Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-09
Moncure Bill

VIC N4OAANuAC VIA ~ NSPAANS
Arlington County, Virginia. Of
the right to elect It's School
Board there is q tendency to
confuse approval or disap-
proval Of the present policies
of the present board with the
fundamental question at stake.
The question is not whether
the plan Of the School Board
to implement the Gray Plan in
Arlington is sound or a correct
application Of the Gray report.
The question is not whether or
not narrative report cards are
good, films on human growth
and development desirable. or
the school construction pro-
gram well conceived. I happen
to be among those who feel
that the School Board has in
the eight years Of its existence
as an elective body done re-
markable job of building a
modern public school system
for Arlington. However, even
II I disagreed with most or all
Of the policies of the present
board, I would be forced to dis
agree most strongly with the
approach taken in the Mon
cure bill.
The fundamental issue is
whether or not the School
Board of Arlington will repre-
sent the majority Of the voters
in the county. Under demo-
cratic principles, which our Ma
ton and the State of Virginia
have done so much to advance,
the only way Of determining the
will Of the people is at the
polls. AS long as Arlingtonians
can elect their own School
Board, that body will have to
carry out policies acceptable
to the majority or be replaced
by democratic electoral proc
ess. For persons in the county
unable to win at the polls to
60 to Richmond to urge the
Legislature to take the choice
Of the School Board out Of the
hands of the people is a repre-
hensible thing. This turning
away from democratic methods
has the approval Of only a few
OF the most extreme and in
transigent opponents Of
modern. popularity controlled
school system.
In 1947 the voters Of Ar
lington approved direct cleo
ton of the School Board by a
vote Of two to one. II given a
chance they would do so
again.
Alan L. Dean.
The difficulties Arlington
County parents have these
days! The trouble with the
Arlington brand Of education
is it teaches children to think.
to ask questions. and to try
to apply to everyday affairs
what they learn in their
United States history books.
My children in high school
pestered me to know why three
out of four elected representa-
tives of Arlington, instead OF
fighting for the majority view
point on the Gray Plan pro-
posal for a constitutional con-
vention, told the people how
to vote. Hardly was this con-
fusion quoted in their i'm
mature minds when I was
faced with another dilemma.
These foolish, confused teen
ayers still believe the elected
public servants" Of Arlington
should serve in accordance
with the will Of the majority.
Why, they ask, did County
Board Member Cooper say
"the entire school system
pulled the rug from under the
legislators and the Gray Com
mission? Mother" they ask.
wasn't it right for the School
Board to begin migrating.
since that's what the Supreme
Court ordered? Before the vote
on the 9th of January, didn't
those favoring the Gray Plan
say it gave freedom of choice
to each community"
AS Mrs. Buchholz said,
"There are a lot Of things we
could rectify If we did not have
an elected school board"
Margaret Lawson Smith.
4 4
1t was certainly decent Of
the Arlington School Board to
write to the Legislature and
state: THE Arlington public
schools, as a division Of the
public school system of Vir-
ginia. will comply with any
action taken by the State Leg
islature." OF course they will,
themselves Notwithstanding.
However, it is a far cry from
their arrogant statements
about what they we're going to
do, even before the convention
met, not to mention that they
were setting policy before the
Gray recommendations were.
or are. supplemented by en-,