SWWHS to DC Council and Mayor - Save Our Teachers
The School Without Walls Home and School Association
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
June 6, 2024
Chairman Mendelson and Councilmembers Bonds, Henderson, McDuffie, R. White, Nadeau, Pinto, Frumin, George, Parker, Allen, Gray, and T. White:
We the undersigned are parents/family, students, educators, and alumni of the School Without Walls High School (SWWHS). SWWHS enrolls students from every ward of the city and is the top ranked public high school in the District of Columbia.
We are asking the DC Council to act swiftly to keep the SWWHS teaching staff whole in the FY25 budget. If no changes are made to the FY25 budget, which passed DC Council’s first vote on May 29th, our school will lose two critical programs–theater arts and Chinese language. We are asking the DC Council to provide SWWHS with an additional $238,444 beyond what was included in the budget voted on on May 29th so that our school can retain the two teaching positions that support these programs. We are not asking for more than to be able to keep our current staff whole so that no teaching position or program is cut.
The arts and languages are essential, core subjects. Every high school student in the city should have the opportunity to engage in the arts, including theater, and continue the language they have been studying since middle school. Losing the theater and Chinese language programs would be a devastating loss for SWWHS, a school that has as its mission “provid[ing] every student with a rigorous, college preparatory, humanities program that incorporates global and local resources in an experiential and interdisciplinary methodology to teaching and learning.”
The strengths of SWWHS come from our teachers and programming. Our physical space is inadequate though we make do. The SWWHS building has capacity for 520 students and yet we have an enrollment of 597 (a 115% utilization rate), with 609 projected next year. We do not have an auditorium, a gymnasium, or playing fields. Students come to SWWHS because of the vibrant, pre-college experience it offers, but as programming is cut or weakened, the appeal and strengths of the school will likely diminish too. It would be negligent and short-sighted of our city’s leaders to fail to rectify this.
Again, we ask the DC Council to provide in its FY25 budget sufficient funding for SWWHS to be able to keep our staff whole and save the theater arts and Chinese language programs. This is $238,444 for the two full-time positions, taking into account the cost for two positions and the $29k transferred to SWWHS in the first reading budget.
We are all mindful of the important role our city leaders play in the opportunities afforded our students. In turn, we are very aware of the importance of the choices we make as voters.
Respectfully,
Parents/family, Students, Educators, and Alumni of the School Without Walls High School
Carlton Ackerman, Educator, Ward 3
Adam Ahmed, Alumnus, Ward 5
Kat Akcakanat, Parent of alumnus, Ward 6
Ebony Akinsanya, Parent, Ward 4
Yemi Akinsanya, Parent, Ward 4
Farhana Alam, Alumnus, Ward 1
Elizabeth Alexander, Parent, Ward 2
Savannah Alexander, Alumnus, Ward 4
Robert Ames, Parent of alumnus, Educator, Ward 4
Lourdes Ames-Rodriguez, Alumnus, Ward 4
Gi-Hyun An, Parent, Ward 1
Kwaku Ansah-Twum, Parent of alumnus, Ward 5
Tim Appenzeller, Parent, Ward 3
Aurelie Aron, Parent, Ward 3
Brett Astmann, Current or Parent, Ward 7
Toni Austin, Family member of student, Ward 8
Nathan Ausubel, Alumnus, Ward 3
Chanell Autrey, Alumnus, Ward 5
Daniele Avila, Parent, Ward 1
Vivienne Azarcon, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Marion Babcock, Parent, Ward 5
Elham (Ellie) Bahirai, Parent, Ward 3
Aidan Barrett, Alumnus, Ward 3
Jennifer Barrett, Parent, Ward 4
Judy Becker, Parent, Ward 3
Nicki Belfiore, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Ashan Benedict, Parent, Ward 6
Michael Bennett, Alumnus, Ward 7
Catherine Bernard, Parent, Ward 2
Andrea Bertone, Parent, Ward 3
Amanda Bilodeau, Parent, Ward 5
Thomas Blanton, Parent of alumnus, Ward 4
Terra Blodnikar, Hopeful future parent, Ward 1
Dylana Blum, Parent, Ward 4
Deena Blumenthal, Alumnus, Ward 3
Uugangerel Bold, Parent, Ward 2
Lachlan Bond, Alumnus, Ward 3
Gretchen Borchelt, Parent, Ward 4
Pierre Boudet, Parent, Ward 2
Tracy Bowen, Parent,
Ward 4 Peter Boyce, Parent, Ward 3
Anna Boyer, Alumnus, Ward 6
Valerie Boykin-Pair, Parent, Ward 5
Nicole Brewer, Parent of alumnus,
Ward 8 John Brown, Alumnus
Sarah Bryer, Parent, Ward 1
Samar Burney, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Bronwyn Burns, Student, Ward 5
Dylan Butler, Alumnus, Ward 4
Madelyne Cabico, Alumnus, Ward 7
Regina Campa Sole, Parent, Ward 3
Claire Campbell, Student, Ward 6
Geoffrey Campen, Parent, Ward 3
Bond Cantrell, Alumnus
Lucia Cappelloni, Parent, Ward 3
Maria Helena Carey, Parent, Ward 6
Alessandra Carozza, Alumnus, Ward 3
Bianca Carr, Parent, Ward 7
Ava Cavanaugh, Alumnus, Ward 6
Meaghan Chada, Parent, Ward 3
Shawn Chada, Parent, Ward 6
Edwin Chamberlain, Parent, Ward 3
Jessica Champa, Parent, Ward 6
Seth Charde, Parent, Ward 4
Ty Charde, Student, Ward 4
Chris Chilbert, Parent, Ward 3
Tiffany Chu, Parent, Ward 2
Amy Clark, Parent, Ward 3
Ryan Clark, Parent of DC Grade schooler, Ward 3
Yaqueline Clauss, Parent of alumnus, Ward 5
Skyler Clay, Alumnus
Charlotte Cluverius, Parent, Ward 6
Phillip Cobb, Parent, Ward 1
Kimberly Coleman, Alumnus
Mark Collins, Alumnus, Class of 78,
Felicia Couts, Parent, Ward 6
Allyson Coyne, Parent, Ward 2
Kara Cumberland, Parent, Ward 3
Sarah Currie, Student, Ward 3
Patricia da Camara, Parent, Ward 3
Elizabeth Daggett, Parent, Ward 5
Rhonda Dahlkemper, Parent of alumnus, Ward 4
Yingzhi Dai, Alumnus, Ward 6
Yuanlong Dai, Alumnus
Michael Dannenberg, Parent, Ward 3
Abigail Dannenberg, Student, Ward 3
Katherine David-Fox, Parent of alumnus, Ward 6
Nicholas Davis, Parent, Alumnus, Parent of alumnus, Ward 5
Scott Day, Parent, Ward 6
Daggett Deena, Educator, Ward 5
Kristen Degan, Parent, Ward 1
Diana Dezso, Parent, Ward 2
Natascha Dillon, Alumnus
Petar Dimtchev, Alumnus, Ward 3
Nehemiah Dixon, Alumnus
Ben Dormus, Alumnus
