Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-09-12

SOiiIl lOutc pOSIIlS dIOuI1u Tie
theme Maryland, My Native
Land"
Poems must be limited to &c
lines, and should be unsigned
and accompanied by a sealed
envelope containing the au.
thor's name and address. Win,
ners will be awarded valuable
prizes on Poetry Day, Oct. Is,
according to Jay T. Simmer,
the society's director.
to make informed judgments,
to appreciate our cultural heri-
tage in the areas of literature,
art, music, and moral and ETH.
cal standards, so that pupils
will understand that education
is an integral part of civiliza-
tion-so that these students will
become contributing members of
this civilization. County teach.
ers, like teachers in all the eff
fective school systems, use a
variety of teaching methods
based on their experience as to
which have proved most sue
cessful in teaching different
subjects to differing pupils.
Since neither the child nor the
teacher is a machine, teaching
which leads to genuine learning
must be individualized. The pow
er of the forceful teacher is her
ability to help each pupil learn
and build his education on a
sound foundation of fundament-
ais. 1t is entirely possible that
many teachers at some time use
some of the Amidon methods to
fit particular students learn
ing situation. Sparkling a pupils
interest in the subject matter
to be covered is the product of
thoughtful planning on the part
of the teacher, who is conscious
ly teaching the basic material
as she motivates the pupil to be
interested and to see value in it.
Let us once and for all ex-
plode that wild myth that the
pupils in Montgomery County
decide for themselves what they
will study. The myth does not
jibe with the facts of the course
of study nor the professional
educators obligation to educate.
1t Is a strange coincidence
that is worthy of further analy-
sis and attention that the pro-
ponents of the Amidon Plan for
Montgomery County are the
same small group who have con.
sistently over the years sought
to decimate the county school
budget. One wonders if they are
living with the illusion that an
Amidon Plan means cheaper ed
ucation. A careful study of all
the available curriculum and
philosophical materials on the
plan makes it obvious that its
ultimate goals can be realized
only by pouring millions of dol
lars more into the d. c. schools
for more teachers, smaller class
es, additional and up-dated text
books, vastly improved library
services and more supporting
services. This fact the D. c.
Superintendent, School Board,
and teachers will affirm.
A final point that should be
noted in discussing the Amidon
Plan lies in the fact that not one
of the school districts which is
renowned in the nation for its
high.level educational system is
considering going backwards
and adopting the plan. Systems
such as Evanston, ILL.,, Great
Neck and Long Beach, Long
Island, Newton, Mass, Scars.
dale, NY, etc. are not fighting
"the battle of basic education
they know it's basic. They are
concerning themselves with the
truly great challenge in educa
ton: how to enable each indi,
vidual student to reach toward
his maximum educational poten
tial. Consequently their efforts
and experiments are in the di
rection of DR.. George Stoddard's
dual progress PLAN, DR.. An
derson of Chicago University
non-graded school plan, team
teaching plans to spread the eff
fectiveness of the highly compe
tent teacher to a greater mum
Der of pupils, and small.grouI
teaching to permit more atten
ton to the individual needs O
each child. Strange it is indeed
that the very plans that ar,
lauded and are expanding to tn,
enlightened school communitie
are derided by the local Amidoi
Plan advocates who use as al
expression of opprobrium con
cept so highly respected in othel
professional fields, that of EEK
Fermentation"
Experimenting with the Ami
don Plan in one school in Mont
gomery County, while a regres
sion, would not spell the tragi
demise of the school system
However, to curb the qualifie,
teachers freedom to use tn
methods that experience ha
taught are effective would dis
courage and dull the dynami,