Volume 36 - Issue 8
Friday, May 25, 2012
A National Blue Ribbon School
CHS ranked best high school in Maryland By Julia Greenzaid Online Breaking News The May 2012 U.S. News and World Report awarded CHS first place out of 232 Maryland High Schools and ranked it 57th in the country for academic performance and preparation of students for college. According to USNews.com, a school must be awarded a national gold or silver medal to be eligible for a state ranking. “The survey was based on, among other indicators, state assessment data and participation in college-level classes; areas where Churchill certainly is doing very well,” MCPS spokesperson Dana Tofig said. “Of course, these types of rankings certainly have limitations and do not indicate every-
thing that makes Churchill—and all of our high schools—great places to learn.” Along with being the top Maryland public high school, CHS is also a National Blue Ribbon School. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the National Blue Ribbon is awarded to schools in which the achievement gap has narrowed and where students achieve high academic goals. “Churchill is the only high school in Potomac to have received the National Blue Ribbon Award since 2007 because of our high achievement and the great work that students do,” Principal Joan Benz said. According to an April 28 Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC)
article, 196 of the nation’s 3,125 large school districts saw a significant improvement in stan-
raised independent of the school,” Fisher said. The sign was supposed to be installed earlier this semester, but because of delays the sign was not able to be put in place on schedule. “We did not want to proceed until we had support from all of the various stakeholders and the community,” Fisher said. “We had to work with several utility companies, different governmental departments and through the MCPS process for all the necessary approvals.” A local nursery has volunteered to donate landscaping for the land surrounding the sign. Many other schools in the area have made the transition to digital signs including Wootton, Walter Johnson and Richard Montgomery. The sign will include colorful engraved tiles created by the Instrumental and Choral Departments as well as the class of 2011. These tiles are contributions from the CHS community and symbolize their connection to the school.
By Josh Denicoff Production Editor By Lara Fu News Editor
dardized test score results. Highland Elementary in Silver Spring improved the Maryland State Assessment
(MSA) test scores of a large proportion of students who live in poverty and students who do not speak English at home by a significant margin since 2009. Because of this, the AJC accused the school of cheating. Principal Joan Benz feels the AJC’s questioning of Highland’s integrity is unprofessional. “What is so sad is that they read into it,” Benz said. “How dare they make these observations. There is no validation of cheating, and this is irresponsible journalism.” According to Benz, it is easier to raise test scores in schools that have more room for improvement because test scores will dramatically increase with the right resources. Schools starting out with high-
er test scores do not have as much room for improvement. MCPS Superintendent, Dr. Joshua P. Starr, was also insulted by this cheating implication and strongly believes Highland Elementary worked hard to deserve their award. In an April 30 statement posted on the MCPS website, Starr stated that Highland’s gains resulted from a motivated staff, administration, and the training, support and resources it needed to succeed. Additionally, according to a May 9 Gazette article, the performance improvements were the result of transferring a successful principal from a wealthier zone to Highland who implemented new reading strategies with personalized instruction.
Donna Redmond Jones, principal of Rosa Parks Middle School and former CHS assistant principal, has attended Starr’s book clubs throughout the year and believes they are a great way for MCPS educators to communicate. “It’s important to me to read about the skills and attitudes that educators need to cultivate in 21st century learners,” Jones said. “I enjoy having an exchange of ideas with people who have a variety of perspectives.” This month, Starr discussed Tony Wagner’s book The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don’t Teach the New
Survival Skills Our Children Need. In the book, Wagner covers the collaboration and communication skills he believes are most important in the real world, as well as the skills he believes are not useful. “I don’t consider test-taking to be a useful skill,” Wagner said. “No employers hire or promote on the basis of a standardized test score.” Because of this, Starr is choosing to deviate from former Superintendent Jerry Weast’s goals of pushing students to achieve higher standardized test scores. Instead, Starr wants to focus more on the relationship between teachers and students. “When I talk to students about the teachers they like the most, they always say it’s the ones who cared about them,” Starr said. “What’s most important is that our kids are engaged and having fun, and they’re learning to love learning.” Principal Joan Benz agrees. “What happens between students and teachers in the classroom makes the difference,” Benz said. “When you have a great teacher, it really improves the ability to learn.”
Fundraising efforts Superintendent Starr’s book club make sign a reality focuses on skills not scores After four years of planning and fundraising, a digital sign is set to replace the current brick one at the corner of Tuckerman Lane and Gainsborough Road by the end of May. The digital sign will promote upcoming events as well as create a stronger visual appeal for the community. “Changing the message on the current sign is not efficient, and the message becomes old,” said Michael Fisher, co-chair of the Character Education Committee. “Our messages will be more in number and up to date.” The sign will display the accomplishments of students, teachers and sports teams and will also inform the community of upcoming productions, events and announcements. According to a press release by the Character Education Sub-Committee of the PTSA, the funds for the sign have come from the classes of 2009 and 2011, the PTSA, the Booster Club and the Music Department. “All of the funds were
Superintendent Joshua Starr held his third book club meeting April 24 to advocate his desire to encourage MCPS teachers to focus on critical thinking and communication skills instead of simply improving test scores. “I’ve been doing book clubs as a way to introduce some new ideas,” Starr said. “After doing the first two meetings on broader issues, I wanted to turn to education.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER CRAM.
Starr emphasizes critical thinking and communication.
News Metro Fares Increase
Features Strawberries and Chocolate
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Students face increasing costs of taking the Metro.
It’s strawberry season. Check out some recipes that blend these delicious treats.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.
By Dana Harris Online Opinions Editor
Arts Avengers Avengers delivers a great experience for viewers.
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See Book Club, 2