Omaha daily bee., 1897-06-06
M4RRlEB woMEr 1S SscHooL rEAcHE.

| Il Il
| OMAHA. June $40 the Editor OF The
| Bee: snort time since attention was called
through your paper to the reelection year
after year OF incompetent teachers to posi-
tions in the city schools. | would call your
attention further to the existing conditions
in relation to the employment of married
women to tire exclusion Of equally equipped
and competent single women.
There are many young women in our city
who at great sacrifice and expense both to
themselves and parents have prepared for
school work but who are unable to obtain
employment, while the school board year
after year retains married women in the
schools. While ! would net presume to
criticise or interfere with any ones righ;
to obtain a livelihood in any manner they
choose, yet the manifest injustice of such
a course is obvious. The husbands of many
OF these married women are business men,
with sufficient incomes TO support their
wife and family, while on the other hand
the unmarried women they are keeping out
of positions have to depend upon their own
exertions for a livelihood, and often to as
sist in the care of a mother or younger
brothers and sisters.
schools, Is and always has been a cause for
widespread dissatisfaction. The school boards
of many cities in other states, after an I'M
partial investigation of the subject, have
almost universally decided, ali things being
equal. upon me employment of unmarried
women
1t seems to me this question should re-
ccve the thoughtful consideration of all per-
sons interested in the conduct of our sohool3.
as well as an impartial inves eigation by the
soirool board. What do you think about It.?
ASPIRING TEACHER
The question of married women as
teachers in the public schools seems to
re-appear inevitably every time the an
nnal reelection Of school teachers ip-
proaches. but the arguments pro and con
remain substantially unchanged. our
correspondent pleads the case Of tha
Unmarried teacher with the usual forri-
bic reasons urged in their behalf rlrra
is no doubt that plenty of compntnnt
teachers are available to supply all the
places mt the disposal Of the school bna,d
and that the schools would not be ap,
preciably weakened by the exclusion of
the married women. Some advantage
might accrue also by having III. pns.-
tions given to persons who require the
salaries for the support of themselves
or dependents. instead of 10 those who
could manage to get along comfortably
without them.
On the other hand II must be remem-
bared that the mere fact that Il woman
teacher marrias does not dlsqualify her
for school work. although as n rule mar
riage eventually leads to her retirement
The work done by married women as
teachers may bc equal, If not superior, to
that OF unmarried women aud they gen
orally have an experience which the
new recruit to the tpaching force lacks
1t IL this experience that enables them
to command the higher salaries and to
cope NJ AN advantage with the mex
perienced normal school graduates who
are pressing for their places.
ii seems To us that the cases of the
married women school teachers should
he considered by the school board each
upon its own merits. The lule should be
against their employment unless thsle
are special and urgent reasons to coun-
terbalance. III there is any preference
10 he given, other things being equal, II
should weigh for the aspiring young
teachers. Such a course would oby,ate