Sarah B. Dorsey, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Cynthia Dowd, Parent, Ward 3
Marian Drake, Parent, Ward 6
Madelyn Dreifke, Student, Ward 2
Stela Droboniku de Graffe, Parent, Ward 5
Amy Drozdowska, Parent, Ward 3
Kelly Dunham, Parent, Ward 3
Michelle Durant, Parent, Ward 5
Clifton Durant, Parent, Ward 5
Jauan Durbin, Alumnus
Nicole Dyson, Alumnus, Ward 4
violeta edelman, Parent, Ward 4
Khufu Edwards, Alumnus
Ramata Eller, Parent, Ward 3
Derek Emons, Student, Ward 2
Ben Emons, Parent, Ward 2
Mark Engman, Alumnus, Ward 6
Karen Entress, Parent, Ward 3
Linda Epstein, Current or Parent, Ward 3
Aprille Ericsson, Parent, Ward 1
Caryn Ernst, Parent of alumnus, Ward 6
Tia Evans, Alumnus
Juliet Ewing, Concerned DC resident, Ward 4
Anna Fink, Parent, Ward 4
Julie Flamant Hamilton, Parent, Ward 1
Trinity Foard, Student, Ward 4
Maria Forman, Student, Parent of alumnus, Ward 2
Bailey Fowler, Student, Ward 6
Tiffany Foy, Alumnus, Ward 7
Lois Frankel, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Mary Freed, Parent, Ward 5
Ivan Frishberg, Parent, Ward 6
Kari Gallagher, Parent, Ward 3
Jonathan Gallagher, Parent, Ward 3
Camille Galvani, Student, Ward 6
Darian Gary, Parent, Ward 4
Addis Getachew, Student, Ward 4
Laelia Gilborn, Parent, Ward 6
Jillian Gill, Alumnus, Ward 5
Al Goldberg, Parent, Ward 4
Jodie Goldberg, Parent, Ward 4
Ana M Gonzalez, Parent, Ward 3
John Goodloe, Parent, Ward 4
Dawn Goodloe, Parent, Ward 4
Kiran Gore, Parent, Ward 2
Alejandra Goyenechea, Parent, Ward 4
Billy Grandison, Alumnus, Ward 1
Gisele Grayson, Parent, Ward 1
Laura Green, Parent, Ward 6
Sara Greene, Parent, Ward 4
Adam Greenhalgh, Parent, Ward 4
Tremaine Gregory, Parent, Ward 2
Diane Gross, Parent, Ward 4
Wendy Gualtieri, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Frank Gulin, Parent, Ward 3
Ellen Guo, Alumnus, Ward 6
Lila Guterman, Parent, Ward 1
Wesley Hallman, Parent, Parent of alumnus, Ward 6
Camilla Hallman, Alumnus
Lisa Handy, Parent, Ward 4
Kai Handy-Kanegis, Student, Ward 4
Evelyn Hankins, Parent, Ward 3
Sara Haq, Future potential student parent, Ward 2
Kathryn Harllee, Parent, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Hope Harris-Black, Parent, Ward 3
Janet Harvey, Alumnus
Tracy Haugen, Parent, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Kirsten Hawkins, Parent, Ward 4
Katherine Hawkins, Parent, Ward 3
Jadian Headly, Alumnus, Ward 5
Sandra Heard, Parent, Ward 4
Rachel Henighan, Parent, Ward 4
Karla Hernandez, Parent, Ward 2
Caroline Hester, Alumnus, Ward 3
Kim Hester, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Sylvia Hevesi Day, Parent, Ward 1
Melissa Ho, Parent, Ward 6
Gretchen Hochhausler, Parent of alumnus, Ward 4
Kay Hogan, Family member of an incoming student, Ward 8
Jennifer Holcomb, Parent, Ward 4
Margaret Howard, Alumnus
Jade Huang, Parent, Ward 4
Camara Hudson, Alumnus
Melissa Hurst, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Paul Hurst, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Dylan Hurst, Alumnus, Ward 3
Arletha Idrissa, Parent, Ward 8
David Inoue, Parent, Ward 4
Frances Irving, Alumnus
María Jackson, Parent, Ward 3
Randall Jackson, Parent, Ward 3
Brooke Jamison, Parent, Ward 6
Kayden Jensen, Student, Ward 6
Louisa Jensen, Student, Ward 6
Mark Jensen, Parent, Ward 6
Ileann Jimenez-Sepulveda, 35 year DC resident, Ward 3
Gertrude Johnson, Parent, Ward 5
Camara Johnson, Family of student, Ward 8
Dillon Johnson, Alumnus, Ward 6
Christi Johnson-Dargba, Parent, Ward 7
Ryan Jones, Alumnus
Maaden Jones, Parent, Ward 6
Louis Jones III, Parent, Ward 6
Alejandro Jorge, Alumnus, Ward 3
Cary Joshi, Parent, Ward 3
Jocelyn Kaiser, Parent, Ward 1
Joshq Kallmer, Parent, Ward 4
Marissa Kasdan, Parent, Ward 4
Shannon King, Alumnus
Jennifer King, Parent, Ward 1
Samantha Kirby Caruth, Parent of alumnus, Ward 4
Suzanne Klapper, Parent, Ward 2
Jonathan Klarfeld, Parent, Ward 4
Catherine Klemann, Alumnus
David Klevan, Parent, Ward 6
Mayfield Klevan, Student, Ward 6
Sarah Kohari, Parent, Ward 3
David Kohari, Parent, Ward 3
Fatos Kopliku, Educator, Ward 2
Minnie Koppenheffer, Alumnus, Ward 4
Marc Laitin, Student, Ward 3
Jana Laughlin, Alumnus
Judi LaValle, Parent, Ward 7
Wendy Lawrence, Educator, Ward 4
Lyndsey Layton, Parent, Ward 1
Christy Leavitt, Parent, Ward 6
Lucy Leavitt, Student, Ward 6
Jonathan Leavitt, Parent, Ward 7
Tania Lee, Parent, Ward 3
Jacqueline Lee, Parent, Ward 4
Marten Leijon, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Anneben Levine, Parent, Ward 3
Judah Levine, Parent, Ward 3
Efrem Levy, Parent, Ward 4
Lucille Liem, Parent, Ward 3
Alexander Liesegang, Alumnus, Ward 3
Marsha Lillie-Blanton, Parent of alumnus, Ward 4
Josh Linn, Parent, Ward 3
Whitney Listman, Parent, Ward 6
Christine LoCascio, Parent, Ward 3
David Lucas, Alumnus
Barry Lucas, Parent of alumnus, Ward 6
Dan Magder, Student, Ward 3
Jennie Mak, Parent, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Michael Maniscalco, Parent, Ward 3
Etoile Matthews, Alumnus
Sonya Matza, Parent, Ward 3
Lucy Mayer, Student, Ward 4
Charles Mayer, Parent, Ward 4
Anna Mayer, Student, Ward 4
Marcia Maziarz, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Karen Mazie, Parent, Ward 4
Erin McCartney, Parent, Ward 3
Margaret McCulloch, Parent, DC resident, parent, Ward 6
Michelle Mehta, Parent of incoming 9th grader, Ward 3
Andrew Meltzer, Student, Ward 6
Charlotte Mendelson, Student, Ward 1
Michelle Meneses, Parent, Ward 5
Yael Meroz, Parent, Ward 6
Clara Merrick, Student, Ward 6
Natalie Mette-Bory, Parent, Ward 1
Nicole Millard, Parent, Ward 8
Part Millard, Grandmother,
Peter Miller, Parent, Ward 3
Christine Miller, Parent, Ward 7
Shadeequa Miller, Alumnus
Arianne Miller, Parent, Ward 3
Kimberly Miller, Parent, Ward 3
Floyd Mills, Parent, Ward 6
Alex Mills, Alumnus, Ward 6
Wyndham Mills, Student, Ward 6
Erum Mirza, Parent, Ward 3
Lauryn Mitchell, Alumnus
Zach Mizroch, Alumnus
Philip Mone, Parent, Ward 2
Sarah Moore, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Harlem Moore, Alumnus
Robert Moore, Parent, Ward 3
Michael Morad-McCoy, Parent, Ward 4
Jett Morad-McCoy, Student, Ward 4
Megan Morgan, Parent, Ward 6
Hugh Morris, Parent, Ward 3
Gwen Morris, Student, Ward 3
Hugh Morris, Parent, Ward 3
