Here’s Partial Text of Stormy School Board Meeting
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77t extent to which the Montgomery County School
Board is widely split, with two strongly-united factions
militantly opposing each other on almost all major issues
and many minor ones, is shown graphically by the follow
ing partial text of the May 27 School Board meeting pre
pared by Sentinel Reporter Robin Dorr. Conservatives
Charles W. Bell, Everett H. Woodward, William I. Saunders
and William E. Coyle make up the majority faction and
Liberals Mrs. Ely Maurer, Mrs. Samuel J. Keker and Dr.
Clifford K. Beck comprise the minority faction. Editor’s
Note.
Dr. C. Taylor Whit ter: (reads letter addressed to board mem
bers regarding development of the Montgomery County
Junior College.) At this time I have no recommendation to
make on the proposal to sell the present Takoma Park cam
pus of the Junior college. I am proposing only that additional
information be accumulated and evaluated. Problems of cost,
involving also state support, legal considerations and avail
ability of facilities ... need be carefully reviewed.
Mrs. Ely Maurer: In making a purchase (of the Rockville
school) the board of education is required by law to hold
public hearings before making a request for funds. Would
state aid be forthcoming?
Whitter: This is one of the questions I implied on page 2.
Everett H. Woodward: These concerns seem to be based on
assumptions. We know the initial consideration was the un
derstanding of additional facilities to house 1500. Retention of
Takoma school is not desirable. I don’t feel we should be
concerned
Dr. Clifford K. Beck: We are completely ignoring the situation
as it exists. We have made a presentation to the state to
secure allocations of funds with the clear understanding that
the Takoma Park school will continue. We must re-examine
the issue before we dishonestly abandon the original plan.
Charles H. Bell: There Is nothing dishonest in changing our
minds.
Mrs. Samuel J. Keker : The state supplies up to 50% of construc
tion costs and up to one third of the operating cost. If we
sold the Takoma school at two million it would yield less
than a quarter of a cent to the tax payer. I can’t see that it
makes economic sense, putting this back on the taxpayer.
(A smattering of applause and laughter in the crowded audi
torium)
Bell: I am going to recess the meeting for five minutes and
when we reconvene if there’s any more demonstrations we’re
going to recess this meeting for tonight, (audience reacts
with laughter)
William I. Saunders: (after recess) I move we research Dr.
Beck's statements, re state and bring the question up at the
next meeting. ,
Dr. Beck: We abandon the original statement to the state if
we now trade one good school for another at a greater price.
Mrs. Maurer: What happens if you don’t find a buyer? Are
there any assurances?
Keker: To be more specific, is there a buyer?
Bell: The answer is no.
Keker: Rockville would have no technical facilities.
Saunders: We’ve already discussed possible additional funds.
I hesitate to be apprehensive about every little possible thing.
Keker: Electronic equipment (for Rockville) would cost at
least a million dollars.
Saunders: Maybe less.
Keker: A quarter million.
Saunders: Regardless, your figures are phony. We don’t know
what the figures are.
Keker: But it is part of the figures ....
Saunders: Also superfluous.
Dr. Beck: Mr. Chairman, 1 want to point out that ....
Saunders: Oh, now, now, now, now.
Dr. Beck: Mr. Chairman
Saunders: Will you quit making these statements, as usual
without merit
Dr. Beck: There is one point we have not recognized. We have
an Investment of SI3OO per pupil at Takoma ... at Rockville
it would be $2600 per pupil. This is the kind of economy which
will break the county. We cannot justify this additional ex
pense. Our enrollment is going to increase, not decrease.
(The Montgomery County Junior college issue was postponed
until the June 5 meeting.)
Next on the agenda was a proposal to extend the policy for
placement of teachers on the master's degree and master’s
plus 30 salary schedules.
Dr. Beck: We should have some policy on this to take care of
the three teachers who petitioned us as well as others.
Saunders: Would others be involved?
Dr. William A. Early, director, dept, of personnel: There are
some 12, and we may have many more.
Whittier: I hate to see you make the equivalency here without
having a study made as to how many people you're talking
about.
Saunders: Actually you don’t know really how large a segment
of equivalency there may be.
Whittier: I asked Mr. Reymore (supervisor, Certification Di
vision) the other day how many people we are talking about
that can come up with a program of 34 hours. He said closer
to 500.
Dr. Beck: I have but one request, that we adopt the thing as
proposed.
Bell: Well, there's a motion on the floor. Do you want to with
draw that?
Sanuders: I move we approve the amended motion. I carry
it one step further. I propose that Dr. Early establish con
crete criterion.
Whittier: The State sets up the criterion.
Bell: As I say, there's a motion already on the floor!
Beck: I make a substitute proposal!
Bell: Is it possible that we put on the aganda .... I'm ready
to vote on it tonight .... a specific request, made three
months ago by three school teachers. I'm ready to approve
their request. Can we get this on the agenda?
Maurer: Is this something we can approve. We set the policy,
it is up to the superintendent to administer it.
