Night school support cut

Recent rumors of funding cuts, as well as complaints about the class size and curriculum, have raised concerns about MCPS' Evening High School program, according to a Blair staff member.   

Career Center Coordinator Sharon Williams was informed by a former night- school counselor who wished to remain anonymous that MCPS planned to eliminate night school guidance counselors and services due to budget cuts.  Kent Weaver, an MCPS High School Counselor Specialist confirmed that MCPS might have plans to remove night-school guidance services.

MCPS Adult Education Specialist Allan Eisel said that guidance counselors will, in fact, remain at both night school locations, Northwood Center and Watkins Mill High School, but only for three weeks to assist with second semester registration. 

MCPS funds are currently in a "big freeze," and MCPS will mandate temporary cuts on extra services, such as providing the night school with counselors, until June 30, according to Marshall Spatz, the head of MCPS' budget department. Spatz said night-school guidance services will be reinstated for the 2004-2005 school year and that their services are included in the $250,000 increase in night-school funds. For the 2005 fiscal year, the night school budget will be $1,154,721.

For the past 30 years, night schoolguidance counselors were present full-time, according to George Cokinos, the Northwood night- school co-principal. However, by the end of the first semester, the entire guidance department at Northwood night school was informed by MCPS that they would not be needed once students were registered, according to Bonnie Fitzpatrick, a Northwood night- school guidance counselor.
Blair had the highest number of students attending the evening program of MCPS high schools, said Eisel. Two hundred and fifty-one Blazers attended night school at the Northwood Center during the first semester of this year. Eisel believes that Blair's high percentage of night-school enrollments was due to its large population.

Though Eisel said that night school is primarily a "safety net" to help failing students graduate on-time, he said it also serves as an educational facility for students who cannot attend day school for special circumstances.

Aside from advising students about their courses, night-school guidance counselors also review transcripts, substitute for late teachers and inform parents if their student has an academic problem. "Situations come up and you need qualified people to handle these problems," said Rita Theresa, a Northwood night- school counselor. "Counselors are a necessity!"

According to Weaver, the night-school program has had a deficit for years. The $40 student enrollment fee does not cover the cost of the program and is supplemented with MCPS funds. If the cut is made, Cokinos said it would more than likely be permanent.

"Once MCPS makes cuts like that, it's hard to bring back the counselors again," Cokinos said.
In addition to the threat of losing counselors, the night-school program has been hindered by problems such as class size, lack of homework and varied grading and discipline policies among teachers, Williams said.
Several students reported large class sizes and difficulty covering so much material in so little time, she claimed. "Students have told me that if they're absent once, they can't catch up. And if they're absent twice, their whole semester will be destroyed," Williams said.

Junior Eddie Brosnan said his teachers never gave any assignments outside of school because "it would interfere with our day school work."

In senior Sai Corbello's English night class, her reading assignments were replaced with films. "We didn't read books, and we rarely answered questions," Corbello said. "We only read three pages of Hamlet," she said. "And then we watched the movie."

Eisel said MCPS does not have a written homework policy. He added that night-school teachers who choose to assign work outside the classroom give the same quantity compared to regular school. He explained that night- school teachers, who are qualified MCPS day instructors, practice the same classroom habits during regular school hours. In addition, the same curriculum is used for both night and day school.
While some students said little effort was required to make the grade, others found the work difficult. "You got to try to do your best to get out of that class," senior Nels Cephas said.

Brosnan added that his night- school teachers still managed to give them individualized attention despite large classes. According to Cokinos, the average class sizes at Northwood ranged from 23 to 25 students.