Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1957-08-15
BY Dorothy Walesld
Staff Reporter

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portant to everyone in Montgomery County?
To get the answers to these two questions
across to the people so that the majority and
not the present small minority understand their
meaning is one of the biggest jobs facing the new
superintendent of schools, DR.. c. Taylor Whittier.
The underlying philosophy behind special edu-
cation is fairly new concept that says that every
child Is entitled to an education in the public
schools to the limit of his capacity.
Mere physical attendance for the required
number of years is not enough. If specialized
techniques are necessary to teach the physically
handicapped, mentally retarded, emotionally NAL
adjusted and gifted children, then the teachers
who know how to use these technques must be
provided.
1t has been estimated that Is percent of the
children in any school system will need one or
more special services at some time.
Out of Montgomery's 10000 enrolment
rough approximation shows 5000 children in need
of these services.
ONLY 5000 CHILDREN will be getting spe.
cial services in the county schools next year,
and of these will be in the secondary schools.
If the plight Of the neglected tWo-thirds
touches only the hearts of their parents and the
special education staff, let US consider what would
happen if there special education in the
county. T.
If the 5000 children were spread throughout
the approximately 1900 classrooms in the county,
it is a reasonable guess to say that almost every
teacher would have at least one child needing spe
cia attention in her class
regular classroom teacher has to work with
some % children all with individual needs If one
of these children needs special technique about
which she knows nothing, she can't begin to teach
him but can only act as a baby sitter
What happens to the education of her other
81 children while she is baby sitting with the
one? She will not be teaching any of her children
while she struggles to control the mentally
tarded emotionally disturbed or otherwise handi.
capped 'lost sheep"
At an estimated $500 per pupil COST the tax
payers will be footing the bill for some mighty
expensive baby sitting and very little education.
IT is THIS KIND of taxpayers arithmetic
plus stressing the aim of making useful citizens
of all of our children and preventing juvenile
delinquency that DR.. Whittier must use before
his special education program approaches the
ideal
The program is under the direction of its
supervisor, Mrs. Miriam Tannhauser. 1t was
started in Montgomery County in 1852. Its goals
are threefold:
To gain an understanding of the specific
needs of pupils with deviations in speech. hear
ing vision mental ability, emotional stability and
orthopedc conditions.
sTo cooperate with pupil personnel, parents.
pupils and professional personnel in related fields
and agencies in determining and meeting the
needs of the exceptional child.
To provide realistic educational program
through which an exceptional child can reach his
potential and become, within his own capacities
a useful member of society
DR.. Whittier. who rates adequate facilities for
the children with exceptional needs high on his
list of prorities, will learn that the special educa
ton program which has made small gains each
year since its beginning has this year for the first
time stopped growing.
The, two teachers and al children added this