Evening star., 1961-09-28
Montgomery
School Board
Gets Advice
400 Urge Building,
Teacher Pay Raise;
Inuction AssuiIed
By WILLIAM DUKE
star staff Writer

: " NlOlHClAD IOOh SAAC44 SS4ASSA
board at its word last night
and spent two and a half hours
telling board members what
was wrong with the school sys-
tenn, and what should be in
cluded in the 1923 school
budget to correct the situation.
The board had invited the |
civic groups to make recon-
mendations for the 1923
budget. Citizens who appeared:
Asked for the construction
of at least four more schools,
and numerous classroom addi-
tionS.
Complained that this was
the third year that their advice
on the budget had been sought.
but that suggestions made in
previous years had been ig-
nored.
Complained that delays by
the board in tackling teacher
pay increase suggestions made
life difficult for county repre-
sentativeS who try to induce
the best teachers in the coun-
try to come to the county.
20 Groups Represented
In all, the representatives of
% organizations submitted re-
quests last night. Some wanted
new clasSroomS or libraries.
One demanded that this type
of construction be given second
place to the construction Of
fallout shelters and one-from
Aspen Hill-just wanted more.
shade near the school.
But the harshest complaints
came from the representatives
of the Montgomery County
Council of Parent Teachers As
sociationS and the Allied Civic
Group of Silver Spring.
Milton Rodes, speaking for
the Allied Civic Group, said his
organization had repeatedly
given advice to the school
board, land it's about time you
gave an accounting"
Mr.. RodeS asked what the
Board had done on requests to
study the need for vocational
schools, and special classes for
handicapped children.
And just to make sure that
he wasn't misunderstood, Mr..
Rodes gave each member Of the
board and School Superintend-
ent C. Taylor Whittier a ques-
tionnaire to fill out. The docu-
ment asked hem to give the
dates of action taken or when
action was expected on each OF
% items.
Joseph Els, president OF the
Montgomery County Council
of PTAs, kept up the theme.
He said the PTA organization
had recommended without sue
cess the same salary increases
for county teachers since 1858.
I'VE feel that we represent
10000 parents" Mr.. Els said,
land that you have not needed
our requests"
The cry for decision on
teachers salaries was carried
further by Arthur D. Simonds,
jr., executive secretary of the
Montgomery County Education
Association.
Mr.. Simonds said the board |
has scheduled discussion of pro-
posed salary increases nine |
times, and that the talks were |
always Cancelled. He asked that |
the board find time to talk
about salary increases that
would set the minimum for a
teacher with a bachelors de-
gree at $1,000 figure which
would double after IL years
teaching experience.
The association also wants
teachers to have a lunch period
free from the responsibility of
supervising children, and also
wants reasSessment of duties
of school secretaries. The
board has set October II as
the date for meeting on the
salary question.
Requests Speedup
The request for drastic
Speedup in the fallout shelter
program was made by David
Wagner. speaking for the Co.
lumbia Road Citizens Associa-
ton. He said the group passed
a resolution, based on the
probability of a nuclear attack
on this area within the next IL
months" The resolution said
the shelter program should have
priority over all other school
construction.
Walter Meyer, president of
the Sandy Springs-Montrose
PTA, said that the school for
mentally retarded children was
mutually inconvenient fer al
most everybody"
Mr. Meyer praised the board
for its action in setting up the
school, but requested other ia
cilities in the lower county area.
He said the parents were not
asking for anything elaborate,
but just minimum facilities
located so that the students
would not have to spend four
hours day on school buses.
Frank Vrataric, budget chair
man of the county PTA council,
suggested that the board make
plans to educate county chill
dren without letting budget
: considerations dictate their ac-
tionS.
When the PTA recommends
long list of items for your
consideration" he said, I'VE i'm
ply a willingness to pay for
them"
Simplicio Perejino of the
: Aspen Hill PTA, said lack of
landscaping had left the Aspen
. Hill School open to the sun,
and made c,assrooms hot in
early fall and late spring. He
Y urged funds for trees and
landScaping,