lapse without teaching or going to school. Class D teachers are teachers who teach on a thirty-six months’ license for two yearsas a class Cor on an eight years’ or life license for a like period.) For 1920 trustees and school boards are asked to use the “Recommended Multipliers” in determining minimum wages. In many corporations the salaries should go even higher. -—— The above table of wages was approved by the State Board of Education at its meeting Friday, January 16, 1920. It is considered important that this matter be speedily taken up with county, town and city boards of education. It would be well, also to conduct campaigns among high school seniors with a view to getting them interested in teaching next year.

Very truly yours, L. N. HINES, State Superintendent” —The above letter can be /better appreciated by county superintendents who devise countless devices and schemes to keep the schools running. Jasper county is happily blessed with a full teaching corps and the reason is that many married women have stepped to the front and tendered their services. Two of Jasper county’s lady teachers were married during the holidays. But the bliss of married life was sacrificed by both until this term is closed. It is such marital sacrifice that enables Jasper county to hold its school doors open to the young. At present there are ten of such home sacrifices in Jasper county. A few other counties present a larger number but not a larger percentage of its teaching personnel. Jasper county "has the highest percentage of beginning teachers (27, all girls, too) in the north half oJ the state. Your County Superintendent has gone before senior classes at Tefft, Wheatfield, Fair Oaks and Remington during previous years soliciting the graduates to take up teaching. With Herculean effort Jasper county has kept its reputation of not closing a single door on account of no teacher. But it must be easily seen that exhaustion is nearing' us at present. With Mrs. John I. Gwin, Mrs. Lem Houston on the substituting list, in case of extreme necessity, our stubstitute list is gone. Miss Frances Davis and Richard W. Bowie have been substituting in the north end upon several occasions. Your County Superintendent is in a position to realize upon the confidence that boys and girls from the senior classes have in him. Supt. Hines suggests that we solicit these seniors for teaching next year. With salary as it is should a man abuse the confidence of the young by cunningly advising them to take up teaching? It might mean the wrecking of a business life and the making of a failing teacher. The remuneration is not as yet such as would justify a betrayal of confidence. If a young man or woman has natural aptitudes and inclinations towards teaching then the County Superintendent of Jasper county will use every effort to encourage such a person upon the realization of his or her teaching ambitions. Otherwise his moral convictions and sense of justice to our young forces him to join issues ynth our State Superintendent upon that point only. At one time last week Tefft was short two of its regular teachers on the same days. Ordinarily the .school would close. But Trustee Duggleby’s wife and Richard Bowie answered the emergency call by saddling the work of the two absent teachers. Mrs. Duggleby took Prof. Ashby’s place for a full week as head of the school system. Mrs. Duggleby is a teacher of the old school, but she can teach Algebra, Geometry and Latin yet. Trustee Wood, of Milroy, had Mrs. Wood to teach the Banner school until Rosabelle Daugherty returned from Chicago and took up the school at Banner. These are reasons why Jasper county’s schools have never closed their doors. If the public has any sense of appreciation to sacrifices of these kinds then these sacrifices are cheerfully made. We must all concede that the eaching of our young is Iha big-

gest job in America today. Ordinarily the tax payers belittle this big job by giving teachers hardly a living wage. If the job is a big one why not make the salaries commensurate with the magnitude and skill required to do the job right? We are going to have our children taught by a transient and speculative personnel of teachers when the salaries are as they are. When the salaries are proper and proportioned to the size of the job then the County Superintendent of Jasper county or any other county need not work his cunning or promising young men and women of our senior classes.