New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-28
WOMEN as Teachers

the proportion is eYon greater In Massachusetts there
six times many female teachers as males In Yer
mont the proportion ID five TO and IN Iowa three to
one, In the large cities the prepOnderanee OF female
teachers Is marked. IN Chicago there "a males
10 24 females in Cincinnati, co 20 32 in Milwaukee, IA
TO- st. Louis has IS to 1885, San Francisco 25o 49, In
the Eastern States the difference ncreased Boston has
only 81 TO 5G5 Providence, to 49, Brook
lyn "a to So Philadelphia, 50 to l27 Baltimore, AZ to
1885, and Washington TO S. There Is no record Of any
Southern city except Louisville which has 20 males to e3
females City $780, threequarters of the public
school teachers In 1866 there only 1873
Of 1000 teachers and the relative number
have since remained about this same The course OF this
Temak abe disprOpOrton 10 simply that teaching does
not afford good an opening fOr men as Otner Oeeupa
tons, and IA people viii always seek i9r the best attain
abandoned to women SO TAR the pressure OF nara
times" makes difference In the city and the difficulty
OF obtaining good male teachers il daily increasing and
their pay IL greatly increased The Board OF Edc
lion win soon havo 10 rely entirely upon women IL Is
true that the time required 10 fit young to become
teacher In short and the lowest salary e-is little
better than the average other occupations yet when it
IA eonsdered that the beginner has nothing TO look for
ward 20 but prospective salary OF 5O OF SjgO, ana
even that only after years Of labor It Ia wonder that
few desire TO adopt teaching, except temporary oc
cupation This Is such universal rule that leading
principals In this city states that he does not believe there
Is man under 90 engaged az teacher In our public
schools, who intends to remain permanently III the pro-
iession: -.
such being facts the question arises Is there any
Why women should NOT supersede urhI ~ pest
here 10 cite the opinion Of those whose judgment upon
the subject is OF more value prominent maze Rrlnsi
OF OF public schools tcstiieS IA follows.
tFor certain kinds Of instructon-for Discipline, kind
ness patience cultivatng the heart, and ineulcatinS
mo hes.t Sp aES a OF Rer ability and Believe they
should get as much pay as men, 40 not think they arc
49, prlncipai OF schools or as teachers OF the highest
branches TO do this requires masculine type OF Dlno
and the fact that there women who posses TINS only
proves tho rule Women lack the breadth and thorough
necessary 10 teach the higher studies win the same
ability az men, and would not accomplish near as mnch
n tho sano time as the latter" In opposition 20 these
Views tho opinion OF the authorities OF inc BOarn OF
Education In this city, IS that their female teachers are
fully e1unl I'm every respect 20 the males and, except for
the prejudice which elder scholars would have against
trely supersede nen except as principals OF boys
schools This opinion Is confirmed Dy the experience on
the Cincinnati Board OF Education, who declare that the
classes In their schools taught by women have taken
higher grade than those taught Ny nsh ana Iaas to
female teachers In no respect INFERIOR Dut rather
the irls schools In this city arc taught by women
n most m be teachors I'm The BOYS schools OF the
same In the latter there are on the average four
ma nresent hgh efficiency OF our schools must therefore,
be mainly due 10 the efforts OF our female teaesrs Ihe
n believed that the number OF female teachers might
be s increased without dctrimen TO the schools since
IL must be conceded that In the great majority OF our
schools women make better teachers than men, and the
opinion II expressed ny the school ol
Vermont and Rhode leland Tho fact that the same 9
salary viii command much hghcrorder OF female than
Of mao talent Is one which perhaps accounts nloie Ior
ability OF the two teachers The salaries Of our
tho war commenced and now about double what
they then. As the prices Of other things have In
about tho same. IL is generally agreed that they
better than those OF private teachers but at the same
IA there such abundant supply TO meet tho demand
the inevitable competition viii keep the wages OF women