Sandra Moscoso, Parent, Ward 6
Amani Moses, Alumnus
Jessie Moss, Student, Ward 4
Gregory Muehl, Student, Ward 3
Madeline Mulder, Alumnus, Ward 6
Scott Murphy, Parent, Ward 4
Zoe Neuberger, Parent, Ward 5
Constance Newman, Parent, Ward 4
Kai Newman, Student, Ward 1
Tien Ngo, Parent, Ward 3
Stacy Notaras Murphy, Parent, Ward 4
Alden Nouga-Ngog, Student, Ward 6
Enis Nushi, Parent, Ward 4
Jennie O’Flanagan, Parent, Ward 3
Edward Okeke, Parent, Ward 3
Nebe Okeke, Student, Ward 3
Kamtoya Okeke, Student,
Ward 3 Ellis Olander, Student, Ward 1
Michael Olander, Parent, Ward 1
Tracy Oliver-Gary, Parent, Ward 4
Debra Olson, Parent, Ward 2
Ifetayo Olutosin, Alumnus
Beth Osborne, Parent, Ward 1
Luis Padilla, Parent, Ward 4
Sarah Padre, Parent, Ward 4
Stephen Padre, Parent, Ward 4
Robert M. Pair, Parent, Ward 5
Ariana Paredes-Vincent, Alumnus,
Ward 1 Natasha Parker, Parent, Ward 1
Sofia Parodi, Alumnus, Ward 3
Aliyah Pearson, Alumnus, Educator, Ward 7
Leslie Pearson, Parent, Ward 3
Damaris Peraza, Parent of alumnus, Ward 4
Katherine Perkins, Parent of alumnus, Ward 4
Rhonda Perry, Alumnus
Caroline Pessey, Parent, Ward 2
Oliver Petersen, Alumnus, Ward 6
Danica Petroshius, Parent, Ward 6
Amanda Pezalla, Parent, Ward 4
Roger Pierre, Parent of alumnus, Ward 5
Elisabeth Pinsker, Parent, Ward 2
Otis Pitney, Future parent, Ward 4
Mary Pitts, Parent, Ward 2
Robert Plovnick, Parent, Ward 3
Zack Poimboeuf, Parent, Ward 5
Heather Pultz, Educator, Ward 2
Karen Quarles, Parent of alumnus, Ward 6
Suzanne Raitt, Parent, Ward 1
John Ralls, LSAT Community Representative, former substitute teacher,
Ward 6 Elena Ramirez, Alumnus, Ward 8
Aynat Ravin, Parent, Ward 2
Daphne Raviv, Student, Ward 3
Deborah Raviv, Parent, Ward 3
George Reidy, Educator
Annette Rid, Parent, Ward 2
Christina Robinson, Alumnus, Ward 7
Noemi Rodriguez, Parent of alumnus, Ward 4
Cameo Roehrich, Parent, Ward 2
Esperanza Roman Mendoza, Parent of alumnus,
Ward 1 Crystal Rosario, Elementary Parent, Ward 2
Hugo Rosen, Student, Ward 2
Hazel Rosenblum-Sellers, Alumnus, Ward 4
Tanya Royster, Parent of alumnus, Ward 5
Sarah Ruiz, Alumnus, Ward 5
Mary Ruppert, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Mark Ruppert, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Frankie Ruppert, Alumnus, Ward 3
Fouzilla Saady, Educator, Ward 2
Henry Salazar, Parent, Ward 3
Tressa Sanders, Parent, Ward 4
Ellie Sanders, Alumnus, Ward 4
Cristina Sanz, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Emily Satterthwaite, Parent, Ward 6
John Scanlon, Parent, Ward 3
Lesley Schaffer, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Corinne Schauer, Parent, Ward 3
Tomas Serebrisky, Parent, Ward 3
Julia Serebrisky, Student, Ward 3
Marc Serebrisky, Student, Alumnus, Ward 3
Vicki Shabo, Parent, Ward 3
Adam Shah, Parent, Ward 6
Dania Sharief, DCPS parent, Ward 2
Michael Shepard, Parent, Ward 3
Thomas Shepard, Student, Ward 3
Keri Sikich, Parent, Ward 3
Patricia Sipher, Parent, Ward 2
Anthony Sipher, Parent, Ward 2
Jennifer Sklar, Parent, Ward 7
Chanel Small-Pointer, Student, Ward 8
Martyn Smith, Parent, Ward 3
Kathleen Solomon, Parent, Ward 6
Erin Spinnell, Parent, Ward 4
Dana Springer, Parent, Ward 4
Alex Springer, Student, Ward 4
Ian Springer, Student, Ward 4
John Springer, Parent, Ward 4
Justin Sprinzen, Parent, Ward 6
Nicole Sprinzen, Parent, Ward 6
Blake Saddler, Student, Ward 7
Jen Stark, Parent, Ward 4
Shauna Steele, Parent, Ward 6
Ruth Stenstrom, Educator, Ward 1
Jackie Steven, Alumnus
Marlorie Stinfil, Parent, Ward 5
Page Stites, Parent, Ward 4
Scott Streisand, Parent, Ward 1
Maria Strudwick, DC resident, Ward 4
Deidre Swesnik, Parent, Ward 4
Haniyah Syed, Student, Ward 3
Habib Syed, Parent, Ward 3
Aniko Szigetvari, Parent, Ward 3
Elizabeth Takacs, Parent, Ward 3
Kristopher Takacs, Parent, Ward 3
Anna Taylor, Alumnus, Ward 5
Monee Thomas, Parent, Ward 8
Zion Thomas, Student, Ward 8
Polly Thornton, Parent, Ward 3
Carrie Tiller, Parent, Ward 4
Marshella Toldson, Parent, Ward 5
Lina Tolvaisaite, Parent, Ward 2
Alison Tonï, Alumnus
Buwon Tran, Parent, Ward 2
Buwon Tran, Parent, Ward 2
Bijal Trivedi, Parent, Ward 3
Jennifer Tschantz, Parent, Ward 6
Jennifer Van der Heide, Parent of alumnus, Ward 3
Carter Vaughn, Alumnus, Ward 4
Edgar Ventura-Martinez, Alumnus, Ward 2
Maximilian Vichr, Alumnus, Ward 4
Camila Viegas-Lee, Parent, Ward 2
Elena Vol, Alumnus, Ward 4
Kira Vol, Parent, Ward 4
Charlene Voss, Current or Parent, Ward 3
Stephen Voss, Parent, Ward 3
Sonja Walti, Parent, Ward 6
Traci Watson, Parent, Ward 3
Amy Weedon, Parent of alumnus, Ward 6
Bruce Weinrod, Parent, Ward 3
Keenan West, Alumnus
Sarah Westrom, Parent, Ward 3
Christian Widmer, Parent, Ward 3
Sandy Wiggins, Parent, Ward 4
Bakari Wilkins, Alumnus, Ward 7
Justin Wilkins-Jordan, Alumnus, Ward 7
Michelle Williams, Alumnus
William G. Woodson, ‘74, Alumnus, Educator
Leila Wright, Parent, Ward 5
Tilman Wuerschmidt, Parent, Ward 3
Fatima Yansane, Alumnus, Ward 6
Eun Yim, Parent, Ward 3
Jennifer Younger, Parent, Ward 4
Eric Zakim, Parent, Ward 6
Pedro Zara, Educator
Dena Zakim, Student, Ward 6
Lily Zhou, Parent, Ward 3
Signatories share why these SWW teaching positions are so important:
A theater program is an essential part of any quality education, how is it possible that the DC Council's would allow it to be completely eliminated from our school? China is the United States' greatest rival - teaching Chinese to our kids is one of the best ways we can prepare them for a competitive future. It's a smart investment, not a novelty.
Access to language and theater education opens doors to new worlds to our students and they're essential to a comprehensive education. All students in DC should have access -- all school faculty positions must be fully funded across the city, at SWW and everywhere else.
Adequately funded schools should be a top priority for the DC government. Anything less is a shameful disservice to its youngest citizens and a disservice to the entire city.
All DC students deserve a fully funded educational experience. Prioritize education!
All kids need a well-rounded education - these programs that are being cut teach critical skills students need to thrive
