Evening star., 1955-06-09
CounfYFears
For Teacher
Hiring Setup

recruitment program Will Dt
seriously hampered unless fund.-
are provided for an increased
teacher pay schedule.
Chances are that, If present
budget cuts stand, the county
will have the lowest pay schedule
in the Washington area.
A bill already has passed tn.
Senate providing a Distric
starting salary for Alb. degree
holders of $4,000 with a $5,70(
top. The most conservative Dis.
trict schedule proposed woulc
range from $4,000 to $500.
ALI other jurisdictions have
schedules with starting salaries
higher than Montgomery's pres.
ent $3.50. Teachers with de-
pendents can get up to an addi-
tional $500 a year. =.
The Montgomery board pro-
poses an ABB. degree schedule
ranging from $3,400 to $5,450
To put all teachers on this
schedule would cost $284,000.
Reese Plan
Mr.. Reese, however, proposes
holding the board to its original
plan Of taking three years tc
get on the schedule. He would
allow only $4,000 for salary
schedule adjustments.
Montgomery proposes hiring
220 new classroom teachers plus
an additional 56 new special
area teachers.
The board also anticipates
having to find replacements fol
about 200 teachers who will re-
sign present positions.
Under our present schedule
we simply can not offer then
what other counties do" Assistant
Superintendent James L. Prince
said on the salary question.
MIR. Prince added he feared 6
large number Of the $40 teacher.
in the first four steps may resigr
unless a salary increase come.
through.
With few ties to the count,
they are in a position to movt
to other nearby areas and realiz,
salary increases of up to $685.
a year.
Seek Experienced Teachers
Eric F. Rhodes, executive secre,
tary Of the Montgomery Count!
Education Association, feels tn,
present schedule forces the coun,
ty to look for teachers with year
of experience because it il
unable to compete in the frs
four salary steps.
Such an operation is costly II
the county. Mr.. Rhodes said.
The county manager, in sup
port of his recommended 1924,
900 cut in instructional salaries
believes the school board ha
raised its standards for nev
teacher requests.
He slashed SO off the 220 re
quested for classrooms on tn,
basis of applying last year.
standard to the total require,
for thetwo-year period.
The school board, however
insists 1t has used no ratio sys
tenn of asking for new teachers
The needs Of each school wer,
tabulated to meet enrollmen
estimates, according to Control
Ter Bryan Benson.
The result was a request fo
122 secondary teachers in /,
schools and SO elementary teach,
lers in 80 schools.
66 for Next Year
At the same time the manage
said that in the special are,
fields. the boards standard 70
the present year would call TO
66 teachers next year.
The board, however, asked TO
los. Officials dealing with tn
special programs say they hav
applications on hand from par
ents of 485 mentally retarde,
and brain damaged children
Another $500 have asked TO
special speech or hearing assis
tance.
A cut in the teacher alloca
tions alone does not necessaril
mean double shifts, accordin,
to Mr.. Benson.
"But if you speed up a ma
chine, the units at the end O
the line won't come out tn
same" he added.
Called Destructive Blow"
The association has terme,
the managers recommendation
as a destructive blow" to tn
school system. The Count
Council of Parent Teacher Asso
Citations. has expressed alarm a
the cuts and retorted that eve.
tie school board requests ar
"far below" comparable commu
nifty provisions.
A special study last year of /
comparable C school system
showed that Montgomery wit
| a ranking of fourth in media
family income, was near tn
bottom in pupil teacher ratio
and tenth in salary schedules.
i # pay raises are granted, tn
school board says, they woul
average about 3.3 per cent fo
teachers.