down even IN their work Is wledged 10 be equal TO
that The highest salary that any female teacher
receives rs t2ooO, which is paid TO the principal OF
Francisco who received 1890 FOR teaching modern
s TO pq Re sae census Of @ the average
monthly wRgeS for teachers, incusyeof board, IN thr
In he al ~
norton tS2 4 for men, and $40 80 for women and the
nS sss 20 to ,iS o. The highest average pay given to
women in Rhode Island being go "a per month In
this city salaries Of public school teachers At the same
time ranged from .2O the lowest salary for females, 70
81 6OO the highest for males, per 9nnun The lowest sal
airy OK female teachers Is now $500 aud the average Is
500 exclusive OF principals aud yceprlpepals, who get
81 eco and SLIGO One lady receives s7OO but this Is an
Al S5 the average being 81 400 Male principals receive
1850 aud So according 70 attendance, and vceprin
pals In the city those in boys school alone being
From eight TO ten years service Is usually necessary be
female teacher can become principals OF vcePrn
cipa which IA the highest position YET attainabe 70
woman A man can become city superintendent, but
this privilege Is denied To woman, 80 lar as can DO
asceraned n does not appear that there are as many
marriages among female teachers as among women In
other occupations In every other branch or employ
ment women do not usually remain more man Am nye
years without getting married VITA teachers s sse 70
rarely amount 90 over i've per cent In schOol haylng
a. teachers there ~ marriages IN u years which
fair average In Massachusetts, tho average une TOT
teachers retain their positions over three years IN
teach ak years and In another school me
were only ~ 6Tloo per cent OF the Whois nuneeI
The main evil OF public school system NJ present rs
oyercrowdng The number OF pupils hss increased SO
much faster than tho means OF accommodation tha' ia
elmos every school In the city there dangerous ek
cess OF ho former over the This IS especially the
case I'm primary departments From 90 20 % chors
ARE handle and even less would be presb yet
hefo are many schools where tho average u n rast
higher In tho primary department. OF school IN Last
Fourteenthst there 10 classes With an average At
tendance OF 90 each OF these classes there IS ore con-
eta another
the principal that 40 10 80 are as many %
primary on tho eth OF November wn7o in eight classes
or an average OF Gag, and two classes nuDereu w
ioT each The principal thought 90 fair number for
SINGLE class In the intermediate department, In the
same school there we're seven GLASSES ana 30 OF
a. of 100 In The primary and several OF 81 aud 80 In
the grammar department In the upper classes less
aIsn rheye "a an excess The maxmum number set by
the Board Of Education 49, YET ~ ~ doupti u .s 70
~ "a and To scholars arc Quito common though 40 10 con
sldered fair number by most teaen.rs .....,va,D,
a bad Ventilation and impure air. TO expect room 20
feet square will contain 30 or ~ ehdren lor sSe'
addition the means OF ventilation are ns nadequate ~
IN most schools, II becomes almost criminal anere ,
olats IN AN uptown school containing over co pupils VINO
are hacked into small with only ono WINDOW ana
on account OF tho noise from classes reepg ~ ooneJ
outside the door cannot be opened The result may DO
better imagined than described with larger scholars
tho Increased labor L. not 20 great a. Rsy h% Mo raSus
both intellectual and moral training, The woTk y hesry
doubled. The strain on inc nervous ensssvs a. sha,
aging this latter enormous, 0nd IL ~ no wonder tnae
teachers often break down undert SIX hours OF severe
mental oxertion Ia consdered an extra days Work y
most literary aud professional men, ana when thore
added 20 this great physical fatigue rom almost constant
standing bad ventilation exposure to drafts ana ehnnge
% toniperature and rree and oasty uoah ~ ~ ma
vtlouA that women have strength 10 endure oil tney 90
Yet many teachers will not only 90 through al thb out
will improve themselves by general study OUTSIDE thef
regular work Many OF the younger female teachers AZ
tend the Normal school at the sape, time tnat tnsy
ART m order TO qualify heselyss for promo
ZION At ho same time that aS Ln%esr Of O pMp rs,s Sds
toIfed The result OF all this seen its effect on the