Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-16
Virqinio Schools

NedTly al mtcliIlkS III
Fairfax County on the jun
Tor high school proposal have
been purely propagandistic--
one or more speakers on the
pros and none on the cons.
May ! use your columns TO
present a summary OF the
arguments against Fairfax
County changing to a 6-3-3
system from the present T-5
SYSTEM
1. Colleges and universities
want the records OF students
from grades 9 through IL.
Having at least 4 years under
one administration produces
better curriculum planning.
and helps students meet col
lese requirements.
?. Junior high schools have
been the favorite organiza-
ton units for educational ex-
perimenters and people with
theological fish to fry. The
teaching OF history. English
and geography in the It'll. 9th
and 9th grades may be sacri-
feed to make way for the So
called core"
3. Many students at the
end Of the 9Th grade are too
immature 10 leave the single
homeroom teacher and the
more protective atmosphere
OF the elementary school.
Continuation OF It'll graders
in the elementary school elm
mates the necessity Of adj
justments to a new and larger
environment at a time when
many Of them are entering
adolescence with its attend
ant problems.
4. Many school systems
have found IL difhcult TO get
good teachers for junior high
schools. Very few teacher
training institutions prepare
teachers especially for junior
high schools
5. II adds an additional
break from elementary
through high school. STU
dents will have to get ad-
iusted 10 a junior high pro-
gram and then the senior
high. Under the Us plan the
student has only one adjust
ment TO make.
6. II Is more expensive to
operate a 6-3-3 program than
the Us system. Administra-
ton and transportation costs
are higher. and the building
costs could be lot more,
The majority Of the Commit
tee on School Reorganization
estimated the cost Of build
ing junior high schools at
sl.l00 per pupil. In Arling-
ton. Stratford Junior High
u949) cost $3.50. Williams
burg Junior High 1889 cost
SLIGO. and Kenmore Junior
High Cl955 and 1857 cost
1895 per pupil based on
rated pupil capacity. not in
Guiding the cost Of sites.
architects fees and equip
ment.
Z. Since some students be-
come is during the 9th or
early 10th grade, graduation
from junior high school be-
comes the logical time to
drop out" II would seem
reasonable to assume that en-
rollment in high school at the
beginning Of the 9th grade
would operate against such a
tendency.
8. The Us plan of school
organization is the domi-
mating plan in Virginia.
8. There is no objective
evidence that students learn
better under one plan OF
organization than un d e r
others.
The majority report actu-
ally makes few arguments for
a three-division system that
are not based on spending
more money for facilities and
staff. The arguments cited
against the two-division sys-
TEN are largely those spring :
ing from overcrowdinR rather
than basic faults Of the
system.
What is needed is TO elm
mate the overcrowding. and
to use methods that are
available to improve the cur
riculum--not the building Of
expensive junior high schools.
adding another large adj
ministrative superstructure.
and further complicating the
bus transportation picture.
Harley NJ. williams,
Minority Member. Com
mittee on School Re-
organization.
AS an ex-teacher who
bowed out Of the profession
precisely because the 7-5 sys-
TEN proved impossible, feel
I must recount by experience
In the hope that II may en-
tighten some who arr hest
tating 10 change over In