New Britain herald., 1927-05-25
MARRIED TEACHERS

Whether school teachers who
 marry should be permitted to con- ,inue teaching has been question before school authorities for several generations; not necessarily in New Britain, but in various cities. The decisions made by school boards diff
 fer. The matter was fought pro and con strongly in New York some years ago and to the best of our knowledge it resulted in school teachers being allowed 10 marry and continue teaching, with a stipu lated number of months off duty in case of children coming to bless the unions.
 Superintendent Holmes was quot ed in the paper as saying 1t IS a present day practice for young girls to marry and continue in their places of employment, meanwhile living in a lunch cart It most assuredly is present-day practice, but it does not necessarily mean that such married women and their husbands live in lunch carts. It is entirely a question of economies. oln despite the old saying to that effect. And when both husband and wife are at work, be it ordinary en- ployment or intellectual employ ment, it does not necessarily mean that the pair are out after the auto mobiles, furs and finery, although in exceptional cases that may be the case.
 If all school teachers everywhere were not permitted to continue teaching after they married it would simply mean a differentiation be- tween the career of women in this profession and women in many others. There are women doctors and they are married; there arc women dentists, lawyers, and they are married; there are actrcsses- and who ever heard of any of them denying themselves the right of marrying and continuing on the stage if they cared to follow both callings? There are women opera many of them much married, so far as repeated efforts to find the right mate is concerned. And the same holds good of women film favorites. Teachers, however, in this and many other cities. will have to stop teach ing If they get married.
 Of course, there may be diff ference between teaching and being dentist, doctor, lawyer. film star, operatic star. musician or what not. But it will be difficult for Super intendent Holmes or the school committee to prove much of a diff ference to teachers who think this is free country and expect 10 mar ry and work as they sec fit
 The main difference, it seems. is that the teachers are an employd class, while the women dentists. lawyers, doctors, etc, are their own bosses. The opera singers, actresses and the like may be empoyed by managers, it is granted, but they practically arc their own bosses also, as no stage or film manager would think of refusing to take advantage of married womans popularity with the public merely because she was married: as a matter of fact, they usually compete for her scrv- ices. Married women are as welcome on the stage and in the films as the bachelorettes. And if it can be said that married teachers keep single teachers from getting jobs, then n9Tied film stars or opera stars liIio wise keep the others from get ting their places.
 The net effect Of the new rule, of course. will bo that sundry school teachers who otherwise might get married will not do so The profcs- sion is filled with a larger percent age of unmarried women than per haps any other. and such a rule cannot have any other effect than discouraging the embarkation upon the seas Of matrmony except in such cases where the would-be hridcgrooms are financially able 10 keep two persons on the same high standard o' life 10 which the teacher has boon accustomed.
 It Is true, of course. that when a woman continues in em- Yloyment that she prevents an un- girl from obtaining her