Although my child is not personally affected by the current cuts, I am a pediatrician practicing in the city and have many patients who have had and currently participate in the theater program at Walls. Adolescence is a critical time period and having a full breadth of experiences within the school allows for healthy youth development and connectedness to community and trusted adults. We should be adding resources to our high schools not removing them !
Arts and languages are key for education
As a graduate from a time before either of these studies were an option, I am saddened to hear that DC would remove these positions. China represent the greatest challenge to the current economic systems, and having students who not only understand Chinese policy and governance but also can SPEAK the language will do wonders for our ability to work with a growing Chinese government in the years ahead. Students who understand Chinese will have job prospects that I could only imagine in the fields of engineering, trade, policy, and economics. No as someone who supports the arts, SWW did not have a robust program when I was a student. We had to make our own. The theater and arts are important for creating a well-rounded education, and for understanding culture and diversity in a way that other fields simply cannot teach. School shouldn't be only about STEM - students need arts, music, and theater to truly unlock their academic potential and become well-rounded contributors in society.
As an arts educator I am aware of how significant theatre arts are to the development of communication skills, public speaking, teamwork, emotional intelligence, and appreciation for the classical as well as contemporary art form for the expression of ideas, the celebration of the language arts, and for ways of dramatizing historical and current events. ESL students gain fluency with the English language through rehearsal and repetition of the text. Students can gain self confidence and poise. Opportunities for social interaction in this framework can also help to increase acceptance and inclusion for those of other cultural backgrounds. Dramatic arts helps to inspire creativity and self expression. My own experiences performing dramatic works in a safe, small class environment helped me to learn how to overcome my shyness and to express myself in my other classes and eventually to project my speech clearly in large groups and with conducting classes for 26 years. Hands-on learning experiences are the most effective methods for transmitting knowledge to DC students. If you were to reflect on your own educational memories, I am positive that the performing arts would be prominent in your recollections. If you did not act in a play, you most likely remember the performances of your peers. For these reasons I believe you should find a way to restore the budget cuts.
As parent as well as a former college professor and a NASA recruiter, I look for students, interns and graduates that have well rounded experiences. Although I am an engineer, I preach of the importance of STEAM which includes that A for the arts. The exposure to a large portfolio of experiences contributes to training individuals with skills that can approach challenges with a different perspective. Their solutions are likely innovative and unique ultimately helping teams to come up with the best solution.
As you know, SWW was just named the #1 public school in DC and it is this way because of its dedicated and strong teachers. Their importance to the school cannot be overstated and their role is crucial to its continued success.
At a time when so much focus is placed on attendance and motivating students to come to school, taking away trusted educators and programs that make them feel connected is the type of action that weakens that attendance.
Cutting the theatre arts and Chinese language positions will once again destabilize SWWHS. Following years of upheaval, this year, we as a community, finally began to feel more settled. Now we face another year of instability ahead.
Both of my children have taken Chinese since middle school and it would be a huge loss to them, to the school and the district to cut one of the few high school Mandarin programs in DCPS.
Bridge the gap, and improve education system in DC.
Chinese is a required language in the upper school of Oyster-Adams. Having the Chinese program at SWW has been vital to realize the investment DCPS and our family has made to her learning to master this language which will be vital to her future and that of others in her classes.
Chinese is one of the most important languages in the 21st Century, and should be maintained in a top public school in the nation’s capital. The theater program is essential in not only providing instruction, but also building community at Walls.
Creating well rounded students
DC government must prioritize fully funding our teachers and schools, equitably and responsibly. Walls is a top performing school across the country and a model of integration and performance for the city. Consistent funding for a diverse range of programs and offerings as diverse as our student body is critical for our school community to thrive. Our family values a school that has drama, music, performing arts, foreign languages, Latin and so many opportunities to stretch and grow our young people. M know these offerings are what make our
DC has been working towards improving our classrooms for decades. One way they have progressed is through Language program, science, music and art as they are part of our culture shared globally and locally. If we cannot invest in our children, our future, we will remain lost and last on the list of educational systems worldwide. This is one of DC's premier secondary education institution. This should be a crime to cut our cities educational funds. Our population is under 700K, if all the places in the United States we should be producing the best students, with no limit of academic exposure. Shame on the DC Mayor and her administration for these cuts. This failing of our students will be her legacy.
DC needs to fully support arts and special education- including language - programs. This is not an area we should reduce funding for!
