Examining the Calls for Higher Teacher Pay During the Women's Suffrage Movement

• In Event: 32.032 - Financial Matters: Tax Reform, Teachers' Pay, and Philanthropy

Abstract

Set against the backdrop of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, this paper examines advocacy for teacher pay increases and stakeholders’ myriad justifications for supporting the cause, providing clues into how others perceived teachers and their work. Drawing from the findings of a historical document analysis, this study explores the mixed justifications for higher teacher wages in the District of Columbia Public Schools. While debate around teacher pay persists, little attention has been paid to how varied assumptions about teachers and their work are embedded within the discourse, conceivably impacting the attainment of a just compensation structure for educators.

Author

• Andrea Guiden, George Mason University