Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-06-25

| greater value to our common school educa-
ton, not merely by the introduction of
high school studies in elementary form in
the seventh instead of eighth year, but by
the introduction of agricultural and other
valuable vocational training, and consti-
tuting the seventh. eighth. and ninth years
Junior high school" course. Each cleo
ton district Of the county should. under
this plan, have at least one junior high
school, with special teachers going about
from high school to high school instructing
in the various vocational studies. and with
courses in business training and scientific
agriculture taught in every such school
instead of one or two as at present.
During the past year we have endeav-
ored, with only modicum Of success, to
have the six and six" plan put before the
various affiliated organizations by speak ers
from the U. S. Bureau of Education. and
to encourage the perusal and study of the
official bulletin of the Bureau upon the
subject. That the largest possible number
of school patrons might be better able to
answer the first and principal question,
which related to this subject the submits
sion of our revised questionable was de-
layed longer than it should have been,
considering the desirablity of the largest
possible number of returns before our an
nual meeting The subject deserves fur
Their investigation and consideration in the
interest of making our schools, especially
the upper grades, useful to greater num-
Der of our children and so greater asset
of the county than they now are. Our
county has thriven and prospered in the
steady increase of taxable property values,
! and especially in the suburban districts of
Wheaton and Bethesda, particularly the
latter, in spite of the lack or deficiencies
of educational facilities provided by the
county. But there is grave danger that
this may not continue,
lnferiority of school facilities is one of
the accepted explanations of the drift of
population from the county districts to the
town or city. In our case the superior
equipment and better paid teachers of the
District Of Columbia furnish constant
allurement and now that 1t has been shown
that the D. C. school privilege of Maryland
residents is subject to the arbitrary will of
Congress and, regardless of the status of
the matter at the present time. may be
without notice whenever Congress so elects,
there is special, practical. business rea-
son for ensuring steady improvement of
our county schools in order that Mont
gomery county may maintain its rank as
one of the wealthiest agricultural" coun-
ties in the Union and continue to be the
preferred suburban home of the Capital
City business and professional man.
How fortunate we should be If our county
were composed of thirteen Bethesda dis
tricts, each with Its nearly $5,000.000 of
taxable property With a good graded
school and high school of suitable charac-
ter readily accessible in every section of
the county, well equipped and well taught
by well-paid teachers. we shall at least
not see any district slipping back, as we
saw last year-two Of them-in property
values. At the present juncture our county
could not make wiser investment than to
provide for bond issue as large as need
be, on long time and easy payments, for
better school buildings where needed, and
better paid teachers Is it a good adver-
tisement for the county that in at least
two instances important communities have
secured substantial public school buildings
only by means Of private fundsY that in
another community the public school plant
is so dsreputable that it has gotten on
the nerves Of some of the people of the
community that in still another border
community. the largest town in the county.
the county school building is so unattrac-
tive that general desire to Get out of and
away from II is repOrted2 and that in
still another community. one of the chief
taxing assests Of the county. and frequented
by Presidents of the United States, foreign
diplomats, members Of the Cabinet, Sena-
tors and Representatives of the United
States. and other public men from all over
the land. the public school of the county
is represented by group Of one story frame
shacks connected together. all, with one
exception, provided by private funds? This
is serious matter. and II we ignore il we
fail to serve our own interests as citizens
and taxpayers. A substantial, well-equip-
ped public school building speaks more
eloquently of the tone and spirit Of the
community for which IL stands and which
under our Maryland system Is the county
than does handsome church edifce Of
the real religious spirit Of the people who
built ii.
During the past year your Executive |
Committee has received a communication |
from trustee Of one OF the cOlored schools |
Of the county calling attention to their
needs. This much-neglected subject merits
our earnest consideration as Christian men |
and women and we must meet II as SUCH |
The spirit Of our American school system |
contemplates an equal opportunity for rich |
and poor alike, something which we OF
the South seem TO lose sight OF In the |
matter Of education Of the children Of our |
cOlored people. The negro is citizen and |
taxpayer, and in Montgomery county. as |
the 1912 social survey discloses, the pro- |
portion Of owners among the cOlOred farm |
ers Is larger than among the white"
In the contemplated community confer |
ence for the consideration and discussion |
Of the various topics Of county concern. |
and with the temporary organization Of |
which our federation is already identified. |
we may look for material aid in the sOlu- |
ton Of the problems that confront u.s. |
Looking forward TO this. and to some sub |
stantial results Of value from the survey
Of the State educational system now in
progress as well as TO the growth and
greater use Of our federation for the COM
ing year, thank you all for your cO-opera-
ton and support and renew my suggestion
Of last year Of the need Of an automobile
nraaidanf