DC owes our students a complete educational experience including the performing arts and world languages. Please fund!
DC passed a law to create stability in school funding. However the Council choses to interpret the language, that was the intent. Cutting staff that eliminate entire academic programs at a high school is the opposite of stability. It’s a broken promise to teachers and students that will undermine education in the District.
Diversity in Language Offerings -- as a member of the AAPI community I strongly believe that doing away with the Chinese Program is detrimental to the diverse student body we represent as a school and as a district. The theatre program gives the outlet that our students need for their many mental health benefits
Every student should have the opportunity to study language and the arts. To lose Chinese and theater arts would be a travesty.
For both of my children, one of the main selling points of prioritizing School Without Walls among the various selective high school options was the ability to continue with Chinese. DCPS has helped nurture a love of languages and an appreciation for becoming multi-lingual in my kids, and both are currently trying to reach AP Chinese while at School Without Walls. They are rightfully asking us whether that is now impossible because of this funding cut, and what can be done. Without question, the budget decisions impact my kids' college readiness and also reduce some of the excitement for learning that their DCPS language instruction has helped cultivate. It occurs to me that the leadership at School Without Walls encourages kids to "demand their education". That this quality is part of what makes a Walls kid. I believe that our kids asking to continue to take Chinese is an entirely reasonable demand, but unfortunately, it's not they can just make happen on their own. Council needs to step up.
Global competencies - including the solid acquisition of world languages and intercultural exposure - are key in today's workforce and world. Retaining language teachers is now all the more critical since School Without Walls HS's ability to host (AFS) exchange students from other countries and cultures has been curtailed.
Good schools keep families in DC. SWW offers DC students opportunities unmatched in the city, and even the region. Theater and foreign languages are a critical part of this experience, and contribute greatly to SWW’s exceptional education. DC kids should continue to have these opportunities at SWW!
Have you ever heard of a high school without a theater arts program? What do you say to the students for whom that activity is a central part of their high school experience? What do you say to the students who have studied Chinese for a number of years and now won’t be able to continue with that language? Sorry, pick another. The DCPS HQ has jammed SWW beyond capacity and now wants to cut two positions thereby increasing the average class size. Really?!? Did they think this through?
Having taught many times at SWW I know that the teachers are the bedrock of the all the wonderful parts of Walls that make it such a great school.
Having these teachers stay is so important. Especially since our drama teacher is also a special education teacher and that is very necessary to have in this school.
How can we be the best without chinese or performing arts departments.
I am a current freshman at a DC private school and I’m transferring to SWW for the rest of high school. This year. I started to take Chinese, and I enrolled in SWW under the impression that there should be a Chinese program. I planned on taking it for all of high school and now I have to totally rethink what I want to focus on, since I was so passionate about Chinese when I started it. Chinese was the only non- European language offered at Walls and I’d expect for diversity from world languages at SWW.
I am a former art and drama teacher. My love for the arts is endless! It is imperative to keep the arts in our schools. Arts are like water to flowers . Our flowers( students) can only flourish with the arts!
I am a graduate of the SWW class of 2021 who not only studied Chinese throughout all four of my years at Walls, but also actively participated in the theater program as it was being founded. Both of these opportunities were invaluable to my personal and academic development, continuing to support me to this day. As I go into my senior year at university, I am pursuing a degree on Communications, with a concentration in media production, and a minor in Chinese. With Communications, I have been learning how to integrate media into theatrical productions using lighting and projection design, something I intend to pursue professionally post-grad. It is while participating in the SWW theater program that I learned about theater tech and production; without the leadership of Ms. Z, I would have never discovered this passion of mine. Furthermore, the support of the amazing Chinese language program at Walls inspired me to continue studying the language into my undergraduate career. I am now at an advanced level of Chinese and was given an opportunity to combine my interests by helping to translate for Chinese lighting designers working in US theater. As a school, Walls’ goal has always been to encourage students to work outside of the box, yet the defunding of these positions will remove two of the more unique programs the school has to offer. Without the access to Chinese and theater teachers at Walls, I would be on a completely different path in life. In being able to participate in theater and learn Chinese at SWW, I discovered passions and skills that expanded my worldview and will allow me to work in a field I love.
I am a proud graduate of the SWW Class of 2023. SWW teachers are the best and the business-- and set me up for success in college and career.
I have 2 graduates that chose careers in the theater arts. I know their experiences at Walls solidified their choices. I would hate for future students to miss that opportunity.
I have a junior and a freshman currently attending Walls. The drama, visual and musical arts are a critical part of their education. These spaces provide opportunities to exercise their brains, open up their minds, make connections across curricula and connect with a diverse group of students.
I have been doing theatre my whole life, and it will be good to have a constant in my life.
I have just started taking Chinese this year, and was nervous to see how difficult it would be. It is a hard language to learn, but my current Chinese teacher makes it fun and helps me to understand the things that I may not. I really want to continue taking Chinese throughout my time at Walls, and taking that chance away from me and other students would be upsetting. My friends take Drama, and although I am not in that class myself, the plays and opportunities that I have heard about through other people sound amazing.
I love theater, the teacher at Walls who taught it encouraged me to break out of my shell and network and connect with other students. She is the reason for who I am today.
I noticed how these experiences helped shape the careers of some of my peers, and what it did for their individuality.
I took a public speaking class with Ms. Z and it was one of the best, most engaging, and useful classes that I took at Walls. Removing her from the school would be a disaster for the SWW community. The drama program which puts on many excellent performances each year would become a lot less organized and capable to do what it has been able to with Ms. Z.
I whole heartedly owe the direction my life took to the teachers at School Without Walls. They are responsible for more successes of alumni then they can ever imagine. Do not penalize the single most important aspects of our children’s lives.
Sincerely,
Nehemiah Dixon III
Senior Director for Programs and Community Engagement
The Phillips Collection
I wrote a detailed letter two weeks ago approx (on how at 14 my oldest was our guide in China for two weeks, ordering meals, dealing with taxi cabs, hotels, etc. We were the only family traveling without a guide thanks to his knowledge of Chinese; his loe for Asian cultures took him to Korea where he worked for 2 years; my second greatly benefitted from his public speaking class. He has just received the Biology Medal from Georgetown in part due to his presentation skills, which are outstanding, at the senior project posters session.
We live in Ward 3, however, it is my belief that what my children received at Walls should be available to all students at Walls, studnets who come from all eight wards (BTW still today my children have friends from wards 4, 7 and 8, they attended my second child's graduation reception and it was beautiful to see them enjoy each other company, despite their different backgrounds, or perhaps because of their different backgrounds!).
If DC can afford to build little pools that serve 25 people for 2 months of the year, it can definitely afford to FUND SCHOOLS. Bad schools are bad for DC — families and the tax base will leave.
In order to be a top school in the District, or continue to be highly rated nationally, School Without Walls needs to offer classes such as Chinese and theater. That these two programs, especially Chinese, are the ones selected for elimination also demonstrates a lack of visionary leadership and inadequate understanding of what is needed to be a quality school by the administration.
