Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-05-07
The Needy Schoolma,am.

Our present laws against the marriage
OF school t9acherS-no. | am too sweeping
against the marriage Of women sciioul
teachers, on pain of official decapitation,
are historically amusing We shall
laugh at them, a few years hence. rs we
now laugh at the sumptuary laws OF the
past. For instance. the worthy Zale-
ucus. 40 Il. c., ordained that no woln-
an should appear in the street attended
by more than one maid Servant-ulIfeSs
she were drunk" Edward Ill. of Eng
land str0ve to keep his subjects down tn
a menu of two courses only; and our own
more recent forefathers in New England
prohibited such personal decorations as
they chose to consider too expensive for
common citizens
Why should not school teacher have a
husband. If she chooses? The married
state does not detract from the ability of
an educator. Indeed. as all teaching orig
mated in motherhood. and as that expert
encc is understood to have widening
and ennobling influence, it is hard to see
why school children should he debarred
from the advantageous society of the
married teacher with her calm happl.
ness. or of the mother-teacher, with her
new depths of love.
Are any instances given of Il falling off
in efficiency of teachers after marriage:
Is it claimed that a happy wife cannot
give as much attention to her work as Il
hopeful damsel or a resigned Spinster?
Not at all!
The contention is that the teacher who
marries has got another job, and should
give up her former position to one who
needs it more than She does
1t has been wisely and conclusively
answered that the married woman who
elects to continue her school work does
80 either because of especial devotion to
that work or because she continues to
need the salary. So the upholders of
SplnSter schoolma ans are caught on
either horn of the dilemma-if the mar
RED teacher wants TO teach because nf
especial interest in the work, she has Il
right TO it on the ground of fitness: if
she wants to teach because she needs
the money. she has right to it on
grounds of necessity. The essential error
i'll the whole discussion lies in our COM
mon misuse of the term need" which
implies that the schools of our country
are maintained at great public expense
Tor the purpose of providing food and
clothing to Il number of single women
\ school IS an institution for the educ;,-
ton of children. and all its processes
and standards are to be judged ans
measured as they conduce 10 that end III
IL a woman is a good schoolteacherf
though married 70 millionairewe hanf
as much need of her service as we shoutf
h!Nt - heF huSDHlu should ole ana take
his fortune with him, or if she should be
dependent on her salary for bread
What the woman does with her money
Is no concern of the school board.
Whether she needs il or not is no bust
ness of theirs.
The child needs the good teacher. and
that is the only question of need" which
belongs TO this subject
1t Is the business of the school system
to select. develop and secure the best
possible teachers; not to constitute itself
an arbitrary court to condemn cur chill
dren to an endless succession of mex
perienced girl-teachers. who only do the
work for pay, and drop it as soon as
they get Il better situation
The public school is not young wom-
ans financial aid society. nor an old
ladies home.-C harlotte Perkins Gilman
in Success