Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1956-06-07

ated general education problems
already in existence. Montgomery
County schools need more remed
ial teaching and more consider
alton Of the gifted child.
From the educational view
point, there is no difference due
to Indignation; small classes and
good teachers are necessary un-
der any circumstances and the
program always depends on the
caliber of the teacher no matter
what the race of either the teach.
er or. the students.
The County Is important
Where Negro children show
evidence of lower achievement
the big question is why and how
permanent are the factors involv
ed, and how will they apply up
county where, not next year, but
eventually, the proportion of Neg
70 students will be larger than
in the down-county area integ-
rated this year
One factor contributing to low
achievement ended this year with
the closing of four substandard
Negro schools.
What is "substandard" In this
case it has meant much more
than poor physical plant and
inadeqate play facilities. In the
past it has meant not enough and
poor quality of. materials of in.
struction. This has been consider
ably improved in recent years.
Most important, it has meant
two, three and sometimes four
grades crowded into one room
with one teacher. Since the am
cunt of time teacher can give
in individual instruction is one
of the foremost considerations in
education the importance of this
factor is easily seen.
Teaching Problem Big
Their new principals said that
the Negro teachers had done re-
markedly well in spite of the
handicaps but not even the best
teacher in the world can spread
herself over four grades and still
give adequate instruction.
The problem Of the first grade
children without kindergarten
experience will no longer exist
after this year. The effect on the
older children who started school
without this experience is i'm.
possible to measure but undoubt.
edly viii continue for awhile.
These are the problems which
definitely do not apply up-comty
where there are modern, consoli
dated Negro schools with kinder
gartens.
Last year the school admins
itration made its first gain in rem
'edial reading classes, increasing
the remedial reading consultant,
to 10.
Work Only Down,COunty
AT present their activities arr
centered in the heavily populated
down.county area with little serv
ice rendered to the up-county are;
where the four Negro schools ar,
: located.
The Negro students presently
enrolled In Negro schools whc
are slow learners, mentally re
tarded, physically handicapped
S emotionally disturbed, etc, hav,
( two special education classes a
t Longview Negro Elementary,
l with two teachers each able t
!. handle a maximum of Is stud
ents. The rest OF the Negro stud
entS in this classification are be
> ing taught in regular classes.
: One Negro teacher reported
+ that she had tried unsuccessfully
i for two years to get special hell
! for several children in her elias.
who needed It, 1t wasn't until thi!
{ year when she and the children
! were 'integrated" that she wa.
2 able to get them transferred t
: the special education school down
!, county,
!. These two factors are educa
tional ones which have beer
2 brought to the attention of PIT
5 officials by the principals. The,
> can be handled, by the schools i
l the educators and parents coop
2 crate in solving them.
Economic Problems Seen
\ The socioeconomic factors q
2 far deeper and will involve al
5 the community's resources be
? fore a solution is reached. Integ
ration of the schools is only tn,
first and easiest step.
+ 1t became obvious from my In
2 terviews that the communit,
p which is Montgomery County Il
D going to be made aware of poo
? economic conditions whereve
2 they exist as fast as indignation
proceeds.
). There are a great number o
? Mortified people who this tim,
] last year were completely un
c aware of slums existing unde
!. their noses.