A time when teachers were not so well paid

For those who care about the quality of education, they greeted as good news the decision by the Caddo school board not to renew the contract for Gerald Dawkins as superintendent of schools.  Some of us are still angry that he is paid $220,000 plus benefits for a job that an employee of Burger King might do better.

I am not asking school personnel to take a vow of poverty, although they might as well have during the Great Depression.  One morning the seventh grade teacher, Mr. Trout, came strolling into the classroom.  As one person class members gasped, went  totally silent for a few seconds, then burst into applause, whistling, cheering wildly.

Mr. Trout was wearing a new suit.  Every morning for months he had worn the same suit.  Not only he but the students were overjoyed at the change in scenery.  Female teachers could wear a different blouse or skirt and change their appearance, but for a male a new suit was an expense they could rarely afford.