Bell: Well, I don't have any questions about it.
Keker: It would be most inappropriate for the board to specifi
cally grant a request from three individuals.
Saunders: I certainly was under the impression that we were
going to take action on this.
Bell: Exactly right!
Maurer: We have taken action.
Sanuders: I mean on this specific question.
Keker: This is a misinterpretation of the function of the board
of education.
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Saunders: They’re looking to us for some action on their indi
vidual cases.
Keker: I should think they'd be delighted at the action we’ve
taken. This opens the door to consideration of ... .
Bell: Let me forestall any further discussion.
Whittier: These three men represented others who were not
.here.
Bll: No? Well I don’t know if they were here or not.
Whittier: They've been coming to the board for two years or
more.
Bell: The only request that we have to consider is by those
three. Now, will you bring that before the board.
Dr. Early: I can bring my recommendation.
(The motion was passed five-to-two with proposed amend
ments)
(The next issue was a recommendation on the position of the
coordinator in operations and safety division)
Whittier: The three major responsibilities of the coordinator
of this department are: Civil Defense planning, general sup
ervision of various groups and organizations that use school
facilities, and follow-up and investigation of destruction, theft,
and vandalism of school property.
Maurer: To what extent is the civil defense planning the key
function in this position?
Dr. Homer O. Elseroad, Deputy Supt. of schools: I talked to
Mr. Paul Henry about this. He said that about 25% of Mr.
Renwick's time is devoted to civil defense, 15% to super
vision of school facilities and 60% following up and handling
construction of buildings and so on.
Woodward: It seems to me these kinds of duties could be per
formed by some members of the business staff. If we are
going to be able to effect the transfer of funds we should
effect them towards additional teachers.
Keker: Wish I could agree with Mr. Woodward. I would like
to see money re allocated for teachers too, but these duties
he has we can’t very well push under the rug.
Dr. Early: A lot of this is night work. Custodians and janitors
would not be qualified to handle these responsibilities.
Bell: Any questions?
Maurer: I cannot emphasize enough the importance of hav
ing a person assigned to civil defense.
Whittier: I think this is too important to sacrifice at this
time.
Woodward: I fail to see why these things are not being per
formed to some extent by other people in the system.
Dr. Beck: Mr. Chairman, as you recall, shortly after the new
board members came on the board, we adopted a policy on
civil defense. It would be well worth the money in keeping
this policy .
Bell: Those in favor?
(Four members voted to abandon the function of coordina
tor for the safety division.)
Mrs. Mary G. Walters, Asst. Secy, to the board: Well, Mr.
Coyle, Mr. Woodward, Mr. Bell . . . did Mr. Saunders vote
in the negative?
Saunders: Mr. Saunders voted in the negative.
(Discussion on fingerprinting procedures.)
Whittier: The fingerprinting program has been previously rec
ommended for adoption by the board of education by a prior
grand Jury. Adequate safeguards have been adopted to in
sure that undesirable candidates are not employed.
(Quotes American Association of University Professors) "Hav
ing the police department handle the fingerprinting and in
vestigation of teachers reminds one of police-state methods.”
Bell: I certainly object to the description of the police finger
printing system as a police state. It seems so plain and
simple to me that I don’t see that there’s any room for
qustions. I would entertain a motion to adopt, in cooperation
with the county police department, a system of fingerprinting
such as is handled with the county employees. Are there any
other amendments or additions to the motion?
Coyle: I would make such a motion.
Saunders: I would second it.
Maurer: You said this was an offer by Mr. Kardy, the state’s
attorney. Is that correct?
Bell: No . . . well . . . partly. I checked with the police and
Mr. Kardy to find out whether or not the equipment was on
hand and whether they would be able and willing to do it
They said they were. This was on my own Initiative.
Maurer: Isn’t Mr. Kardy’s office the prosecuting office that
does criminal investigations? How does that tie In to this?
Bell: I like to check with all concerned.
Beck: Could you tell us what Mr. Kardy’s response was?
Bell: He said they would be ready and willing to assist in any
manner we adopted.
Dr. Beck: Well, what is his relationship to the police depart
ment. In what way does he speak for them?
Bell: No .... I talked to Col. McAuliffe too. Mr. Kardy
doesn't speak for the police at all ... we had a general dis
cussion.
Dr. Beck: I don’t understand why Mr. Kardy was involved at
all.
8011. Perhaps he s not. Perhaps he got into the picture inadver
tently. We can exclude him.
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Keker. There were 6,500 teachers fingerprinted last year. It is
not surprising that in one case there might have been a
difference ... or something wasn’t caught How do you, Mr.
Bell, square your concern with the findings of the grand
jury. They say adequate safeguards have been adopted.
Bell: I can only repeat what I said. And incidentally I said
that all prints would be sent for processing to the police, just
as they do with any county employe.
