The Merionite
May 22, 2013
Volume 84, Issue 7
The official student newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929
Cut of elementary arts classes starts controversy
Maddy McFarland
Class of 2014 In April, LMSD announced a plan to reduce instruction time in the arts, music, and foreign languages and instead increase instruction preparation for standardized tests. Almost immediately, controversy ensued as students, faculty, and community members began to protest the changes. In a letter to parents of students, Superintendent Christopher McGinley explained that the new schedule is necessary due to changes in the school system in the last few years, including the implementation of new Pennsylvania Common Core Standards, the new Pennsylvania Educator Evaluation Model, and the Pennsylvania School Profile System. He did not explain these programs. He did, however, explain that there is a number of students leaving elementary school without the “essential skills that they need to succeed in middle school,” and improvements are needed to the elementary instructional program and in student achievement. Superintendent McGinley cited that 57
percent of fifth grade students were in the “advanced” category on last year’s PSSAs in reading and only 5 percent were “advanced” in writing. He explained that a new schedule needed to be created that included time to address individual student needs, increased instructional time for Literacy and Math, and time for teachers to meet with colleagues, parents, or administrators. The plan McGinley introduced at the end of the article was a six-day cycle, beginning instruction time five minutes early each day, and morning meeting for 15 minutes. This plan would maintain art, music, and gym for 60 minutes with 90 minutes for foreign languages and 30 minutes for library time. He acknowledged this would result in the number of class sessions for specials being reduced from 36 to 31. Parents quickly expressed their concerns. First, they felt the entire plan was rushed through with a lack of clear, transparent communication and not in response to any crisis in test scores or any budget crisis. They also produced substantial research that arts are good for children and their development, and
certain students need the arts because it is the only thing that keeps them engaged in school. Parents were unsure what high-quality education would take place during this time and asserted that LMSD should not be focused on test preparation but about excellent instruction and what is best for the students. The parents also think it is hypocritical to cut the arts when LMSD just won the “Best Community for Music Education” award, which was featured prominently on the website before the controversy, when it was removed. In response to McGinley’s statistics on students in the “advanced” category, parents explained that in LMHS, 85% of students are proficient or advanced in mathematics and 89% are proficient in reading. Additionally, LMSD made adequate yearly process (AYP) according to the No Child Left Behind Act in 167 of 168 indicators in all LMSD schools. Teachers also took issue with the new schedule. The Lower Merion Education Association (Teacher’s Union) Curriculum and Professional Development Committee received
See ARTS, page 3
Vertical garden comes to LM Career Symposium Aine Dougherty
Class of 2015
LM’s courtyard is beautiful on a nice spring day, but senior Matthew King and metal arts teacher Mrs. Ackerman are working towards making it even better by creating a vertical garden on the wall across from the main entrance for all students to enjoy. A vertical garden is a garden that utilizes various resources to allow plants to grow up a wall. Ideas about growing one in the courtyard had been flowing between Mrs. Ackerman and others for years after she had first seen one in a restaurant called Talulah’s Garden. However, this project actually began when King, a nature-lover who has recently become interested in botany and horticulture and who wants to create something unique that people “stop to appreciate,” decided to take it up as his senior project. He and Mrs. Ackerman have been working very hard on this mission since September. First of all, to get this garden started, they needed funds, ideas, and the go-ahead from the district. So Photo by Efi Narliotis/Staff far, they’ve raised a lot of money The garden soon to decorate the the LM courtyard. for the design process and the execution. They still, however, have a little more to go. As for ideas, they’ve gotten a few responses to their appeals to the student body, and they’ve also gotten a lot of construction and design help from the Groundswell Design Firm, whose specialty is unique landscaping. In fact, they have even gotten as far as producing a final digital model for how the vertical garden will look. Finally, the last piece of the puzzle is approval from the district, and the duo is now in the process of working with Bob Schultz, the grounds manager, to get exactly that. Once everything is in place, construction will begin. According to King, due to red-tape, this might not be until later this summer, and he might have to hand responsibility over to someone else to see the garden through. He says, “I love the idea and have raised money towards the cause, but technical issues may limit my involvement to just the spark for the fire.” The plan for construction is to use reusable objects such as “every-
See GARDEN, page 3
Emily Morris
Class of 2015
On May 23, Lower Merion will be hosting the annual Career Fair for sophomores. As a symposium of sorts, students get the opportunity to hear about the real experiences of local professionals and their achievements. These “local professionals” are generally LMHS parents who have volunteered their variety of expertise to give some insight on the job-sphere and how students can achieve their goals. This is a part of the Lower Merion Guidance’s “Gate Program,” Guidance and Transition Experience, which is geared to help students with life after high school. Sophomores were asked, either in History or by their counselors, to select four speakers from a packet listing the volunteers. On the 23rd, students will be assigned to three of those speakers, and will have thirty minute sessions with each. Since the sessions are small and widespread, questions and conversations are encouraged after short speeches by the professional. Although many of these choices are medically oriented, they cover a wide range of career paths, from makeup artists to dentists and everything in between. Even if there’s nothing really geared to you listed, its just an opportunity to get some real world advice from an adult outside your home. Dermot Anderson, one of Lower Merion’s guidance counselors, is in charge of the event, and is friendly with many of the presenters. He believes this to be a great experience for students because a lot of the volunteers who come every year are intriguing people with interesting lives. One of them, a friend of Anderson’s, is an ex Vice President of QVC (the television and online shopping network) who lost his job and ended up as a dog trainer in Lower Merion, and who claims that he’s never been happier. Anderson makes it clear that this fair is not about putting students on career paths and setting up lives for them. Rather, it is meant to be reassuring for students who don’t quite know what they want to do when they grow up, and are unwilling to decide on one path. College and after-college are stressful thoughts to LMHS students, and guidance offers this as a means of relaxation. It’s not about how successful these people are, what their grades or SAT scores were, but “really, it’s about the personal journey,” says Anderson. Since many students at Lower Merion High School do have an idea of exactly what they’d like to be doing in the future, this is a chance to ask people in the business how to succeed. For those who are clueless, divided, or have yet to think about it, its a great way to get interested
See SYMPOSIUM, page 3