Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-01
Richmond. January 30.
Eavors Coordinate College.

To the Editor of The Times Dispatch:
Sir.-As a Virginia school teacher. ]
have followed the fight for the Co-or-
dinate College at the University Of
Virginia from the start and with pc
culiar interest az | am one of those
University women who do not teach
in our schools but go to Europe or
elsewhere according TO Mr.. Hugh
White before the committee on Thurs
day night. admit ] did go else
where" for six years in order to obtain
Il higher education in preparing my
self TO teach. hut am guitless OF hav-
ing gone to Europe. Since my return
from elsewhere" have served tho
state OF Virginia (my State) in her
public schools for twelve unintcr-
ruptcd years. II is needless tn say
that am heart and soul for the CO.
ordinate college. this follows from the
above because:
First. know tho terrible expense
OF an education so far from home. an
expense my brothers did not have to
consider.
Second. spent most of the above
time at a university open to men and
women alike. and ] have yet to sec
any bad effects on me or the men
knew there. and az this same uni
versitY is well known and feared in
athletics, cannot see the "fcmininistic
effects on the University OF Virginia"
so feared by some II this bill Is passed.
I never would admit It II l could ever
! think II that our Virginia men could
| be so much more easily feminized
than those OF other States.
Third. know the demands OF our
school system far better than Mr..
White could possibly know them. I
know that we women who make up
at least 70 per cent of just the high
school teaching force are obliged to
compete with men teachers sent out
we'll equipped by our State, while no
provision IS made for us adequate to
the demands on us. We are obliged to
measure up TO the same standards OF
efficiency, but whereas our brothers
less than Is per cent of the high
school teaching force receive the best
Of opportunities at home at n minimum
cost, the gift OF the State we receive
the same at a maximum cost far from
home and return TO serve the State
at far smaller salaries than these same
brothers are receiving. Does Mr.. White
know that the high schools OF our
state require n degree or Its eIuiva-
lent" from the high school teachers
OF whom .5 per cent are women? OF
course tho state maintains its uni
vcrsity and several colleges which can
do this very easily for the small per-
centaSe OF men who serve in our
schools but what for its women There
are the normals. these arc neither ON
powered nor equipped to give the work
that the university can give. / am
not critical OF the handling of the
finances OF the state, but whenever
hear the cry Of too much expense
in regard to this coordinate college
which has already been promised an
account from outside not to be de-
Sr1ic Il
do not consider the expense It must be
TO run four normals for women and
. four colleges for men when a State
university should combine them all.
often hear the teachers Of the elc-
lmcntary schools quoted as opposing this
hill. | have never heard one so express
herself and would remind Mr.. White
Of the action OF the Virginia Teachers
Association in passing a resolution that
tho coordinate college he established
In connection with the University ot
Virginia. AS the elementary teachers
far outnumber the others and are
, nearly 100 per cent women. It would
follow that they could have defeated
the motion very easily had they OPP
posed it. While 7 am speaking Of the
demands of tho school system and the
action OF the Virginia Teachers Asso-
citation I would like to remind Mr..
, w 1ltt Ol 1t piink III the DihllOTln
adopted also--"That the standards be
raised for teachers"-how will our
state meet this for It's great number
OF women teachers?
In a recent newspaper article VIC
read in n copied communication of the
dear little Peters" of the elementary
schools who were being robbed to
give Paul fur-llncd overcoat"
confess that ] am not yet certain
whether we women who want univer-
sity education in our own State are
meant for the robbers" or tho several
colleges maintained individually for
our brothers, this last to my mind would
he truly, educational luxury. I think