Zavala County Sentinel (Crystal City, Tex.), Vol. 43, No. 40, Ed. 1 Friday, January 28, 1955 Page: 7 of 16
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Borderlands Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries.
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>N
Overworked, Underpaid
Sentinel, Crystal City, Texas January 28, 1955
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Teachers Quit Because...
EDITORS NOTE: Why do
7,000 teachers quit teaching in
Texas each year?
The Texas Classroom Teach-
ers Association conducted a sur-
vey to find out. They inter-
viewed 1054 women and 212
men. The results were reported
in the Texas Outlook, the maga-
zine for the Texas State Teach-
ers Association.
We felt that perhaps parents,
more than teachers, needed to
know why teachers quit and so
we are quoting this article from
the Texas Outlook, with the per-
mission Of the editors.
After reading the article we
wondered why teachers remain.
Perhaps some of the Crystal
City staff will volunteer a few
letters of explanation.
★
1) SALARY (Men)
— I am making $1200 to $1400
more in New Mexico than I
made in my last teaching posi-
tion in Texas.
— I was entirely happy in the
teaching profession. Athough I
was a coach and getting $1,000
more than other teachers my
age and experience, it was not
possible to rear a family entire-
ly on my teaching wages. Eith-
er the wife must work or there
must be some outside job for
the teacher.
— I quit teaching to accept a
job as a salesman in which my
starting salary was more than I
was making after teaching five
years. In my new job I was of-
fered free life insurance, free
hospitalization and illness bene-
fits for myself and my family,
an expense account, yearly bo-
nus, an excellent retirement, all
in addition to my salary. I
went into education with the
idea of making a career of it,
but, after five years, I finally
became convinced that I could
not afford it.
— As a trucker I have invest-
ed half as much in equipment
as I did in my education, yet
without any particular skill I
am earning twice as much.
(Women)
— I taught in Illinois last
year. I moved with my husband
to Texas, for he is in the armed
forces. I took an $800 cut in sal-
ary. This year I am teaching in
Albuquerque, and my salary is
$1200 a year more than it was in
Texas.
— Beginning salary in Texas
was $2,603 as compared with
$3,675 in Denver.
— My family has taught for
several generations; however, I
was offered a secretarial posi- er and in which there is no out
tion which paid several hundred side work. When I am off the
dollars a year more than teach-
ing would have paid me.
— I am now teaching in Con-
ncictcut, and my salary is more
than I would be getting in Tex-
as. In my opinion, even with the
recent pay raise, the salaries in
Texas are too low.
job, I can actually take time to
enjoy my child.
— The day is just so long and
the teacher just as human! If
the school authorities don’t start
subtracting something and pro
viding more relaxed time, teach-
ers will fall apart. The whole
Aao aic . i v. * ••
— California is- paying me (thing is too frustrating and ex
$3,650 with only one year’s ex
perience.
— My husband liked teaching
, very much also; however, he
left the profession because he
could not support us on a teach-
er’s salary.
$3,300 in Michigan.
— Last year I received $2,750
in Texas. This year I will re-
ceive $3,300 in Michigan.
— I am making more in Cali-
fornia with an M.A. than I
hausting.
4) TOO MANY MEETINGS
— This particular school de-
manded conferences with par-
ents at regular intervals. It,
along with all the- other work,
proved too much.
— I have attended some in-
service sessions that were
worthless.
5) TOO MUCH OUT OF
CLASS WORK
I had outside rehearsals,
would make in Texas with an i play practices, and much other
M.A. and 26 years experience. I
was surprised at the number of
Texas teachers fn Caliofrnia
schools. There are three from
the school I taught in when in
Texas. They get from $1,000 to
$1,500 more in salary than they
would get in Texas. If Califor-
nia can do it, why can’t Texas?
— Moved to New Mexico for
$1,200 increase.
2) INCREMENTS (Men and
Women)
— 1 am teaching in Califor-
nia while my husband is in ser-
vice. The increments where I
teach during 1954-55 are $160 a
year.
— The Texas increment of $54
is an insult.
— My first increment here in
Denver is $225.
3) TEACHING LOAD TOO
HEAVY
— My new position affords a
seven-hour day, considerably
! better salary, air-conditioned
quarters, and most important,
some energy left at the end of
the day.
— The teaching load is too
heavy for the teacher to do jus-
tice to the children or to her-
self. Something needs to be done
about an off-period.
— I like teaching in Califor-
nia so much better than in Tex-
as. Their salaries are better;
their daily schedule gives a
special event work. It can wear
one out physically. Many days
I left school at 6 p.m. and was
too tired to be a good teacher.
— It is very encouraging
working from eight to five and
know that the other time is
one’s own. While teaching I
spent many afternoons and eve-
nings with outside activities re
quired as part of my teaching
job.
— The heavy load, over
crowded classrooms, inadequate
equipment, low salaries, unnec-
essary distractions (collecting
money for Red Cross, pictures,
insurance, cafeteria, PTA, spe-
cial programs and the countless
blanks, charts, records, etc.)
caused me to quit teaching.
6) DISCIPLINE
— No support from adminis-
tration on disciplinary prob-
lems.
