Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-31
MontgomeryP-TA
Demands Action Now
On Teachers Bonus
DR.. Broome Will Place
Request Before County
Board of Education

POSSIBLE payment OF a wartime
bonus to Montgomery County teach
ers beginning in April was seen
today after representatives of 10
parent-teacher associations in the
suburban area of the county ap-
peared before the county commits
sioners and DR.. Edwin w. Broome,
superintendent of schools, to urge
that immediate action be taken to
increase teachers salaries.
DR.. Broome said he would place
the matter before a meeting of
county teachers at 2:3O pm. Friday
In the Richard Montgomery High
School, Rockville. He added he
would call special meeting of the
Board of Education to act on the
delegations request in time 10 pre-
sent recommendation to the COM
mlssioners Tuesday.
DR.. Broome said he believed pay
ment of a bonus now to teachers
would be tremendous uplift" to
the county school system, yet he
emphasized that he could not speak
for the Board of Education. He in
dictated, however, the board prob
ably" wuold approve such plan.
Bill Now in Assembly.
The delegation, headed by Mrs
Richard E. Saunders of the Leland
PIT. A., had first appeared before
the commissioners at their meeting
In Rockville. The group was told,
however, that any recommended
ton for an increase in teachers
salaries would have to come from
the Board of Education.
A bill, which has been passed by
both houses of the Maryland Cen
eral Assembly and is now awaiting
agreement on House amendments,
provides for a wartime bonus of $40
month for 10 months for each
teacher in the State.
After that period, each teacher
would receive bonus of $40 to be
paid in seven monthly installments,
provided the county supplies $113
of this amount. The State would
provide the additional $27.
In view of a statement by DR..
Broome that the State payments
probably would not begin until Sep
TENDER l, the delegation pointed out
that teachers would not receive any
salary adjustments for the five
months between now and September
unless favorable action was taken
by the Board of Education and by
the commissioners.
Urge Action Now.
A resolution adopted by the dele
cation urged the Board of Educa-
ton to recommend to the county
commissioners the payment of a
bonus to county school teachers for
the next five months, or until State
aid becomes effective. The group
also called on the commissioners to
participate in the State payments,
as provided in the measure.
Declaring that county teachers
have been given greatly added re-
sponsibilities due to the war, the
group pledged itself to help carry
out the provisions of the resolu-
ton.
Mrs. Saunders told DR.. Broome
that the morale of the teachers has
been lowered, due to the failure of
the State to increase their salaries
for the current school year. She
said Immediate financial relief must
be provided teachers in order to stop
mass designations.
At a mass meeting Wednesday of
parent-teacher associations in the
Leland Junior High School in Be-
thesda it was pointed out that 143
teachers have resigned from the
county school system since last June,
Others Seek New Posts.
Mrs. John H. Werner, a member
OF the Leland P-TA, said at that
time that of SIS teachers interviewed
recently, 81 have indicated their in
tention to look for better paying
positions if immediate financial re-
lief cannot be obtained.
At present Montgomery teachers
receive salary adjustments from the
county ranging from $50 to 500 a
year, depending on their length of
tenure and base pay.