Length of School Term, Teacher Salaries in Alamance County, May 22, 1919

From The Alamance Gleaner, Graham, N.C., May 22, 1919

Length of School Terms, Employment of Teachers, Payment of Salaries

The approval of leading citizens of the decision of the County Board of Education to give the children of the county a chance and providing for them six months of instruction by competent teachers has been quite gratifying. The proposal appealed to the County Board of Commissioners and they voted a 50-cent levy for schools for the year 1919-20. We feel that the hour has truck for a forward movement in public education in our county. The local tax districts in many parts of the county have been so satisfactory that the County Commissioners felt justified in this hour of general enlightenment in providing handsomely for intelligent citizens in the next generation.

The County Board of Education desires to announce the following policy with reference to the employment of teachers and the conduct of our public schools. It is fair and equitable, it seems to us, to both city and rural schools, and we feel sure it will commend itself to the intelligent leaders of our county. This policy will be quite an incentive to the local districts to provide better schools and longer terms, and will enable them to hold the good teachers which they now have. The policy is as follows:

It shall be the policy of the County Board of Education to pay from State and county funds for the salaries of all teachers in city and rural schools for a term of six months, and two-thirds the salary of city superintendents for the year at what the school boards must pay to procure competent teachers, provided that the County Superintendent shall in such instances be consulted in advance respecting the salary of each teacher if the salary proposed exceeds the maximum fixed by law; and provided further, that in case he does not agree to increase the salary, and the local school board still insists on the teacher and the salary they had proposed, the County Superintendent shall decide on the salary he regards as equitable for the position and the County Board of Education shall make its apportionment based on that salary basis only. The remaining part of the salary shall be paid from local sources. The foregoing provisions are to be interpreted as allowing salaries above the State maximum only on condition that city schools run for nine months and rural schools for seven months.

It will be observed that this policy guarantees a longer school term, a competent corps of teachers, and that degree of unity fundamentally necessary for a well ordered and harmonious public school system.

--Alamance County Board of Education.