Evening star., 1944-08-17
12.year | i i Plan
For Virginia
Schools Urged
Commission Fuvors
Direct Election of
Boord Members
By . staff corrsspondent Of rss Star.

BY Staff Correspondent Of The Star,
MANASSAS, Va. Aug. ia l2-
year instead Of the present 11-year
school curriculum, increased salaries
and Job security for teachers and
the election Of school board menu
bers by the people are among rec
concentrations for the improvement
Of Virginias schools. which will be
submitted by Representatives from
Arlington and Fairfax Counties and
Alexandria to the Virginia School
Study Commission meeting here
today.
DR.. George H. Denny, chairman of
the Virginia School Study Com
mission, who opened the session,
told more than $50 delegates from
IA Virginia counties and 2 cities
meeting in Osbourne High School
that the commissions job is to find
out what improvements to schools
the people want and how they want
to pay for them.
DR.. Denny asked delegates not to
discus the equipment OF schools. He
said the commission Is powerless to
make recommendations concerning
physical plants, which are entirely 4
local matter.
In addition to the request for
election Of school board members,
Arlington woman voters also will
ask for free school books wherethey
are not already available, attendance
omcers In schools where they are
not now employed, q psychologist
Tor children, q definite guidance
program and improved vocational
education to be made available on
IA 12-month basis, with evening
classes for young pupils now forced
to leave school early to 60 to work.
Bennett King, head OF the Fair
fax County group, said that recon-
mendations compiled from sugges-
tions sent In by individuals viii be
presented to the commission. He
said these points parallel requests
by the Arlington delegates but in
addition call for State support of
Schols made possible through gen.
eral taxation rather than taxation
OF property owners alone.
Seeks $3.50 Base Pay.
Mr.. King said the Fairfax dele
gates will seek . 1880 minimum
salary for teachers and more male
teachers in high schools and as ele-
mentary school principals.
T. c. Williams, superintendent of
Alexandra schools, said the various
city groups agree with the counties
IN their demand for q 12-year cur
riculum as well as State support for
instructional costs, and q system
by which compensation Of teachers
IN the State could be equalized to
minimize turnover.
While many recommendations are
expected to be placed before the
commission, educational leaders
from the nearby counties said they
expected these requests to follow
closely the 1s43 report and recon-
mediations Of the Virginia State
Chamber Of Commerce on high
school education in Virginia.
Vocational Courses Needed.
In its report, the State Chamber
held that lack Of adequate voca-
tional courses is one of the reasons
for the low record Of attendance in
high schools.
Virginia's survival rates are lower
than the national average, according
to the chambers report, with figures
showing that in 194l, only 289 Vir-
ginia pupils graduated from high
school for each class of 1000 en-.
rolled in the fourth grade.
In addition, the chamber report
said, employers have found that high
school graduates are deficient in
spelling, the ability to write legibly,
to compute accurately and to use
English correctly. Many high
schools, It was reported, have been
deficient in developing initiative and
accuracy.
Stanley A. Owens, Prince William
County commonwealth attorney,
will act as chairman of today's
meeting.
Members of the commission. in
addition to the chairman, are: G..
Guy Via, Prof. Katharine M. An
thony. Prof. Inga o. Helseth, A. E. S.
Stephens, Mosby G. Parrow, IT,; G.
Edmond Massie, e. Floyd Yates and
Charles c. Louderback. DR.. Wilson
Gee is executive secretary of the
commission.