Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-11-11
Board May
HandIeCEasses
In Languages

III Languages |
Montgomery County's highly
successful program Of teach
Ing foreign languages in ele-
mentary school. now sponsored
by parents. may be handled by
the Board Of Education next
year.
School Supt. C. Taylor Whit
tier said yesterday that the
program, known as FILES, has
taken such giant strides since
its modest beginnings in 1854
that its present participants
now number $500 children in
II elementary schools and five
junior highs.
"A truly remarkable job is
being done by the foreign
languages committee" DR..
Whittier said. However. FILES
has grown so rapidly that it
now has reached the point
where the responsibility should
rest with the School Board.
Present plans may permit
French to be taught during
the school day to seventh
graders in one junior high. as
an experiment in feasibility.
DR.. Whittier added. Arrange
ments have not yet been COM
pleted for teachers. SO he is not
yet certain whether the pilot
program will begin next Feb
ruary, at the start of the new
semester, or the following Sep
TENDER.
Small Tuition
At present FILES is offered
during after-school hours for
Q small tuition. In only two
schools, Parkwood and Larch-
mont, is French available to
third and fourth graders dur
ing regular school hours, also
experimental.
There are many complica-
tions in teaching French to
older children as part of the
curriculum" he said. "a ire
mendouS teaching staff would
be needed which would run into
high cost, and of course, we
have to realize that not all
parents are interested in hav-
ing their children learn a for
eign language at this level.
Then there is the added
problem of Just when it could
be included in the school day,
which already is full. 1t seems
likely that the program will
have to be offered after school,
no matter who sponsors it."
DR.. Whittier commented on
FILES after the school board |
heard reports from the foreign
languages committee, whose
members urged a continuous
program Of instruction straight
through junior high school.
rs-A.Lsk. csI.ov. 4
The board held its regular
meeting at Broome Junior High
School, Rockville, where ex-
hibits were on view from each
of the county's 108 public
schools, in observance of Amer
ican Education Week now in
progress.
One parent and child were
named as representatives from
each school to see the exhibits
and observe the board members
in session. The county council
also made a tour during their
own lunch hour as guests of
the school board, and later were
served luncheon.
During its business session,
the board heard a personnel
report which showed that there
has been only an, II per cent
turnover in the county's teach
ing staff this year contrastedI
with 10 per cent for a similar
period last year.
DR.. Whittier attributed the
smaller number Of requirements
among teachers to higher SAL
aries which have placed Mont
gomery at the top of area pay
scales, as we'll as "a favorable
atmosphere for teachers"
In other action, the board
accepted a program of require
ments for the proposed West
Rockville Junior High School
on Falls road near Route 240.
Eventually 1,4OO
Scheduled for completion by
September, 1861, the school will
have an eventual enrolment Of
1,400, although facilities will be
provided for 800 in the first
phase of building. 1t is designed
to reduce overcrowding at
Broome and will serve West
Rockville, part Of the Rock Ter
race and Hungerford subdivi-
sions, and portions of Potomac
ard Jamestown.
Board members authorized
their legal counsel to go ahead
with condemnation proceedings
for land ne2r Whittier boule-
ward and River road for a
planned west Bethesda Junior
High School. The l5-acre site
involves six property owners,
and Planning Director Lester j.
WEIGH said that the boards
attorney urged immediate &C
ton on the condemnation.