Evening star., 1948-07-20
The Districts DELEGATES

ing IL delegates at the Democratic National
Convention each with one.half vote: Brig.
Gen. Albert L. Cox. attorney and head Of the
District National Guard; Tilford T. Dudley,
CIO offcial; William L. Houston, attorney
Mrs Ernest X. Lindley, housewife and wife
Of the columnist; Mrs Kathleen Loucheim,
housewife; Mrs. Estelle Pearce, real-estate
broker; Joseph L. Rauh, jr.. attorney; James
Frances Reilly, attorney; Arthur Clarendon
Smith, transfer and storage; John Wattawa,
attorney; A. L. Wheeler, attorney; Edward
Williams, taxicab concern owner. All were
chosen at party election June 2s, as fully
reported In The Star Any Democrat was
entitled to file as . candidate on payment
Of q 5000 fee, as reported by The Star.
Education in Montgomery County
To the Editor Of The Star:
Newspapers in the area of the District Of
Columbia have been highlighting developing
controversy over the educational methods In
use in the Montgomery County School System
The controversy centers on the values Of what
q dissident group calls experimental educa-
ton" as contrasted with the values to be
obtained through emphasis on the three "R's."
why the term experimental education" Is
used, I, for cne, do not understand. Ten years
age, was associated with research program
which evaluated the two systems named above,
using over 10 classes In IS different schools
The results, which have been published some
years ago in various educational journals
showed that the children who were educated
under the progressive methodology reacted
more favorably, showed greater interest In their
schooling, obtained higher grades on term and
achievement tests, were more easily handled by
the teachers and needed specialized remedial
aid to q much lesser degree than those classes
schooled under standard methods Of the time.
The scientific experiments which extended
some four years of evaluation almost ten years
ago. may be presumed to have proven q meth
odology which did something to pull practical
education out of the doldrums, the rut in
which 1t had lain for many years.
Scientific studies under supervision Of able
educators at many universities have achieved
remarkable strides in educational methods and
in determining where and how our school
systems have failed and why they the school
systems) have Jagged 20 to 80 years behind
educational research and philosophy.
I am little surprised to hear a group Of
parents in Montgomery County ask for the
School Board to take a backward step and
turn the clock back to 1920 and 1880 in educa-
ton. Perhaps it would be better If they were
and asked for an evaluation of the present
system, in terms of the achievements Of the
children, the content of the various programs,
and compare these results with known stand
ards and with other counties or comparable
areas using the old methods of teaching.
Different Variety of Complaints
would agree that the Montgomery County
System is not perfect, but in other directions.
I would complain about overcrowding. Glasses
of so are not conducive to proper teaching or
learning-under any educational method
would ask for psychologists to help the schools
do better placement job for and with the
children. would ask for special classes, in
sight-saving and for the hard Of hearing; for
the subnormal and exceptional child; for the
child who will not 60 to the higher schools but
needs to know his capacities and abilities and
to have some basic vocational interests beyond
the basic knowledge of reading and writing.
Let us complain that the teachers arc not
all adequately trained, that there are too few
specialists and specialized services available,
and that the children who need additional
training, either for physical or mental reasons,
are not receiving this assistance in sufficient
quantity or quality.
DR.. Broome has announced an orientation
program for the parents whose children attend
the county schools. This Is an excellent
approach. Let tie parents know that school,
ing has changed since they were elementary
school students-and Whist these changes mean
to the child today.
Let US also remember one basic difference
The average child Of my day hated school,
hated the teachers and hated to be forced to
DO his homework I'm sure my generation did
not diner much from its contemporaries The
eI,i ivS& &hA n~r rrelA
my own son, his friends and others in the
neishborhood-do not have this attitude All Of
my friends. during my az years in the county,
have commented on the interest of their chill
dren in the school and its activities.
would certainly not envy those parents
who threaten to remove their children from
the Montgomery schools and send them to vir-
ginia schools. Any release of the United States
Office of Education on the comparative status
of school systems would show Virginia to be
far below Maryland on State basis. Since
the Montgomery County system rates above
the Maryland State average, the reader may
draw his own conclusions
year ago the magazine Life evaluated the
rural school systems throughout the country.
The Montgomery County system was rated
among the first ten In rank in the country.
Did the Bethesda group forget this story-or
did they not wish to remember It?
Questions for Parents.
Do these parents want q well-rounded whole
some education or do they want children who
cannot adjust to school, who become person.
ality problems and truants because OF lin
tied and narrow educational foundation? Do
they wish their children to be recipients of
meaningless multiplication, spelling and other
useless drills crammed into them causing them
;,,fa i,,c alfnoethArc WHY
do the parents of the Bethesda group feel
that the present school system is the source
of difaculty? Do they know the les and
other mental abilities Of their children? Are
these children supposed to do better-or viii
they do better by learning to become auto