Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-11-12
Womeu's Rights as School Teachers.

Women's Rights as School Teachers.
IA paper read by Mss Annie N. Dudley
before the Augusta County Teachers In
stitate.l
Do not be alarmed at my ominous title;
it is not my purpose to endeavor to trans
form the meeting into ''Woman's Rights
Convention OF to prove to the Lords of
Creation that we are entitled to equal
rights in the pulpit, at the bar or at the bal
lot box, as orators, patriots or politicians;
but in the name Of Justice we do claim the
same rights and privileges as teachers-we
perform the sameSduties, our standard is as
high. our duties as faithfully discharged,
and yet there is no lady in this room who
has not felt her heart swell with feelings
of disappointment and indignation on
reading, in answer to an application for
rons prefer male teacher" We make
other applications and again and again we
receive the same reply, till weary and dis
heartened, we sometimes abandon this
almost the only occupation open to wo-
man-to stalWart six fOoter who can find
employment any where at any thing and
chooses this as perhaps the easiest way to
get the living which the world owes him.
The greatest objection to u lady teacher
that she cannot manage the big boys as
we'll as a gentleman, is so absurd that l
shall not attempt to answer 1t. ANY lady
who cannot command respect sufficient to
compel big boy to obey her rules and sub
nit to her discipline may we'll retire in IA
of cfn
superior physical ability in the application
of the rod can inspire fear if noJ respect
and affection in the minds OF his pupils.
And even those who are bitterest III
their opposition to lady teachers are COM
PEELED TO admit that women are better 1T
ted than men to guide and instruct the
minds of Young children, Il am irresisti-
bly, reminded ON visiting school OF small
children taught by man. writes Mich
igan State Superintendent, ''Of the cOndl-
ton Of young children 10 the family OF a
Another complaint brought against them
is that they remain so short a time III the
service. Colonel Higginson, a member OF
the School Committee III New Port, Rhode
Island, gives as his opinion, the result OF
much observation, that: "Women when
they teach public schools usually continue
teaching for an indefinite time unless tney
are married; but men generally leave that
occupation III short time for more lu-
crative one, whether they are married or
not"
1t is said that ladies are frequently pre-
ferred by superintendent because they
are willing to comply with established
regulations, and less likely to ride head
strong hobbies; and because they make
the most faithful, active and successful
teachers.
The statistics Of normal schools show
how rapidly the work of education is pass
ing into the hands of women. In 1875 a
class of twelve young ladies and two
young men was graduated from the Nor
NAL School at Westfeld, Mass. and the
next day the State Normal school at New
Britain, Conn.,, sent out class of two
gentlemen and twenty ladies'. In 1S45
there were not more than twelve lady
teachers employed in the State OF Rhode
Island, and IN 1915 years later-the
number had increased to 200. In 1887
there were IN Massachusetts 1851 female
teachers, and eleven years later the ranks
had swelled to $50. In New York City
ninety per cent. of the teachers are ladies
and in all the large cities the preponder-
ance of ladies over gentlemen is very
great. In the States have mentioned.
and in the cities, the free school system
has naturally attained . higher degree OF
excellence than ours could possibly have
| done in the short time it has been in exis
tence. There, ladies as teachers have
ssbeen weighed in the balance and are not
found wanting"
| In marked contrast to these facts are
the following Incidents, illustrating ever
| the contempt with which we are regarded
| by very many of our patrons: One lady
! was last fall refused board at the only
place in the nelghborhOod where it was
possible for her to stay, because OEe of tht
patrons promised the lady of the house .
present OF handsome dress on condition
she refused to board a lady teacher. An
other lady, who for several years has
faithfully discharged the duties of teacher
in one of the Wealthiest communities Of
this county. at the close of her term las
fall was informed by the arpreciativt
public that ''she had teached there toe
long, and they would rather have mar
gentlemen holding third grade certificates
being preferred to ladies with first grade
certificates. Our people do'not keep stel
with the ''march Of intellect" Though
perhaps not of the mind that female &C
eomplishments should not be advanced
beyond the rule laid down by a writer Of
the thirteenth century-that women
should be taught to pray to God to serve
man and to knit and sew,o they evidently
believe she is not equal to the delightful
task'3 of teaching the ''young idea how to
Shoot
How can this wrong be righted2 This
is question Of vital interest to every lady
teacher IN Virginia. We cannot help our:
selves. We cannot break down the wall
of prejudice by which we are surrounded.
We cannot convince those, firm in their
conviction that ladies should be employed
only when gentlemen are not attalnable.
and dismissed as soon as the looming
man" makes his appearance-We cannot
convince them either by words or deeds
that the superiority OF the male teacher
exists only in their imagination; but we
do appeal to those in authority to aid us
by a decision of merit without regard to
sex.
There was step taken in the right di-
rectiOn last year when trustees were in
structed to control the selection Of teach
ers, but this method is not a perfect one.
In some communities trustees refuse to
take this responsibility for fear Of dis
pleasing their neighbors in their choice;
IN others they disagree among themselves,
and in many instances they are influenced
by the same singular prejudice in favor OF
gentleman teachers.
The surest way, I think, by which an
equitable decision can be reached is for
our County Superintendent to appoint his
teachers. He has better opportunity to
measure our mental capacity and test our
discipline than any one else can have, and
surely no one who stands SO high in the
esteem of his fellow.men as to be appointed
to the position can be sufficiently narrow
minded in his views as to prefer one teach
or above another simply because he is a
man. If this idea seems an impracticable
one, hope that criticism will be spared
because it comes from ''only lady
teacher"