Evening star., 1948-08-27
School Board 10 Hold
Session on Curricu|ar
Shifts in Montgomery

Recommendations of teachers and
school officials for changes in the
Montgomery County school currieu-
ia will be placed before the Board
of Education at a special meeting
within the next two weeks.
The proposals will stem from the
current workshop for elementary
schools sponsored by the Board of
Education.
DR.. Edwin w. Broome, superin-
tendent Of schools, said the propo-
sails will be made public after action
by the School Board He added COM
mlttee reports covering the various
subjects In the workshop now are
being drafted.
The county education system won
votes Of confidence from two
sources Wednesday night at the
final session of the Curriculum
Study Workshop for elementary
schools in the Richard Montgomery
High School, Rockville.
Graduates Back System.
majority of parents stood when
asked if they thought the schools
were doing a good job and so grad
yates of county high schools voiced
their faith in the system.
The action of the parents followed
talk by Irwin Wensink, member
OF the Bradley School Parent
Teacher Association and father of
three school-age children, in which
he said he felt a majority of the
parents In the county had con-
1dence IN the present school sys-
tenn. He expressed the hope that
the Board of Education would not
take too seriously criticism voiced
recently by the group of parents
organized for the purpose of cur
riculum improvement.
Much of the criticism voiced has
been ill-considered, Mr.. Wensink de-
clared. It has been based on isolated
cases and not on careful study of
the overall system, he charged.
For every unfortunate case cited
by these disgruntled parents an
exceptionally good one could be
cited to balance the picture" he
said. Neither is proof that the
system is good or bad"
rs in Audience Keep Seats.
He said the Board of Education
has hired experts to work out
course of study.
L think we should let them alone
and stop picking on them" he said.
I'VE don't tell our doctor how to
take out our appendices or our
lawyers how To plead our cases.
Then why should we tell our educa-
tors how to teach?
Our schools are not perfect by
q long shot. But I think that by
and large they are headed in the
right direction"
He asked for those agreeing with
him to stand. About Is persons re-
manned seated.
Peter Kirby of Chevy Chase.
spokesman for the 60 young grad
yates of county high schools, said
his former school friends had de-
veloped concern over the apparent
lack of faith In the county schools.
He said he felt this lack of faith
was not justified and he hoped that
no radical changes would be made
IN the school program because of
the recent criticism.
Mr.. Kirby said he had been edu-
cated In the local schools from kim
dergarten through high school and
that he had been we'll equipped to-
take his place with other students
at the University of Pennsylvania,
where he is now enrolled. He said
many Of his friends had expressed
similar sentiments
Dissidents Still Unsa tisfied.
Henry Hiser, president of the
Curriculum Improvement Commit
tee, following the meeting, said his
group was not satisfied with the
results of the Curriculum Study
Workshop He said a mass meeting
OF dissatisfied parents is planned for
early September, when case his
tories will be quoted to refute the
evidence given by Mr.. Kirby.
There are just as many young
people who are dissa tisfled with the
schooling they got in the county
as there are who are pleased with
IT. he declared.
Preceding the open forum, DR..
Fern Schneider, a county school
supervisor, and DR.. G. Frankling
Slower of Western Maryland Uni
versity, who is a consultant to the
Montgomery County school system,
outlined in detail the courses of
study followed from kindergarten
through the sixth grade.
The meeting was conducted by
Maxwell E. Burdette, county high