In the time of high mental crisis on students
.. including anxiety self esteem and connection, theater has proven many students including my daughter and five of their friends to get confidence, expression and friendship.
The friends she made and confidence of learning communication through acting helped her overcome many fears and have deeep connections.
Study after study phase show the importance of the right and left brain connection especially in the more digital monotone experience.
As a successful executive women engineer, I would totally hire someone with any theater experience shows communication and collaboration and team accountability. This isn’t accounting the brain development that continues u till kids are 25. I feel this is very short sides and hurts our children’s happiness and health I. The long run Investing in education is investing for a healthy future for our students and our country
It is important because our children need a great school to go to with great education. There is an academic rigor that is underlying in School Without Walls and we wish to maintain those teaching positions.
It is very important to keep all faculty positions to ensure that Walls continues succeeding at its mission.
It saddens me that only basic education is a standard in our nations' capital. Cutting these positions sends a message to our children that only rote and academic education matters. All of the students at Walls talk about the upcoming cuts and allowing these positions to be eliminated sends a powerful and negative message to them. Please reconsider.
It what makes school with walls offering a diverse educational environment
It’s important for the children to be well versed. Mandarin is a great language to learn
It’s important to maintain the high standards of SWWHS
Learning a language is the way into understanding a culture. If we want to live in a less fragmented world, we must understand each other.
Maintaining funding for all public schools is critical. School officials should spend their time enhancing the education of our children and future community members not having to plan cuts in staff.
Maintaining teaching positions for language and the arts is key to ensuring that SWW continues to provide well-rounded curricula offerings for it's students and ensure that they are well positioned to compete for higher education.
Ms. Z and the acting classes were an amazing opportunity for my son to work outside of his comfort zone. She challenged him in ways that helped him to grow as a student and a young man. She truly cares about her students and takes the time to get to know and support them.
Music was the core experience that made my experience at Walls worthwhile. It quite literally saved my life. Every student deserves an equitable opportunity to experience the arts and languages that School Without Walls offers.
My child has been learning mandarin daily for the past 5 years at her current school. She’d like to continue it at SWW.
My child has spent years learning Chinese and we feel it is important to continue learning Chinese to a more advanced level. The fact that DC had public schools that offer Chinese is one of the reasons we chose to live in DC.
My child loves math and science, but chose SWW because she did not want a STEM school - she wanted a broader education, and equally important, she wanted to be around and make friends with students with other, diverse interests. She succeeded, and has friends who are devastated at the thought of losing the theater and Chinese language programs. SWW is a jewel of the DCPS system that serves all 8 wards. Under the current formula, it cannot regain these positions without increasing enrollment, which is not possible - the building is beyond capacity as it is, and its location on the GW campus is key to that partnership (another reason my child and her friends chose the school). Please protect these valuable teachers and curriculum.
My daughter has been in Chinese program since elementary school and most recently at Deal middle school. She just recently returned from Taiwan. We chose Walls as our #1 pick specifically for the Chinese program. There was no other dc high school that offered it other than Jackson Reed which is very far from our home. We recently found out that the Chinese is no longer an option after rigorous interview process and denying other HS that we were accepted into. My daughter is distraught and wants to withdraw but afraid that she can't enroll in her 2nd choice which does not offer Chinese either. In the state of America, the Chinese program should never be removed as it is very important for our children to learn to speak it, read it and understand as much as possible. These kids want it and we need it. Walls is offering Larin Spanish and French. Chinese should most definitely be in the top 2 languages. I hope the council recognize the importance of this ask.. is a NEED not awant or nice to have. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter!
My daughter has studied Chinese for five years with DCPS and will have no opportunity to continue if these cuts are made. School plays are a very important way to build community and involve so many students. The theater program would be a huge loss.
My daughter has wanted to be an actor since she was 10 years old. Despite other options outside of DCPS, she chose to attend School Without Walls because she wanted a well-rounded education at a public school with a good academic reputation. She knew there were better schools for a theater nerd like her, but she also knew that Walls had a dedicated and hard-working performing arts teacher. This teacher serves as a coach and mentor for the theater kids at Walls; if this budget passes, she, and the theater program, will be gone. Programs like performing arts and mentors like this one are what keep kids like mine coming to school.
In the Washington Post, last year, the Deputy mayor for education Paul Kihn stated that “kids that have a strong relationship with somebody, a mentor, someone that loves them and cares about them at school are much more likely to be in school and attending school.” All kids need a caring adult who challenges them and provides safe spaces to experiment and fail. When students are bored and not challenged, they are more likely to skip school, act out, and get into trouble.
If your goals are to create environments where students want to attend school, feel valued, enjoy learning, demonstrate empathy and respect toward one another, and excel academically then putting schools first must include funding these options.
My daughter is a Freshman. She did not know this before attending Walls, but she loves Chinese. She found something that brings her joy. I do not want her to lose out on an opportunity to explore more of this passion. In addition, we found that she also enjoys the arts. Both language and arts provide a perfect balance for my child and I do not want to see her grades and overall balance of academics suffer because of this budget deficit.
My daughter is an alumnus of SWW and was successful there because of the quality of the teachers.
My daughter is currently taking Chinese at SWW, she planned to take it all 4 years so that she can master the language and use it help US Government as Chinese interpreter. Now with the school budget falling short she is jeopardy of losing her dream of mastering the Chinese language. Please consider looking back into sww and see how much the students will lose if they teachers aren’t funded.
My daughter thrives in Mandarin and is being considered for positions within policy and intelligence programs due to her Chinese studies through the rest of her high school career. The loss of the Chinese language program would be detrimental to her future and is a fantastic opportunity for her to broaden her horizons academically.
My daughter took multiple theater classes with Ms Z and she got her to open up, try new things and get out of her shell. Her friends participated in the plays from performing to working backstage which exposed them to a lot of different skill sets. Please fund this important position.
My daughter, Class of '23, received an excellent, well-rounded education at School Without Walls. This included four years of Chinese and being a part of stage crew for the incredible plays that the theater department put on every year. It is vital for SWW students and all students to have classes in these areas to help balance the overemphasis on STEAM. Please help preserve the incredible programming offered by the Foreign Language and Arts Departments at School Without Walls. Thank you!
My granddaughter is beginning to speak fluent Chinese. She has taken this class since early years. She exels in this course and it would be a gross waste of all these years to do down the drain and try and learn a new language.
This school had been ranked one of the top schools and she worked hard to get in based on the Chinese program that you don't have lots of in the district of Columbia.
Chinese is a very important language that should be at the top of the list for educating our kids. Please please please give the extra money to find this school. It will not be the top school of not. Theatre is also very important the arts to have dc children an opportunity like all of their counterparts schools. Thank you
My older son just graduated from NYU Shanghai as a direct result of taking Chinese at SWW. In this global economy we need to give our children a competitive advantage to thrive
My oldest daughter is a junior at School Without Walls. We chose Walls vs private school for her because we believe in public education. Walls is not only the top public high school in DC academically, but it also has a strong arts program. Post pandemic, we believe it has been clearly proven what the arts bring to society. Kids are more stressed than ever, and in this high performing academic environment, access to the arts is a necessary component to the all around success of students. Our daughter has participated in the theater program for the last few years. She has had roles in the school musicals and had the opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center. The experience of working on a team to create a beautiful piece of art has been such a wonderful experience for her. It has raised her confidence and given her the ability to work with others for a common goal.
