Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-03-13
Letters
SpecioI Educotion

tlOn cnloI SnOulQ get IOgeJner
prior to publication of contra
dictory, misleading information
on educational costs. Your arti-
Gle infers that, three years from
now 1900 special education stu
dents can be placed in regular
clasSroomS at a total cost of
$1,143,000 Cor $152.40 per pu-
pill, or in special classrooms at
$1,895, 200 (or $252.70 per pupil)
If this be true, it is gratifying
to hear that per pupil costs will
be considerably lower than
those shown in DR.. Whittier's
proposed 1889 budget which
shows the average cost per pu-
pill at $4,000, elementary, and
$4,000 secondary.
The figures given above for
the special education cost will
indeed, in themselves, lessen the
burden on the taxpayer for a
very expensive program, which,
though worthwhile and desira-
BILE, is financially discriminatory
in favor of a small minority
group. The budgetary figure for
CAB special education students as
shown on Page 525 is 1895, 302
Tor $614.77 per pupil)-a far cry
from the computed figure of
$252.70; not included in this is
the salary expense of fourteen
bus drivers, Page 815, in amount
of $25,817.0O Tor $40 per pupil ,
as against $500 per regular pu-
pill for the same service - the
addition of this differential, or
$25, brings the total to $639. n
per pupil.
The other Special" service at
elementary level is Remedial
Reading for approx. $50 stu.
dents = Page SIG = $1O0,173.OO
Cor $189 per pupil in addition
to average attendance cost, or
approximately $500 per pupil.
Reading Readiness" theories
are discarded at the Sd grade
level, and the sharing expert
ence" type of education of the
LIST and I'd grades produces the
need for remedial action. The
exorbitant cost of this program
and that of the special educa
ton are absorbed and made part
of the total elementary educa
tional cost, considerably reduc.
ing the amount of money avail,
able for the education of the
normal child. These two pro-
grams are also dependent upon
the Psychological Services"
the budgetary figure for which
is shown on Page SIT as $751;
220. which adds an undetermined
expense. The programs are not
only a drain on available funds
but also on highly-trained teach
er personnel, which, in turn, not
only places the inexperienced
teachers in the regular class
rooms but diverts additional
funds amounting to more than
$4,000 from elem. educational
funds for teacher-training work
shops; in-service training of
travelling teachers Il new posi-
ton recon. for modern foreign
language program) who, with
the exception of Physical edu-
cation and instr.-music teachers,
usually instruct our teachers,
rarely, if at all, our children.
While the special programs
are important, because of the
limited source of revenue, our
educational authorities should,
as public servants, resist the
well organized, hardfighting"
t actics of minority-interest
groups, to the end that each stu.
dent receives his portion of the
tax dollar at the level of his
education. The parents of the
vast majority of average, nor
NAL, children will not be encour-
aged to come to, or stay in, our
county, if su5standard educa-
tional opportunities at high tax
alton rates are to be the annual
bill of fare for those students.
The time has arrived for a new
type of sharing experience" -
sharing the tax dollar on an
equal per student basis, and in
centive pay increases for good
teachers instead of expensive
workshops and in-service train
ing for inexperienced teachers
who may or may not stay in the
profession; competitive pay
scales would furnish the incen.
tive for our good teachers to
further their own education,
thereby eliminating the expense
to the taxpayers for the educa.
ton of those who may be "here
today and gone tomorrow"
Mrs. John G. Burton
ed. Note: Mrs. Marian
Tannhauser, special education