The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-08-30
NEWS Of Maryland;
MoNTGoMERY SCHOOL TRouBLE.
Will Be Taken Before State Board
OF Education.

OF Education.
Rockville Especially At no time
in the history of the public school
system of this state has there been
so much agitation, dissension and
disaffectioq as now disturbs the
school circles Of this county. Some
Of the troublesome complications
which have Of late arisen among
patrons, trustees. teachers and COM
missioners would be difficult of ex-
PLANTATION.
Since Governor Warfield has been
In Office number of changes have
been made in the personnel Of the
county school board. George H. La
mar has been made president, and
the entire outfit has been in a state
of anxiety and turmoil from that
time to the present, and is steadily
growing worse.
The first serious trouble to attract
public attention was that which arose
in the case of Miss Ida Dove, prin-
cipal of the Bethesda school. The
board undertook to dismiss her. She
refuses to be dismissed and, support
ed by her trustees and patrons, will
fight the matter out in the courts.
The next ugly difficulty to arise
was in connection with the selection
by the Rockville trustees of John
w. Darby as principal of the gram
mar school of the Rockville High
School, position established by law
to be filled by teacher selected by
the trustees. The commissioners
sidetracked Mr.. Darby ON the ground
that there was no such vacancy, and
Immediately appointed Miss Ford
to the position. The trustees are up
in arms about the matter. The ven
cradle DR.. E. B. Prettyman, who is
one of them, and who for many years
was principal of the State Normal
School, declares that their legal
rights have been violated and that
they will appeal for redress to the
State Board of Education.
1t is also charged that the county
school board has contravened the law
otherwise than in overriding the au-
thority of the district trustees to
select the class of teachers in ques-
ton.
The last legislature enacted law
for this county providing that each
principal of school having one as
sistant should receive $500 per an
mum and for each additional assist
ant an additional 500. This law,
which is said to have been primar-
lily intended to benefit Julian B.
Waters, principal of the Kensington
School, whose salary was deemed in
sufficient, proved more far-reaching
than its promoters intended, and re-
quired an increase of other teach
er's salaries in like manner as that
of Mr.. Waters. To overcome the
difficulty the board has made rule
setting aside the law except in the
instance just cited-that of the prin-
cipal at Kensington.
The rule simply provides that prin-
cipals of high schools other than the
principal of the entire institution
shall not be called principals at all,
as designated by the law, but shall
be known merely as assistant teach
ers In this way the board acquires
the power to appoint all such sub
principles and pay them such sal
aries as it pleases without consulting
the trustees or the law, which pro-
vides to the contrary.
The board is having much trouble
in retaining teachers it has appointed,
several having resigned of late be-
fore having even entered upon the
active discharge of their duties.