My rising 9th grade student from Deal Middle School wishes to complete three more years of Chinese language studies at Walls - to be used longterm in her science career.
My rising senior has studied the arts throughout their career at Walls and will study AP Art next year. The arts program the school offers is integral to this highly creative student body, and helps many students, such as my own, deal with the mental and social stresses that accompany high school.
My son is a sophomore at SWWHS and has been taking Chinese for two years here. Losing his teacher due to insufficient city funding is undercutting all the hard work he’s done. The draw to staying in the city and sending my son to this school was the quality education he would receive here at this nationally ranked school. Now that he may not receive the required four years of a foreign language that this school offered when he was accepted it makes me think we made the wrong decision to stay living in the city and we’ll definitely be rethinking our future for my daughter. I hope that you provide the funding that’s required to keep the current teachers on staff and not let our children down.
My son, a graduate of SWWHSA, says we can teach a child in DC to be a diplomate or send them to jail. The choice is ours. A strong SWWHSA is the right choice.
My son, Derek’s teachers Ms. Z and Ms. Song were attentive and excellent teachers. (He got a high score on his AP Chinese exam because Ms. Song prepared him very well!) Most importantly, in autumn, he will go to a TOP NATIONAL UNIVERSITY because of the HIGH QUALITY education he received at Walls HS with its roster of phenomenal teachers! Please do not cut ANY positions! Thank you.
My two children graduated from Walls and I wholeheartedly support the request for a fully staffed school. Our students deserve the best resources available and having sufficient staffing is just one important requirement.
One of the reasons that the School Without Walls was our son’s first choice was because it is one of the few schools in DC that has had a thriving Chinese language program. Our son has been taking Chinese at Oyster-Adams since the 6th grade and he absolutely loves learning it. He loves it so much that he asked us to sign him up for additional Chinese lessons online with a school in Beijing (which we did). Another reason our son really loves Walls is because of the extra-curricular activities. For example, this year as an 8th grader, our son was the lead in the Oyster-Adams school musical. He has been participating in school plays since he was in the 6th grade and was excited to continue his engagement with the theatre opportunities at Walls.
We have been disappointed to hear that DCPS has cut these two teaching positions at Walls. We want to make the strongest case possible to the DC Council of the importance of maintaining these incredibly relevant academic resources at School Without Walls. Our son and his friends at Oyster who were accepted to Walls feel similarly about the possible loss of these resources.
We know that Walls has so many other wonderful academic and extra-curricular offerings from which we know our son will benefit. However, we hope Walls is able to retain the resources that make it such a valuable school in DC. Thank you.
Our daughter attended SWW and graduated in 2023. While at SWW, they enrolled in Mandarin Chinese classes, and was able to take all of the classes in that language, and also take two years of French. Our daughter is preparing to participate in a study abroad program in Taiwan through their college. None of this would have been possible without the Mandarin language instruction at SWW. Similarly, our daughter also participated in stage crew. Cutting arts funding and teaching positions will impact SWW’s ability to put on theater productions, to the detriment of the SWW community.
Our daughter has benefited immensely from her SWW education, and we want to ensure that these opportunities continue to be available to current and future students.
Our daughter has invested 5 years in studying Chinese. As a rising 9th grader, she chose SWW over her other options not only for its high academic standards, but specifically so that she could continue with her study of Chinese.
Our daughter has taken Chinese for three years in DCPS and loves it. Please let her keep learning!
Our daughter is a 9th grader and completing Chinese 3. If the teaching positions aren't funded she will not be able to continue Chinese and will either have to repeat Spanish since she took the Spanish AP exam in middle school or start a new language. She has been studying Chinese since 5th grade and faces losing the opportunity to take Chinese 4 and AP Chinese.
These budget cuts have real impact on real people...the teachers, students, parents, and the entire school community. I sincerely hope the Council can find a way to restore the 2 teaching positions at SWWHS.
Our daughter is thriving in her Chinese class and hoping to achieve proficiency in the next few years. If this program is cut it will significantly derail her educational plans and deprive her of an opportunity where she has already infested much time and effort.
Our drama program contributes greatly the personal, social, and academic growth of students. Walls students need creative outlets to complement their academic rigor. We should provide every opportunity to our students to help them become healthy, well-rounded individuals. Don't short change our students!
Our school should not have lost any teachers, let alone two. Schools need full funds to do all the jobs asked of them during these still-troubled times.
Our son's involvement in the theatre program this year has added incredible enrichment to his education. Losing the faculty responsible for this program would seriously limit his education and possibly his future academic options. Please support full funding for the faculty positions as School Without Wall High School.
Our two children attended SWWHS and studied Chinese. It was so important to their academic development. Also, because there are no sports facilities, theater and public speakings were key to both of them.
Performing arts gives the school a soul - a creative outlet for the students! As for languages, colleges require language mastery by our students and Mandarin is one of the most spoken language in the world - we are hamstringing our school/students by not offering the class.
Please help to maintain the high standards and great educational opportunities at SWW.
Promotes diversity in thought and arts as well as opportunities for a variety of students to participate in school community.
School quality is about teacher quality and staffing. We are thrilled to join SWW with an incoming 9th grader and know the drill how you have to advocate with DCPS for resources.
School without walls already has limited options for non-core classes. The budget cut further reduces language and theater arts which is unacceptable and will impact future student recruitment. Walls has a model that is very successful as the #1 school in DC. Why make a change that would have such a profound impact on the school? There isn’t any ‘fluff’ at the school - I urge elected leaders to use this opportunity to fully support our students and re-prioritize the budget.
School Without Walls already lacks appropriate high school facilities in the way of a gym, sports fields, an auditorium, lockers, etc... Our kids should not also be denied these valuable classes.
School Without Walls is the pride of the DCPS system. It provides a reason for students to achieve in middle school in the hope of attending Walls. Cutting Walls' budget and forcing it to lay off students would hurt the city far more than it would help this year's budget.
School Without Walls was a critical part of my teenage educational experience and I would love for that opportunity to continue to be available to the bright young minds all over Washington DC. SWW is unique on how it brings intelligent, motivated students of all backgrounds from all over the city together to learn and propels themselves for a successful future.
Son wanted to have 4 years of Chinese Language on his transcript for college applications
Students deserve access to a well-rounded education at SWW.
SWW and more specifically the theater and creative writing programs saved a young troubled teen, gave me hope and purpose and is a leading cause of my success as a parent and member of society. Funding may be tight, but there needs be another way to save money than robbing children of a successful future.
