Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-02-16
WOMEN ON THE SCHOOL BOARD.

To the Editor of the Eagle:
According to the Chicago Inter-Ocear
this is no longer an experiment bat an &C
knowledged success.
A county superintendent who has served
nine years in one of the leading counties
of the state, made an especial study of the
work of women as directors. and arrived
at the following conclusions:
l. Women usually have more time at
their command than men; they therefore
do more visiting of schools, and thus be-
come more intelligent concerning their
workings.
2. They pay more attention to details,
are quicker to detect unhygiene conditions
and other deficiencies about the premises
and show more mother wit in remedying
them.
8. They are more economical, that
is, they get more for the money
expended; they are not SO liable
to get talked into buying needless things
30 get rid of agents. Not being so pressed
for time as are gentlemen, they take more
time to examine anything offered and de-
eide on its merits.
On the other hand. they are more quick
to detect and ready to purchase what is
really needed in the school room.
Of the leading cities in which women
are known to serve acceptably as school
directors, are Boston, New York and Chi
cago. The story is we'll known because it
was too good to keeprabout the party who
made the first remonstrance at the iDno-
walton in New York 4 janitor of a school
building in the city complained bitterly of
those women on the school board, - be-
cause at their first visit they went prowl-
ing about in the filthy basement
I've always thrown rubbish there" he
said, land no committeeman in the four
teen years | have been here has ever COM
planned" Doubtless no committeeman
had ever taken the time and trouble to
penetrate that abode of darkness.
No one can listen to the late accounts of
the unsanitary conditions which these
women found surrounding many school
rooms without feeling that women are
needed on the school boards. And physi-
cal filth is not always the only or worst
evil they are needed to combat.
One can but wonder how the majority Of
teachers of the city schools feel over the
recent decision that q woman may not
aspire to the position of principal.
No school board with women would ever
have been guilty of such injustice as that
Again, would it be proper to inquire if
the rule forbidding the employment Of
teachers who are married women applies
equally with teachers who are married
men?
The securing of teachers in the pnblic
schools is not merely an arrangement 10
give employment to those who must sup
port themselves, but the aim should be to
select the most capable regardless Of their
accidental condition in life. The idea that
teacher born with the divine gift
tried and approved as an instructor of
youth, should not be as eligible TO so i'm
portaut a place as any giddy, inexperi-
enced. self-conceited girl, VINO only ex-
poets to teach long enough to buy her wed
ding outfit anyway. who often avowedly
hates young ones" is one Of those absurd
things that are past trying to find out. It
is far from the purpose OF this article to
even intimate that every member Of the
school board has not done his whole duty
so far as he WAS capable of seeing his duty
Without doubt there is much fault find
ing by irresponsible parties No one has
vet succeeded in filing an Office Of public
trust TO suit every one.
But whether Just or unjust, the criti-
cisms are quite enough 10 justify the as
sertion that while things might be much
worse they evidently could be improved.
Let US have women on the school board
PEgsEyERo.