The Postscript
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The Postscript November 8, 2013 The Park School of BalTimore | 2425 old courT road, BalTimore, md 21208 Volume 74 Issue No.2 Teachers feel the pressure of reductions in LS classes Effects of economic and demographic changes hit independent schools said. “In tough economic times, by Baylor Knobloch ’14 and when families are looking Like any product in a system towards college and asking how of supply and demand, an inde- they are going to afford tuition pendent school must react to the over the next 20 years, there are ebbs and flows of factors beyond fewer families in the applicant its control. The Great Recession pool.” in 2008 and its effects on eco- Reducing the number of nomic growth and demographic classes also meant reducing the trends have pushed enrollments number of teachers. Thus far, down to levels not experienced normal attrition has saved the for over two decades. administration from laying off photo by P. Coulson ’16 The majority of Lower School faculty due to downsizing. From With fewer girls than boys in third grade, administrators separated students by gender for grade levels above kindergarten 2010-2011, the first year of the some classes to give each group a chance to interact differently. Third grade teacher Ann now consist of three class sec- reduction, three teachers left Starer leads an all-girls group in a warm-up activity. tions, one fewer than the four for graduate school, one retired, sections that were standard from and one relocated out of state; Lower School groups third graders the mid-1990s through 2011. remaining faculty have shifted This trend began when the cur- positions between grades. by gender for three classes weekly rent third grade (class of 2023) “Whenever there is an open- entered the division in fall 2011. ing created by someone retiring Without enough qualified first or someone moving out of state by Melanie Weiskopf ‘15 Wednesday, and Friday to rotate ones in their homeroom classes,” among music, computer, and she said. grade applicants to fill the typical or that kind of thing, we figure With almost twice the number homeroom classes. Third grade girls have re- four-section structure that year, out whether there are ways that of boys than girls—29 to 16— “The way that it came about sponded well to the change. “I first grade was reduced to three we can keep people in positions,” in this year’s third grade, Lower was from parents of girls in the think that they did it because they groups. said Lower School Principal School administrators are ex- grade saying that there are too wanted the girls to have some The trend continued in ensu- June Bennett. “We have been perimenting with a way to mix few girls, which has played out time together, to be with people ing years. Now in third grade, really lucky to have a number of up the grade in a program they’re in ways that have been challeng- from other classes, and to learn the class of 2023 is still at three teachers who have been able to calling combo classes. ing socially,” Lower School Prin- about the stuff that girls can talk classes. Second and first grades embrace the professional chal- Three times a week, the stu- cipal June Bennett said. “The about together but boys can’t,” followed suit, and are also down lenge of learning a new grade,” dents are shuffled into three idea was to give the girls three Abby Kaplan ‘23 said. to three sections each; fourth and she said. groups: two with all boys, and experiences a week where they According to third grade fifth remain at four sections this While no one was let go be- one with all girls. These sections would get to know all the girls teacher Ann Starer, not only year. cause of falling enrollment over meet for 30 minutes on Monday, on the grade level, not just the did the Lower School want to A number of variables con- the past three years, the admin- give girls a chance to bond with tribute to decreased enrollment. istration is offering no promises. each other, but they also wanted “What we’ve been faced with “These past few years have to give both girls and boys the are a demographic trend and an been like a game of musical chance to cope with cooperative economic trend, and they’re both chairs,”said librarian Laura obstacles that they face in mixed happening,” said Head of School Schlitz. “We’ve known every classrooms. Dan Paradis. “So it’s like the per- year that the chairs are going to “There’s definitely an energy fect storm.” be taken away, and somebody’s level—a playfulness, a camara- “If you actually look at the going to be left standing, without derie, and a physical piece—that number of children ages zero to a job.” you just can’t stop with boys,” five who are being born in this Starer said, “and those are all area, we’ve been in a trough,” he See Downsizing, p.4 great things, but it’s definitely a Tuition Breakdown by Division* challenge sometimes in a class- Grades Attending Net tuition cost room. “That’s not to say that we K1-Grade 12 $341,580 don’t have girls who are calling Grades 1-12 $302,460 out,” she said. “It’s just that in Grades 6-12 $180,260 photo by P. Coulson ’16 my experience overall, girls just Grades 9-12 $105,560 Third grade students in the new all-girls combo class take time to share drawings that show their individual strengths. See Third Grade p. 6 *In today’s Dollars INSIDE THE POSTSCRIPT NEWS COMMENTARY ARTS & CULTURE Students set out on reatreats Head to head: Obamacare In the Heights Preview Upper and middle schoolers Matthew Singer ’15 and Leah Smith Anticipation mounts for this have kicked off the school ’16 square off on the merits of the Af- year’s fall musical, set in a New year with retreats designed to fordable Care Act. York City barrio. facilitate class bonding. PAGE 3 PAGE 8 PAGE 14 Editorial The Postscript, November 8, 2013 2 Tough issues for a school paper You may have noticed the lead Postscript is unique among area article in this month’s issue: a piece high school newspapers in that we on the recent downsizing trend in the are given leeway to report on is- Lower School, and in reality, for all sues within the school, and present independent schools. This kind of them for anyone to see. It makes work is a departure from Postscript’s sense that the school grants us this normal way of doing business; it autonomy: learning to deal with the does not examine renovations made responsibilities inherent in freedom over the summer or the arrival of is, in many ways, the crux of the a new teacher, but rather a topic Park experience. fraught with nuance, complexity, and Therefore, we think this freedom anxiety. should be extended even in instances The issues presented are undeni- where the news is controversial or ably complicated, tricky, and polar- doesn’t put the school in the best izing. They hit at core concerns for light, with the knowledge that the people in the community: retaining onus is on us to do that which is a beloved job at a school that has most appropriate. significant personal meaning, keep- This works both ways. While we ing the institution financially solvent recognize that this freedom should cartoon by Baylor Knobloch ’14 during tough economic times, and not be abused (and we are confident trying to maintain a positive outward that is that it hasn’t been), it also Letter to the editors appearance for admissions so that builds a trust between us—the edito- we can do our best to boost enroll- rial staff—and you—the reader— Free speech v. offensive speech ment. All of these are legitimate that we will not serve as a mere To the editors: wish your teachers would have given you. sides in the downsizing debate. newsletter, or piece of propaganda. Before I say anything, I want to con- Maybe for someone the image This makes the article a difficult Instead, we must perform the gratulate you all, students and teachers, of Jesus means nothing, but even one to write, especially consider- role any newspaper worth its print- for the wonderful paper that I look forward that someone has to respect those ing that the information presented ing press would: give you a fair and to reading every time I see it in the mail. for whom this is a sacred image. is not necessarily flattering. We accurate narrative of the information Though there were other controversial During communism religion was forbid- spent a good deal of time trying to at hand. As always, we welcome any articles that elicited debates around our den. The “enlightened” new generation determine the best way to frame the and all letters in response, should dinner table, this is the first time that I was taught that religion was, as Marx article, and we’re happy with what you have any questions or concerns. believe that I “need” to write to you and wrote, “opium for the people,” and only we’re putting out. make my point clear. “stupid, uneducated people would believe For me the issue of freedom of speech in god.”. is very close to my heart: it is a part of who My elementary school teacher taught I am and why I am here, it is not a subject us a lesson that was more than about free- the postsCript that I address as an intellectual pursuit in dom of speech; it was about the moral the park sC hool o F Baltimore a social studies class or in a debate club.