Keker: Your suggestion is based on a misunderstanding. It im
plies that the board of education is an arm of the county
government. This is just not so. The board, through its
superintendent, reports by law to the state board of educa
tion. The police department is the arm of the county govern
ment and yet they are moving in on our personnel. It is per
haps illegal.
Bell: I don’t see how we can help but be grateful for their
offer.
Keker: The police have always cooperated but I don’t see why
it's necessary to move our personnel files over there.
Bell: The files would be sent back here.
Keker: We would be doing away with some of our control.
Bell: No, I don’t agree. I look on this as additional protection.
Maurer: What comes back from the FBI is a list of arrests
without information of the case, correct?
Dr. Rufus C. Browning, Assistant Director, personnel depart
ment.: In some cases there is no disposition shown.
Maurer: The one case you mentioned ... this charge was what,
Dr. Browning?
Browning: This was a disorderly conduct charge of an em
ployee who was already in the school system .... and
one of the 6,500 you mentioned.
Maurer: Was there any disposition of the case?
Browning: No disposition on record.
Maurer: Any follow-up?
Browning: No.
Maurer: Was this classified in group “C”, not serious?
Browning: Not serious.
Dr. Beck: This plan would provide the police with information
they would not now have. Is that the only difference?
Bell: No. The difference is most significant to me, Dr. Beck.
I'm surprised you don’t see it. The person Mrs. Maurer
spoke of ... .
Browning: That person had a clear record.
Bell: I would assume there have been other Instances of
non-correlation. This couldn’t happen if the police were re
porting to us.
Mauer: As I recall there was some request for additional help
in the police personnel department.
Bell: Now let me ask you this .... is there any objection to
this plan?
Maurer: I was wondering why you have any doubts about
the functioning of the system as it exists, why, after the
grand jury has come up with a complimentary report, and
why you, after such a short time in office, are so eager to
turn over your responsibility that you swore to uphold.
Coyle: In answer to the chairman's question, do you object
to ... .
Maurer: Yes I do object, very strongly.!
Coyle: Dr. Browning, isn’t it true that disorderly charges
are often homosexual offenses?
Browning: I wouldn’t use the word "often”.
Coyle: Most homosexual offenses are classified as disorderly
conduct.
Browning: I really don’t know.
Bell: Dr. Browning this is one reason why I wanted the police
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to check this. We'll be relieved of this.
Browning: I don’t see that we would be relieved of anything,
Mr. Bell, by virtue of the system you have proposed.
Dr. Beck: We must use great discretion in the way we treat
confidential information. We are not turning over to the
police the responsibility for judgments.
Coyle: I've learned something here this evening. The board
doesn’t even know the status of supervision. The only person
who has any knowledge about the situation is Just one In
dividual on this staff.
Browning: We believe the staff is carrying out the policies and
criterion established by the best judgment we could bring
to bear on the subject.
Coyle: Then I can’t see why the addition of the recognized law
enforcement agencies of this country are going to weaken the
situation.
Maurer: Mr. Chairman, what do you think is the purpose of
the police in having the cards of all our employes ....
Bell: I submit that this filibuster has gone on long enough.
Can we have a question on this now?
Maurer: I have a question!
Bell: Mrs. Keker?
Keker: I think the board is taking this action without hearing
from our attorney or from the personnel people who will be
involved. It is a very precipitous thing for us to da
Maurer: I request that we have a ruling from the state super
intendent of schools on our responsibility before we take any
action.
Bell: There’s a motion on the floor.
Maurer: As chairman you have a responsibility to this county
to conduct this meeting in a fair manner.
Bell: Well, I’m going to go into ....
Maurer: Objection!
Keker: Aren’t you concerned? Don’t you think it would be
good to ask an attorney whether or not there are any
pssibilities that it is contrary to state law?
Bell: Mr. Simonds, do you have something you want to say?
Arthur D. Simonds, executive secretary Montgomery County
Education Association: I presume you would like to know
whatever indication there is on the part of the teachers on
this question. The executive committee met yesterday af
ternoon and voted 19-0, requesting that you leave this prer
ogative in the hands of the proper personnel and not trans
fer it to the Police.
Woodward: I do not go along with the debate or conversa
tion on this. If anyone else wants to talk about it, it’s within
the prerogative of the chairman but unless they do ... .
Maurer: I protest the autocratic manner in which you are con
ducting board meetings. It is totally unbecoming to this
county, this kind of undignified procedure and I wish to enter
this into the record.
Keker: Do you know whether or not Mr. Whittier has some
thing to say? Would it not be courteous to ask?
Bell: I’ve read his recommendations. I call for a motion.
Maurer: Mr. Chairman. I would like to enter into the record
that you refused to recognize a request for information. I
made a request that you ask the state superintendent for
a ruling and I would like to enter into the record, please, that
the chairman refused to recognize that request
Bell: It’s in the record, for the second time.
(In a four to three vote, the board chose to send teacher
fingerprints to the police department.)
SENTINEL 2S m md t Thu ” d ** J- *• '***
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