The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-24

in organization and ample opportun- with backward pupils. It is. I be- Heve, the high school day that a large majority of our high school people would elect to have if conditions were au1h that they could have it.
 It is impossible to adopt this day in cur present main high school un- der it's circumstances of organiza- tiOn.
 What Can Be Done.
 The present high school program calls for six 40 minute periods in the morning with is own faculty and student body, and for five minute periods in the afternoon with its fac ulty and student body.
 The ''staggered'' plan would mean that in each of the five main d1vis- science, mathematics, history and for eign language some time dur ing the day in the combinations of and l. and 2, 4 and 3, be assigned each teacher.
 With this done it would have pres ent at the building certain periods during which no work was assigned teach CTS for group conferences, meet ings with backward pupils when they could be secured. and substitutes for absent teachers.
 One thing would have to be faced squarely,-that there must be places for these people to meet in comfort able quarters where work, conference, and preparation might be carried on undisturbed.
 This would mean that after the sec ond period in the morning at least, there should be constantly available two or three rooms located at con venient places in the building for which no regular classes were sched- uIed.
 How Cleveland Does.
 Cleveland has gone further than any other city of which I have known ledge in the matter of a. "staggered' program for both teacher and pupil in it's high schools. They are in opera ton. continuously from to o'clock and offer ten AS minute periods in the day. Cleveland, itself. calls this the shift p1an'' which for the pupils amounts to to periods and from 1-2 to 6 hours
 The difficulties of progran1ing will, of course. be much greater than un- der the present arrangement, although I do see at this time that they are insurmountable. The Principal of Lincoln School felt very keenly when the platoon plan for his school was originally being programmed, that it could not possibly be done. However, after three years of trial his point of view has changed; he does 1t easily: and said to me only recently that there was mo question in (lis mind but able for the child over that of the half-time or part-time plan.
 The Side of Economy.
 Viewed as a financial saving meas ure, the question ndS two aSpeCIS- that of saving or cutting down the bills for overtime, and that of the possibility of running the school on a. small faculty.
 by the arrangement that the prin- cipal might assign the work of ab- sent teachers to any person who had not already taught or supervised sev- en periods in that day, and that no bill for overtime would be paid ex- cept such beginning with the eighth period.
 Again. the financial aspect of this, as of the other parts of the main problem, is distinctly a Board of Edu- cation responsibility.
 A splendid study Of high school conditions in forty-fve high schools in our class was conducted by the Toledo Chamber of Commerce Com 1nfttee on Public Schools. Its re- port was issued under date of July 2, 1921. A copy of this is in my of flee for the use of anyone who cares to go through it. The report closes with two recommendations to the To- 1edo Board of Education-'First, that the present high school session of ond, that the so-calIed Shift plan'' in use in Cleveland be considered with the view of making a greater use of high school facilities
 Hasten New High School.
 Finally. no planning will cure the evils inherent in an attempt by d community to run two distinct schols in its high school, except more build ings. We may struggle bravely with the present situation and discuss measures to remedy injustices to the pupil in that plan indefinitely but there is only one right and perma- nent way to solve it. Your board, after long delays, has started toward the permanent solution oy the build ing of another high school I urge that all possible haste be made in this matter.