The Black & White Vol. 53 Issue 7

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volume 53, Issue 7 mAY 20, 2015

Walt whitman High school

7100 whittier boulevard

Bethesda, maryland 20817

Spring sports cap off successful seasons

photo courtsey TONY GRAY

photo courtsey WHITMAN BASEBALL

photo by MICHELLE JARCHO

photo courtsey DICK LEIGHTON

1964 and ‘65 alums hold 50-year reunion by camryn dahl

MCPS announces budget cuts: County expected to trim $70 million from future spending by Julia Gilman

Clockwise from top left: Max Palermo pitches in a game against Blair, which the team lost 15-4; Midfielder Maddie Parker makes a move on a Bel Air defender in the girls lacrosse state semifinal, which they lost 13-1; Right fielder Lauren Evoy slides into home plate in softball’s opening round playoff game against B-CC, which they won 8-3; Attackman Alex Hilsenrath prepares to take a shot in the boys lacrosse regional semifinal against Churchill, in a 12-11 loss which went to double overtime.

Vibrant music echoes throughout the building. People swing around the dance floor while others catch up with friends and chat about the latest gossip. This could easily be a high school party, except the guests graduated from high school 50 years ago. During the weekend of May 1, the classes of 1964 and 1965 toured the “new” Whitman, caught up with old friends and spent a night out dancing at the Bolger Center, all as part of their 50-year reunion. The reunion was organized by Jane Pechman Stern, Mary Slaby and Barbara Steele (‘65). “I think the reunion was a huge success, with enough different activities for everyone,” Steele said. “The class of 1966 is already calling Mary for advice.” The school tour was a highlight of

the reunion. Led by student guides, the alumni explored the building and talked to a panel of students about their academic and social lives. Whitman’s current state dazzled many of the alumni. “I am so impressed by what Whitman is all about: the spirit, the activism, the multi-faceted aspects of life, the technology—all of what Whitman has become,” Martha Stark (‘65) said. “I am a little bit overwhelmed, yet very proud, to be from here.” Despite the 50-year gap, the alumni noticed that many aspects of the school and surrounding community have barely changed. “I think some of the issues that the students have today with alcohol and stress were also issues back then,” Ken Braunstein (‘65) said. “That hasn’t changed. I raised my children in the area and [the pressures were] very similar.”

Many alums also noticed and related to the school’s atmosphere of stress and overachievement. Just as students struggle today, they too had difficulty dealing with advanced and college-level coursework. “If you weren’t among the top AP and honors students, it was really hard,” Stern said. “It feels like the same issues when I hear about students trying to get into college now.” The multitude of extracurriculars and electives offered was new to the former Vikings—these were much more limited during their time. “Today, there are so many opportunities here, from foreign languages to fine arts,” Braunstein said. “Today’s environment in the school and the opportunities for students just amazes me. I’m sure the academics are good as well, but everything else that’s offered just blows me away.” continued on page

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Last week, the County Council announced they would not fund MCPS’s full budget request, falling short by $53 million. This decision, combined with Governor Larry Hogan’s $17 million cuts announced May 14, will force MCPS to make serious adaptations to next year’s spending that could adversely impact schools and their communities. In a preliminary vote May 14, eight out of nine county council members voted for the cuts. The final vote will take place May 21. MCPS requested a 4 percent increase in the Fiscal Year 2016 budget from last year, but the loss of $53 million leaves MCPS with only a 1.4 percent increase. While the student population has increased by 16,000, from FY09, county funding has fallen by $37 million, teachers union president Doug Prouty said in an email to teachers. County per-pupil spending will be lower than at any time since 2006—ten years ago, he noted. “While we are disappointed that our budget was not fully funded, we understand that the County Council had to make some difficult decisions during a time of lagging tax revenues,” Board of Education president Patricia O’Neill said in a statement. “This made state funding even more important.” However, MCPS received only half of their expected $34 million from the state. The anticipated state funding is mandated by the Geographic Cost of Education Index, which is designed to compensate for underfunding in areas where it’s more expensive to provide education. “The Governor’s decision will now require us to make even deeper cuts that could impact our ability to serve every child to the highest level possible,” O’Neill said. The total of $70 million in cuts will require MCPS to reduce staffing, further increasing class sizes. The preemptive staff cuts Interim Superintendent Larry Bowers announced in March, which will remove 370 staff members from schools across the county and 40 positions from the central office, are now made certain by these announcements of the funding shortfalls. Whitman will lose a special education teacher, a part time ESOL teacher and a composition assistant, as well as regular staffing, principal Alan Goodwin said. “Special ed will be more work for the special ed teachers who are still here,” Goodwin said. “And in ESOL, for our students that sometimes need a lot of extra help, it will be harder to give them that.” Class sizes will rise to averages of 30 in English classes and 34 in all other classes, Goodwin said. Current averages for all classes, including English, are approximately 27 students. The county’s per-pupil spending will be reduced to its lowest level since 2006, with state per-pupil spending cut for the first time in over ten years, Prouty said. “Even in an honors class or an AP class, where you want to have teachers working individually with students for enrichment purposes, there’s less ability to do that,” English teacher Danielle Fus said. Fus is one of the school’s two union representatives. Teachers are also frustrated by other decisions the county made regarding the budget. “A big thing that’s come out recently is that some of the elected officials okayed a $30,000 salary increase for themselves over the next couple of years,” Fus said. “If the budget is that tight, shouldn’t everyone be tightening their belts?” Despite the losses from the cuts, next school year should still run normally in part, thanks to the strong community, Goodwin said. “Whitman has a good student body, supportive parents and great teachers so we will still be able to deliver the curriculum and march through next year” he said. “But it’s too bad the adults outside this community up in the governor’s office, as well as our own county council, can’t find some additional funding.”

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Crossword Page 7

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