Taken from the book “The Silent Bell” by Charles Mosher
The female teachers who staffed the one-room schoolhouses of the past were usually single women who were strictly supervised by the Board of Education. The following is a list of rules and regulations commonly applied to northwestern Ohio teachers in the 19th and early 20th centuries:
Each day teachers will fill lamps, clean chimneys and trim wicks.
Check outhouses daily.
You will not marry during the term of your contract.
You must be home between the hours of 8 PM and 6 AM unless attending a school function.
You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores.
You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother.
You may not dress in bright colors.
You may not smoke cigarettes.
Joining of any feminist movement is cause for immediate dismissal.
The teacher who performs her duties regularly and faithfully without fault for five years, will be given an increase of 25 cents a week in pay, providing the Board of Education approves.
Every teacher should lay aside a goodly sum for her benefit during the declining years, so that she will not become a burden to society.