Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-25
Defend Arlington Schools

Inc Arlington County Council OF
PTAs Is deeply concerned with the
adverse publicity on the county school
system in press releases of February
20. 1854. We are particularly disturbed
by the phrase rotten from the ground
up" as applied to the Arlington County
school system by Messrs. Peck, Broy-
hill and Bragg. The council is making
this statement in the public interest.
The council wishes to call to the
attention of the public that the claims
made by this group were the personal
opinions Of three individuals These
men are not in any way the authorized
representatives of the Arlington County
Council of PTAs, and, therefore, can
not reflect the views Of its membership
of $4,000 toward the present school
program.
The alleged statement by Mr.. Broy-
hill. according to the press, referring
to the sixty prime crackpots in Ar
lington" is apparently scheme to dis
credit the parent-teacher movement in
Arlington and its $4,000 members.
The Arlington County Council has
complete faith in the democratic
process which has been used in Arling-
ton County to elevate our school sys-
tenn to level of which we are proud.
However, we object to the process used
which allowed Messrs. Peck, Broyhill
and Bragg to present their views con-
corning our school system-views that
do not reflect the facts. Voters in
Arlington County soundly rejected such
views in the November, 1858. election
to fill two school board offices.
The Arlington County school pro-
gram has, for the last five or six years,
been the object of much study. It
has been studied by parents. teachers.
business and professional groups-in
fact, by every segment of our rapidly
growing community. This mass par
ticipation in the development and re-
finement of our school program is in
the finest tradition of our American
system of government. Through such
citizen effort the school board and the
superintendent office have received
many useful suggestions and we feel
that these Offices have been responsive
to the best interests of the people.
Arlington schools have also been the
object of much study by educators in
other States. Favorable reaction from
many places has come to our attention.
Recently the New York Times carried
a magazine section article commencing
the method of teaching arithmetic in
the schools in Arlington County.
We believe a careful study by the
Virginia State Board of Education
would reflect nothing but credit on
those responsible for the present status
of our school program.
James G. StOckard.
President. Arlington County Coun-
Gil of PTAs.
James r. Miles recent letter on
Arlington textbooks is part of a con-
tinuing campaign to discredit the Ar
liigton County school system and it's
officials by utterly discreditable means.
This campaign. well financed. co-ordi-
mated and spiritually fed by those who
fear democracy in education. is always
easily recognizable. 1t. depends upon
warmed-over half-truths,s outright dis
tortions and misstatements, and kind
of quasi-acquaintance with educational
patoiS.
Arlington County. in a relatively
short time has built school system
of astounding excellence and reputa-
ton. 1t was built through the una
Dashed zeal of community leaders.
think readers of The Star should
know that Mr.. Miles and his group
were empnatically rejected in the last
school board election. Apparently
enough Arlington parents were suffi-
GENTLY unimpressed by the dangers
tocsined by Mr. Miles and the House
Committee on Un-American Activities
AS to the baleful dangers of John
Dewey, Harold Rugg. Louis Adamic.
the "cave" system and other favorite
whipping boys-so that they turned
back from the brink of the educational
abyss which Allen Zoll and his Airing
ton disciples represent.
IsadOre Perlman.
In reply to letter by James R. Miles,
ST., relative to unfit school books in the
Arlington school system let me go on
record with the overwhelming majority
of parents as stating that the books in
our school system have been selected
by intelligent, enlightened individuals
who are actively supported by a COM
munity of educated people who want
their children to grow up to be broad
minded, enlightened American citizens.
instead of thought-controlled human
beings.
E. X. S.