Within a long list of state and federal legislature for Women's Rights the
one that stands out concerning this discussion is: The Pregnancy
Discrimination Act of 1978 that bans employment discrimination against
pregnant women.
Specifically as to teachers, in earlier times of the 20th century local
school boards and administrators were reluctant to hire or continue with a
newlywed female teacher who very likely would not be able to fill her
contractural teaching term due to pregnancy. Moreover, there was of course
the 'taboo' of not exposing children to daily viewing a pregnant woman in an
educational environment, even during her early months....this simply opened
the door to "things that shouldn't be discussed in front of children." I
doubt there was any hard and fast rule or law about this, the actions of
school boards/administrators simply expressed local sentiment and varied for
specific cases, locations and times. Some newlywed female teachers also
felt an obligation to decline contracting for another term knowing they
likely would be committing a 'breach of contract,' or possibly of more
importance to the teacher, it would be 'failing her kids' to disrupt their
education.
I have no scholarly basis for my commentary, just service on a local school
board and discussions with teachers over many years.
Neil McDonald
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tarter, Brent (LVA)" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, December 21, 2007 3:01 PM
Subject: [VA-HIST] Married Women Teachers
Va-Hist subscriber Bill Obrochta at the Virginia Historical Society
asks:
To All-
For years, I have heard that in Virginia, through the 1950s, female
public-school teachers who married were no longer allowed to teach. I
have never found anything to confirm this. The only thing I can find
that even touches on the subject is a report about teacher shortages in
Virginia in the 1940s, which implies that female teachers who married
often chose to leave the profession.
So my questions: Was there a time when married, female teachers were
legally prohibited from teaching in public schools? If so, by whom--the
state or the locality? If the locality, was it a school board
regulation, or just the custom of the board not to hire or not to renew
contracts for this reason? Or was it the custom for female teachers,
once married, to "choose" to leave teaching?
Thanks for your help.
Bill
William B. Obrochta
Director of Education
Virginia Historical Society
P. O. Box 7311
Richmond, VA 23221-0311
Phone: 804-342-9651
Fax: 804-355-2399
www.vahistorical.org
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