Evening star., 1948-07-02
Parents AssaiI
School Methods
In Montgomery
Pupils Are Treated
As Social Problems,
Group Charges

The Montgomery County Com
nlssioners and the County Board of
Education, which have been at bitter
odds over school appropriations, to-
day found themselves in crossfre
of criticism.
A group of Bethesda parents ac-
eused the school authorities of treat
ing their children as psychiatric and
social problems, while the commits
sioners were assailed for rejecting
the school boards proposed 1948-9
budget.
The parents also objected to
school emphasis on "nonessential
subjects and called for a return to
basic" studies
Harlan " Hadley. who described
himself as private citizen, prop
erty owner, parent and registered
voter" charged that the commits
sioners deliberately disregarded the
will of the county taxpayers when
they cut by S6l1,000 the School
Boards proposed budget of $3,430,-
900. He said the public had backed
the school request in perhaps the
greatest demonstration of unified
citizen support ever assembled in
Montgomery County"
Letter Is Released.
Mr.. Hadley's statements were con-
tanned in letter to Brooke Johns,
president of the commissioners. The
letter was written two weeks ago
and was made public, Mr.. Hadley
said. because Mr.. Johns had not re-
piled. He told the commissioners
that their action had helped the
prospects of change to the pro-
posed charter form of county gov
eminent. Mr.. Hadley is Publicity
Committee chairman for the Mont
eomery County Council of Parent
Teacher Associations.
Mr.. Johns could not be reached
Immediately for comment.
Before the budget issue was set
tied, one of the commissioners,
Wesley I. Sauter of Bethesda, stirred
controversy by charging that
Montgomery County schools were
''Socialistic'
The Bethesda parents who met
this week adopted resolutions de-
Scribing present school methods as
based on experimental philosophy,
lacking in organization and disci-
pline"
40 Parents at Meeting.
John H. HiSer of Bethesda, pro-
visional chairman of the group, said
about 40 parents from several COM
munities attended recent informal
meeting. Another meeting is sched-
uled at pm. July II at the Boule-
ward Bowling Alleys.
In a 26-point resolution. the par
ents urged approved textbooks for
each subject. regular homework as
signments, and relegation of such
subjects as art and music to minor
positions in the curriculum.
We believe that our public
schools should exist for the primary
purpose of training our children in
the essentials of knowledge, namely
reading, writing mot printing or
script, arithmetic, spelling. Ian
guage, phonics, American history
American geography and civics," the
resolution said.
End of Methods Asked.
I'VE therefore resolve that the
present system of education which
is based on the experimental phi
losophy, and which has not pro-
duced the scholastic results we know
our children are capable of achiev-
ing, be discontinued Immediately
sss"
Mrs. Duncan H. Brooks of Bethes-
da leader of the group, said the
parents object to what she called a
play and project" method of
teaching. Teaching arithmetic by
playing grocery store was cited as
an example by Mrs. Brooks.
Mr.. Hiser said that Il have five
children in school now and haven t
seen text book in years. They use
something like notebook to be
filled in
DR.. Edwin w. Broome OF Rock
vile, superintendent of Montgom-
cry County Schools, declined COM
ment on the movement He said
he had not been told of the objec-
tions and that until he knew directly
what was being said. he would not