Boost

That mythical person, the average New York State teacher, makes more money than his mythical counterpart in any other state. It was New York City's relatively high-paid teachers who shot the average up: their average salary is $4,100. Such statistics are little consolation to teachers in rural New York districts, some of whom make as low as $1,200 a year.

To meet statewide protests, Governor Thomas E. Dewey picked a five-man committee to look into the matter, tell him what to do about it. The committee examined proposals of teachers' groups, decided that their minimums were too close to the maximums, remarked tartly, "It is questionable also whether they offer a sufficient reward for exceptional competence as contrasted with mere faithful time-serving." This week committee members brought in their own recommendations. They urged emergency raises of $300 for any of the state's 72,000 teachers who have not had that much in pay raises in the past year and a half. They recommended new minimums of $2,000, which for the state's lowliest paid meant a whopping 67% pay boost. Cost to New York: $32,000,000.

Even so, New York's minimum will still be below that of California, which recently approved a $2,400-a-year base.

Worried by the teacher shortage, Philadelphia's public schools were ready to accept teachers with only two (instead of four) years of training, also suspended the customary retirement age of 66. Maine scouted for overage teachers retired by other states.

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