William Wirt (educator) - As Superintendent of Education

As Superintendent of Education

In 1907, Wirt became superintendent of schools in Gary and began implementing his educational values in the local schools. He initiated teacher hiring standards, designed school buildings, lengthened the school day, and organized the schools according to his ideals. The core of the schools' organization in Gary centered upon the platoon or work-study-play system. Above the primary grades, students were divided into two platoons—one platoon used the academic classrooms, while the second platoon was divided between the shops, nature studies, auditorium, gymnasium, and outdoor facilities. In the Gary plan, all of the school equipment remained in use during the entire school day; this system promoted efficiency in the school operations while developing the intellectual, manual, and recreational skills of the children.

The platoon system gained acceptance in Gary and received national attention during the early decades of the twentieth century. In 1914, the New York City hired Wirt as a part-time consultant to introduce the work-study-play system in the public schools. In the following three years, however, the Gary system encountered resistance from students, parents, and labor leaders concerned that the plan simply trained children to work in factories. By 1917, the Gary system in New York became a political issue and after the election of an antiplatoon plan candidate for mayor in 1918, the New York schools abandoned the work-study-play project.

Despite the failure in New York, Wirt's system continued to achieve popularity during the 1920s. In Gary, the schools grew rapidly to serve the growing population and enrollment. Buildings, staff, and funding increased with the higher demand for education in the city. Outside of Gary, over 200 cities in forty-one states experimented with the platoon system, and in 1925, the National Association for the Study of the Platoon or Work-Study-Play School Organization formed to publicize the advantages of the platoon system. Wirt not only received national recognition, but also gained worldwide fame from England to Japan.