— The teacher was allowed
no freedom in disciplinary ac
tion to be taken in correction of
the children.
— The adminstration did not
stand behind the teacher even
in cases where they told the
teacher what to do.
— A growing tendency of
children to expect to do noth
ing except what they wanted to
do. This is far from a real life
situation/
Bring Your Children
Without Extra Cost
Now. under the Whit* Plan Family
Plan, th* tingl* room rat* eppllet to
on* parent with children under fif-
teen; and th* double room rat* foi
both parent! and children. Additional
rooms. if needed, carry th* lingl*
rat*. Plan to bring th* children on
your nent trip to Dallai, San Antonio,
er Corput Chriiti and enjoy th* com-
fort, convenience and economy
of * White Plaia Hotel.
tion seemed to ignore the fact 10) SECURITY
that it was my duty and not his. There is little security
—- One was treated as so from the financial point of view
much extra baggage by the old- in teaching,
er teachers and by some par- I went into another kind
ents. i»f work in order to have more
Older teachers, especially security,
unmarried ones, showed a1 llj LACK OF PRESTIGE
marked lack of confidence in I The teacher lacked pres-
young teachers. Their attitude tige in the community and in
was extremely discouraging. the school The parents and the
The building was dommat- children looked down on the
cd by two or three elderly i teachers, generally speaking,
teachers who were “xtrong disci-, The school administration did
phnarians.” They seemed to the same
know nothing of modern moth-1 1 was congratulated by the
ids in child learning. local citizens on having "guts”
8) DICTATORIAL ADMIN enough to quit teaching, for
ISTRATION (Comments by they thought that I had too
Men) I much “on the ball” to be a
It was impossible to de-! teacher,
pend on the word of the admin- j Lack of prestige and re-
istration. sped is due to the small salary.
- Qualified local teachers If anyone should doubt this, I
were constantly passed over m a ill be glad to show him where
favor of people brought in from I lived while teaching school.
the outside. !_________
One could not plan ahead j
because of unstable administra-
tion.
(Comments by Women)
The principal is dictatorial
to teachers and children alike)
— Trouble- makers could not
teacher a chance to relax for | be dismissed frorfi class,
short periods during the day U DICTATORIAL IELLOW
completely away from the ehil- < TEACHERS (Although no ques-
dren so that he or she can be i *-lon was asked in the survey,
a more patient and understand-1m a n Y teachers volunteered
ing teacher. comments. Evidently, it is a
— I have decided to enter an- ‘Problem in n any schools.)
other field in which the month-, Another teacher interfered
ly pay check is a good deal high-j1"’*^ c*a;"s- The adminiotra-
I
K0N0 mo
SAN ANTONIO
pupils'}
lunch,
This school lines up
marches them to toilet,
play, and back again.
1 was unsure of what pol-
icy to follow. I considered the
administration not dictatorial
out wishy washy.”
The principal was a “busy-
body’ WHO snooped around
9) TEACHING SUPPLIES
(Both)
1 here were very few facilities
tor teaching. Such things as ah
phabetieal letter.:, flash cards,
etc., had to be made by hand. I
Plu.r supplies that were needed
bad to be bought by the teach-
er or we did without,
out.
We did not have enough
; applies, books, and teaching
quipmcnt. '1 here was not ai
map or a world globe available)
or toe fourth grade.
- There were improper heat- J
ing facilities, inadequate light- „ ..
ng, leaky roofs and windows, j
and poor facilities m almost Misery ^
every respect. The temeprature
n the room was sometimes be-
tween 40 and 60 degrees.
I had 400 physical educa-
tion students and n > gymna-
sium facilities.
Teaching conditions and
equipment were not equal to the
results expected.
RAM SCHEDULE
17 thru Saturday
Daybreakers
7:30 Farm News
(F.F.A. on
Saturdays)
7:45 Newa
8:00 Morning Roundup
10:00 For Members Only
12:15 Newa
12:30 Texas Top Hands
{County Agent on
Saturdays)
IKK) Market Reports
3:00 Melody Matinee
5:00 Music Box
5:30 News of the Day
6:00 Serenade
7:45 News
8:00 Cowboy Jamboree
11:00 All Night Serenade
What is SERVICE Worth To
YOU’’ Anything we SELL we
SERVICE. KRAKOW Refrigera-
tor! & Air Conditioning. tfc
It’s Always FUNTIME
! ''s
v~)t r-,
ZAVALA COUNTY
ABSTRACT COMPANY
CRYSTAL CITY
PHONE 242
-51
with H
HARLEY-DAVIDSON!
We also carry
Cushman Scooters
Butler Steel Buildings
Fairbanks-Morse Pumps
Pomona Pumps
Johnson Outboard Motors
1 ione Star Boats
Chris Craft Boat Kits
Fresh or Salt Water Fishing Tackle
Motorola Television Sales & Service
C. C. CAPERTON
lelwtrlel B*kl. • Cryetal City, Te
/
7
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Seitz, Sue. Zavala County Sentinel (Crystal City, Tex.), Vol. 43, No. 40, Ed. 1 Friday, January 28, 1955, newspaper, January 28, 1955; Crystal City, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1112771/m1/7/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .