The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-01-24
MARRIED WOMEN AND SCHOOLS.

MARRIED WOMEN AND SCHOOLS.
The old question as to whether not wo-
man who has promised to love, honor and
obey" some man should be employed as teach
er in the public schools has again bobbed up
serenely in ~Kenosha, and the board of educa-
ton is expected >to give much of its session
on Tuesday evening to the discussion OF the
problem.
Much has been said about constitutional
rights of women. We can not see that these
rights enter into the question in any way. The
only constitutional right" involved is the
right of the school board to employ just who it
wants to as teachers for the schools.
The question is econimic rather than educa-
tional. If the schools are maintained for the
education of the children rather than for the
purpose of insuring employment to college and
university graduates, it would appear sound
logic to say that the board OF education was
entirely justified in electing as teacher any
woman who has ability to teach and who is
willing to sell her services for reasonable re-
turn The fact that woman may be married
probably does not interfere with her ability to
teach. If a woman has houseful of children
at home, it is common sense to believe that she
can better serve the community by giving to
these children the motherly training they need
than in going to a schooroom to teach the
children of other people while her own run
wild
Women who happened to sign themselves
"Mrs." instead of miss have rendered splen-
did service in the schools of Kenosha Women
who happen to be married have filled other pub
lie offices with credit to themselves and with
benefits to the community. The single fact that
they happened to be married rather than SIN
gle does not appear to have interfered to any
great extent with their work.
We sympathize with the idea of some of the
unmarried women and girls that filling posi-
tons with married women may curtall the i'm
it to which the city may go in furnishing en-
ployment for her unmarried ladies. We do not
recall when the schools of Kenosha were taught
wholly by Kenosha women and it is not neces-
sarily the duty of Kenosha to be entirely mind
full of the unattached women of other commun-
tiles.
We believe that the school board would be
better off in looking closer at the certificate
of efficiency rather than at the certificate Of
marriage.
The woman who marres should expect some
thing from her husband and one thing is that
he be able to support her. The fact that he is
able to support her should not drive out entire
ly the idea of thrift. Kenosha has many young
people who are married. Many times the en-
ployment of the husband keeps him from home
during the entire day. Certainly there could
be no serious objection to the wife of such a
man, if she be properly qualified, accepting a
position. Her learning and her ability to teach
are just the thing that the school seeks Pos
sibly the fact that she is married will indicate
d maturity which is of value in teaching the
young.
We believe that the board of education would
make serious error to declare that mo mar
red woman can teach in the schools of Keno
sha." They might just as we'll pass a resolu-
ton saying that no woman affiliated with the
Republican party is eligible to teach. The
whole matter is one for common sense and in
dividual treatment. Some married women who
want to get employment in the schools may be
entirely unqualified for such work. The
schools do not want these women. The very
same argument should apply to lot of single
women who seek positions and the whole thing
reverts to the original statement that the
school board is interested in the employment of
teachers rather than digging into the private
life of applicants,
Kenosha women who prepare themselves for
the vocation of teaching should naturally be
given the first consideration in the election of
teachers, but the board should never sacrifice
efficiency to hometown loyalty. The first duty
Of the school board is to get the best crew of
teachers possible for the money it has to spend.
All other considerations should be made sub
sequent to this main issue
Girls would draCS saoc;hlx ;f ,,,o, Wow ~