Evening journal., 1922-11-14
SEES "FAD' in
PLATOON SCHOOL
Stradley Thinks Work and
Play" Education Is Too
Costly
WARNS AGAIN
OF LOW FUNDS

! pay pau VI AtkNANAS az
augurated at No. school and TO be
adopted at No. "a school as "a fad
and fancy" Shermer II. Stradley.
chairman of the finance committee
( OF the Board OF Education. at a
meeting yesterday afternoon. warn
ed the members of the financial con-
! dition OF the board. which he said,
| could not sustain such IAN elaborate
! system" Mr.. Stradley admitted that
/ he did not understand the new pla-
1 toon system but said that 1t would
4 be costly and cause dissention among
the school principals.
Mr.. Stradley said the new system
would be so costly that the results
would not warrant the expenditures.
In speaking on the new system after
DR.. David A. Ward. superintendent
OF schools had presented his report
on the new plan. Mr.. Stradley said:
"At No. school where the pla-
toon system has been installed there
are 10 teachers for 534 pupils, con
trasted with other schools under the
old system where there are II teach
ers for approximately 600 pupils,
meaning considerable increase in
expense for salaries with less aca-
demic results.
"The platoon system means three /
hours of play to three hours of aca-
demic schooling" Mr.. StrAdley con-
tined, "at a greater expense, where
as under the old system the pupils
received five hours OF academic
schooling. with less teachers and
much less expense
Mr.. Stradley said there were too
many fads and fancies." all OF
which cost additional money and
ultimately will result in the average
pupil being less equipped to enter
the high schools than at the present
time. In the present financial straits
with which the board is faced Mr..
Stradley said he felt It was time
ITO consider matters very carefully !
before the platoon system was ex-
tended.
Mr.. Stradley asked Superintendent
Ward II in his Judgment the new .
system would be. worth the addi- II
tional cast. The superintendent re- !
piled directly; Yes | do" He then
said he felt the new plan would =
have to be given a longer trial be- !,
fore judgment could be passed on n
Is meris
In his report, Superintendent Ward @
said of the No. school: \
school No. Q began work on the q
platoon plan or organization Mon 2
in that school is 5SS. OF that num- v
ber, prior TO last week, PA children
were on part time. All are now on
full time. six hours a day. and the
school viii accommodate about sixty {
more children. Il
This organization requires that ]
while one half of the school is do 9
ing work in the regular acade mic {
subjects. the other half is doing 5
work in the special activities, The j
two sessions or platoons nitern ip
these two types Of work. In order to u
extend TO all the pupi = the p.,!.ar- {
tunity for a balanced progrdm OF r
work. study and play, it IS necessary +
TO extend the daily sessions to six "
hours. With this organization more s
time is given to the academic sub t,
ices than under the conventional r,
plan. v
Prior to the opening a cOmmun- r
ty meeting was held in the auditor n
um OF the school on Friday evening. lg
November 3rd at which the plan
and method Of operation OF the r,
platoon school was fully explained to n
he parents. Between two hundred a.
and three hundred parents were
present at this meeting On account
n the heightened day. the morning s
session begins at $50 o'clock. The
school opened on Monday. Novem- h,
Der 9Th, at $50, one half hour earlier ~
han the accustomed time OF open IL
hg, with only two children late. OF
The record for attendance and
for last week is good.
The traffic necessary in changing II
rom one type Of work to another
vas worked out and practiced be- W
ore beginning the work. d
Il visited that school this fore W
loon and found the principal, teach e'
,rs and children happy, and the q
work progressing in very satis-
actory manner" ~
Several OF the members suggested ga
hat Mr. Stradley visit No. . school 6,
nd observe the workings of the new m
ystem.
Mr. Stradley explained that with te
he Board Of Education now paying m
he principals on a basis OF every
tx teachers. It was reasonable TO eX- Ia
ect that the principals in the pla- OF
DON system schools would be re- m
ewing more money than those who h,
lad large enrolment of pupils but ia
ew teachers. He spoke OF the CON h,
lition at No. II school. where one
escher has class of 90 children. re
These children, he said. were being tn
in that they do not re- sy
'eive the same educational oppor-
unities as those in No. . school. gr
where one teacher has class Of but bt
IS children who study but three by
ours and play three hours. IN
Mr.. Stradley also objected to the pt
awarding OF the bid for athletic la
equipment to Vandever and Com ar
)any, the only bidder. He contended ar
hat the Boards business manager pc
should get in touch with other firms
ind urge them to bid on the ma
erial needed. The Vandever bid was ~
accepted. however at s437.SO. ~
On motion OF Mr.. Stradley the -.
,oard voted unanimously to allow =,
he various Boy Scout troops OF the %
ity the use of the school buildings ~
n their respective neighborhoods on or
ne night each week without hn