JANUARY - FEBRUARY 1920 Published by the West Virginia Collegiate Institute Institute
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JANUARY - FEBRUARY 1920 Published By The West Virginia Collegiate Institute Institute. W. Va. .r: I \ rrhe InstituteMonthly Entered as second-class matter, January 29, 1914, at the post-office at Institute, West Vir- ginia, under the act of March 3, 1879. Vol. 12 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1920 No.4 EDITORIALS :' . while men who happen to be serv- LSEWHERE in these col- :' IIIurns is a study dealing with ing as hod carriers on the new teachers' salaries at the building at Institute receive near- We s t Virginia Collegiate ly double that amount? The con- . Institute, made by its pres- trast is more striking when one ident, John W. Davis. President considers the standard of living Davis has arranged his facts in expected of the teacher, his contin- such a manner as to make it easy uous expense of self-improvement, to follow his deduction. .As such and the hours of application neces- his article presents the best argu- sary in the full performance of his ment in J behalf of an underpaid duties. This is not a living wage profession that has come to our and can only result in one of two attention in a long time. evils-either the teacher is com- It is true that the facts and fig- pelled to enhance his salary by em- ures presented pertain to a partic- ploying part of his time to matters ular school. But what is true in foreign to the school room, or in an this respect at Institute is true, dif- effort to make ends meet, lower fering only as to degree, of all his standard of living to such a de- schools in the state. Consequent- gree that it is not conducive to ly a brief for Institute serves a sim- self-respect and a condition of ilar purpose for schools in general. mind favorable to his best efforts. What argument can be logically In either case our children suffer. advanced in support of the poor The average wage paid the col- salaries at Institute? Is there any ored teacher in the district schools reason why teachers who have of the state is slightly higher than spent years in special preparation the average white teacher. This for their duties should receive an is due to the fact that a larger pro- average wage of less than $800 portion of the colored teachers hold I J # I~...j;,.f~tJL--------------------- ·2 THE INSTITUTE MONTHLY " first grade certificates. But the the best talent will be attracted to examinations and salaries are uni- the profession, assured of suffi- ~~I=T=h=e=P=re=s=id=e=n=t's=P=ag=e=~ form for both races. When we cent funds to maintain a decent standard of living consistent with compare the average salaries paid A SALARY SURVEY in the achools of higher learning the position, and to prepare against of both races we find that the a rainy day. Our present rate of of the whites have a decided advantage, salary is not only losing to the pro- WEST VIRGINIA COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE though their average is entirely fession its best, but it is preventing too low. This contrast is too that improvement essential to the PERUSE! PONDER!! great. In our colored schools of maximum efficency of (hose who higher learning we are presumed remain, and discouraging others tinual study. The pay received by NSTITUTE. West Virgin- to have the same standards of from preparing for the work. The lalia, Jan. 19.-"1 love my teachers of the Institute has not scholarship and efficiency for the quicker we realize these conditions .. work but I can~ot live ?n been sufficient to provide necessary faculty as in our other schools, then and apply the remedy, the quicker . what I am paid' now In study. An impartial judge would they should have the same pay. will we make 9.Il investment that t his Institution." The pronounce some of the teachers in- If we have not the same standards will pay rich dividends in the stand- point of this expression is not only efficient. This inefficiency in the of efficiency, the condition is not ard of our citizenship composed robbing the great State of West last analysis is not due to the teach- remedied oy lower pay-let us of future generations. Virginia of maximum efficiency in er involved, but to the small pay raise the 'standard. If there are - The Charleston A merican the effort of some of its most loyal for services in the system in which some' among our teachers whose -o- citizens, but is driving from the he or she works. To drop teach- services do . not justify a decent We take pleasure in editing the services of The West Virginia Col- ers who have thus become ineffici- wage=cull them out, they are be- appended article from the pen of legiate Institute some of our best ent seems to be a huge injustice. ing retained at the expense of the Miss Ola Calhoun of Keystone, teachers. The sobering influence However, the teachers' responsi- young who can least afford it. West Virginia. and the strong Christian character bility is none less emphasized. Cheap labor in the school room is Miss Calhoun is an Alumna of as found in the graduates of Insti- even less profitable than in the this school, and graduated in the tute have had much to do with the $765 Average Salary factory. Academic Class of 1915. So far peace and excellent spirit of co-op- Our teachers must be better paid. as we know, she is the. first West eration which now exists between The cost of living has been The state has the money and cer- Virginia Colored girl to recieve a the various groups in the State. doubled since 1914. The Bureau tainly it has no excuse. If some- degree from a first class University. The much emphasis given this of Municipal Research of Phil- thing must suffer from lack of Miss Calhoun is an A. B. grad good condition probably has blind- adelphia in December showed from funds let it be other than. that from Iowa State University, Class ed many to the labors and needs of a study of 260 families that the which forms the bulwark of the of 1919. those assisting in bringing about cost of living had increased 80 per commonwealth, the education of The paper appended was read in the condition. cent. The New York Exchange its citizens. There are no artisans the junior high section of the State . gave out recently that our dollar is more important than our teachers Teachers' Association at Charles- Teacher's Responsibility worth only 371-2c. The National or any whose product is more pre- ton, November 28,1919. Industrial Conference Board of cious. They must be paid not Its merits were the subject of No profession should require Boston, Mass. shows that from only a living wage, which is not much praise. greater preparation than teaching. July, 1914, to November, 1919 the true at present, but they must be Miss Calhoun is at present teach- A great responsibility rests upon schedule of increases averaged for remunerated to the extent that ing at her home in Keystone.-ED. the teacher. This necessitates con- all things 82.2 per cent. The 4 THE INSTITUTE MONTHLY THE INSTITUTE MONTHLY 5 State Board of Control of Charles- that the standard of living of our life and teaching efficiencyof the now to correct in a partial way the ton, West Virginia, concludes that teachers IS forced downward. Institute teachers are greatly af- injustice produced. The effort of 65 articles (food, clothing and ne- They cannot measure up to a fected by poor pay. I think the the President of Institute is only cessities) used in State Institutions fair degree of respectability. Yet condition would have been cor- to make the efficient teacher who that our dollar of 1914is equiv- this very thing is vital in a pro- rected to some extent if the at- loves the profession stay in the alent now to 34c. The retail buy- gram of education. It involves tention of our State Officialshad service of our great State and er feels keenly the pinch of the personality. been directed to the seriousness of work happily. published calculation of 131 per the matter. $25,000.00are needed cent increase cost in living since A Ten Year Study 1914. The average yearly salary of the A study covering the period 1909 teachers of The West Virginia to 1919 reveals interesting infor- \~~What Is The Plan. For Operating Collegiate Institute is $765.04. It mation relative to the salaries of is clear in view of the high cost the Institute teachers. TheJunior High School?" By MISS OLA CALHOUN, Teacher in Keystone Schools Totar Appropria- Average No of No of Years Appropria- tions For Yearly Salary Teachers Students In attempting to answer the some parents as the natural stop- tions Salaries of of Teachers on Faculty Enrolled question-"What is the Plan for ping place of education. Teachers Operating the Junior High 4. High schooleducation comes 1909 17,200 15,000 681.81 22 235 School?"-I would say that, no too late in the child's life. This is 1910 17,200 15,000 714.28 21 251 answer, that eliminates a due con- attested to by eminent psycholo- 1911 17,500 15,000 750.00 20 266 sideration of the defects of -the gists who agree that this education 1912 17,500 15,000 681.81 22 261 present plan, would form a proper should begin at 12 years when the 1913 16,000 13,356 636.00 21 279 working basis.