I graduated from High School in 1950 and throughout my time in the public schools of Virginia I was taught by both unmarried and married teachers. ----- Original Message ----- From: "macbd1" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2007 11:57 AM Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Married Women Teachers > 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 > > ______________________________________ > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions > at > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > ______________________________________ > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions > at > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: > 269.17.6/1192 - Release Date: 12/21/2007 1:17 PM > > ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html