Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1957-11-07
Lacks Lustre #
Year-ROund
School Issue
from, Pr

The most recent advocate of
the four-quarter system is the
Canton, Ohio, board of education
which plans to put it into effect
in it's overcroWded vocational
high school next summer.
Arguments offered by John B.
Baker, president of the Canton
board are, besides the economy
m construction are:
. More income for the teach
,rs who WOULD not have to seek
summer jobs;
. Students seeking an acceler-
ated course could finish high
school in three years by attend
ing all four quarters;
. Working students would
find more jobs available as, for
example, four students could
take turns in the same job over
the year;
. Many parents prefer out-of-
season vacations to avoid traffic
and crowds. With children hav-
ing fall, winter and spring vaca-
tons this would be possible.
However in a roundup of opin.
ion from our school board mem
bers, superinte n d e mt and
members of the County Council,
this reporter found strong argu-
ments against the four-quarter
system.
Wouldn't Save $3.50
DR.. c. Taylor Whittier, school
superintendent, says that the
one-fourth saving of school con-
struction is misleading.
Against it must be weighed the
increase in teachers salaries; the
necessity of airconditioning build
ings for efficient summer work
in this climate; and the difficulty
in programming that would in
many cases force smaller classes,
thereby losing the saving in
classroom space.
Aside from cost, the superin-
tendent pointed out that major
repair jobs, overhauling of heat
ing systems, and interior paint
ing now scheduled for vacation
times would have to be done "on
top of the students" This would
not only be difficult but more
expensive because of overtime
maintenance pay.
DR.. Whittiers main question
on the four-quarter system is
that he wonders if parents would
be willing to give him the author
ity to assign the vacation quar-
tiers. A family of six could have
at least one child in school all
year round. What happens to
the family vacation? And with
out this authority he would not
be willing to tackle the job, al.
ready loaded with administrative
headaches.
County Council Pre- Siden
Charles Jamison backed this up
with the opinion that the farm
ers-he estimated at one fourth
Of the county population-would
fight anything but a summer
vacation.
Farm children are "uemen-
dously helpful in the summer
and on many of the small farms,
the children are the only labor
available" says Jamison.
Pressure from downcounty
parents, according to School
Board member Wylie Barrow,
would come because in this high.
income group, long vacations for
the whole family are part of the
accepted pattern and the summer
is the preferred time. Board
members Rose Kramer and
Helen Scharf and Art Simonds,
executive secretary of the Mont
gomery County Education Asso-
citation, are strongly opposed to
teachers working the year round.
Few teachers can teach IL
months year after year." said
Mrs. Kramer.
Mrs. Scharf pointed out that
many of the teachers use their
vacation time to take refresher
courses or win extra degrees to
improve their professional stand.
ing.
All of these arguments explain
why the Kiplinger Magazine
Changing Times" has concluded
that the four-quarter system
hasn't worked we'll.
Significantly every school sys
tenn that has tried 1t has aban
doned it," the kiplinger letter
points out.
However, county people inter
viewed have other suggestions
for using the schools year-round
an ideal that all of them found
intriguing" and appealing"