SWW continues to teach many, many of our scholars around the City. As the #1 DC Public High School, scholars should have a variety of extracurricular activities available. These extracurricular activities are essential for college readiness and applications. If we continue to take away classes offered such as these, they will be doing a disgrace to our future Penguins.
SWW is a huge asset to the City of Washington. Please preserve its faculty and staff!
SWW is a humanities-based college prep school that is currently ranked #1 in DC. It is hard to continue to be in that position by removing a language teacher & performing arts teacher!
SWW is a very special small school in a big city environment which I cherish. Losing two teachers has a significant impact on the class offerings for my student which are already limited compared to larger schools.
SWW is and has always been just that, “Without Walls” = “No Boundaries”. It is what has always given us the cutting edge to be amongst the best in the City. Without these positions it hinders and lowers our children’s standard to one that stifles their full potential. Go Penguins🐧!!!!!!!
SWW is doing an incredible job with few resources, it is not an easy thing to do. Please don't make it even harder by cutting the Chinese and Performing Arts teaching positions!
SWW is known for the extreme opportunities provided to its students, to hamper any opportunity limits student growth. I graduated from SWW in 1980 and some of the experience I received I share to this day with friends, family, co-workers and most importantly my teenage age grandkids. Sharing with my grandkids what I did in high school sets their expectations from their schools and they have listened.
SWW is one of the best programs in the country, and should receive the support that they deserve! Let’s invest in this impactful DC school and our community.
SWW teaching positions are so important to me and my family because my niece has worked so hard for the past several years studying Mandarin. Her goals of traveling overseas and being able to speak fluent Mandarin would only make her future that much brighter. Please don't crush the dreams, waist the hard work and dedication these students have put in.
SWWalls HS gave Derek a well-rounded education, and was instrumental in him gaining applicable knowledge, which will serve him well at Georgetown U.
SWWHS is a tiny high school and yet one of the more high-performing, selective high schools in the district. The elimination of two teaching positions due to budget cuts will have a disproportionately harsher impact on this small school than on larger schools. SWWHS does not have many teaching positions beyond core subjects. As a result, the decision was made to cut the ONLY Chinese language teacher and the ONLY theater teacher. This leaves students with a much poorer academic environment, not to mention a disadvantaged position when competing for college spots in the near future. SWWHS is one of the flagship schools in the district. It should be cultivated, not suffocated. As a parent, I am tremendously disappointed with the council's decision to reinstate only $29K from the cut budget. It's insulting to the entire school community.
Taking the improv and other theater classes with Ms. Z was one of my favorite experiences at Walls! It helped me to become more comfortable with uncertainty as well as learn more about theater’s history and various forms across cultures and time periods.
Teacher positions which are student facing positions should not be cut. If we want to improve student outcomes, we need more teachers at every level and in every school, not less.
Teachers are very important in the education system. Our students need more teachers in the school
Teenagers involved in the arts have better grades, score higher in SATs and higher rates of college enrollment. Low income students are more than twice as likely to graduate from college. It is telling that the mayor proposed to end drama and the council is considering being ending this program at Walls.
Thanks to the strong language instruction my daughter has received over the years in DCPS (Deal and now SWW), my rising 11th grader aspires to continue her Chinese instruction in 1th grade and on into college. SWW is an academically rigorous and demanding school. DC Council and DCPS should be looking to augment and not decrease the funding provided to one of the city's flagship schools and our budgetary commitments should match our children's aspirations for greatness. Celebrating our student's academic successes while reducing the already limited resources is an error. A school that prepares its students for the future should include a Mandarin Chinese program. Mandarin Chinese, according to Forbes, is the 2nd most spoken language in the world. Finally, we must seek to teach and nurture the whole student. Stripping the theater arts program sends a message to already stretched and unfortunately stressed students that their local government only cares about them churning out top test scores. They expect more and their tax paying parents do as well. https://www.forbesindia.com/article/explainers/most-spoken-languages- world/91687/1
Thanks to the theater teacher, my child learned valuable oratory skills enabling him to confidently give speeches and perform in front of others. Losing the Chinese teacher would make SWW less attractive to families who's childresn have taken Chinese since Elementary school.
The arts and language programs have been such an important part of my daughter's first year at Walls
The arts and language study are what make SWW’s students informed, well- rounded and global citizens. Please send a message that this matters for all students.
The arts and languages are essential, core subjects. Every high school student in the city should have the opportunity to engage in the arts, including theater, and continue the language they have been studying since middle school. Losing the theater and Chinese language programs would be a devastating loss for SWWHS, a school that has as its mission “provid[ing] every student with a rigorous, college preparatory, humanities program that incorporates global and local resources in an experiential and interdisciplinary methodology to teaching and learning.”
The arts are critical to SWW- especially the theater program. It has helped our teen with their mental health and provided a space where they can express themselves safely and creatively. We are putting our DC students at a competition deficit for colleges without access to these programs.
The chinese program was crucial to my daughter's interest in attending Walls. She had an amazing two years of Chinese there (continuing from Oyster/Adams) and now completed her second year at Yale. The global outreach and curriculum is essential, as is the Arts program
The city needs to be investing in a well-rounded educational experience for all students in the city, including investments in arts and foreign languages. These programs aren't nice-to-haves, they are must-haves in order to prepare our DC students for future career opportunities.
The drama program was among the primary draws for my son who is coming from a middle school with a strong drama program. He also auditioned for Duke Ellington but ultimately decided that Walls would be his top-ranked school because of the broad offerings and stellar academics. We are very much hoping that the drama teacher funding can be restored. We know that many schools are facing budget cuts, including his former MS. Small schools, like Walls, often lose whole programs when a single teacher position must be cut.
The key to the success of School Without Walls is the diverse and talented student population that it draws to its doors from across the city. School Without Walls attracts these students with its stellar curriculum and faculty. While needed infrastructure improvements for SWW do not usually make the DCPS budget, the direct costs for teacher staffing and curriculum must, in order for the school to maintain its academic competitiveness as one of DC’s top-rated high school options for students from across the city. Families choose to stay in DC when it’s public school offering includes opportunities like those afforded through School Without Walls.
The language teaching position at Walls is especially important to me and many of my classmates. The language teacher set to be affected by the budget cuts is our only Chinese teacher who teaches Chinese I, II, III, IIII, and AP to SWW students. Because of the budget cuts a great amount of students will lose progress and fluency in Mandarin Chinese which is the second most spoken language in the world. Besides the real life application and opportunities this takes away, Chinese class is a community in itself here at SWW. We're a tight knit group of students and teacher, taking field trips and doing projects that connect us to the language and culture of China as well as to each other. Taking away this teacher or any other is removing both a part of Walls' community and the community it's created for itself.
The Mandarin language course was one of the top reasons why my niece wanted to attend this school. This is disheartening to know that she will not be able to learn her language choice seeing that when she was applying it was an option.
The teachers at SWWHS are inspiring and brilliant. With arts programs being cut from the curriculum it is more important than ever that we support these teachers.
The teaching staff are vital to our school's ability to offer a diverse curriculum that prepares our students for a competitive world beyond high school. DCPS should prioritize the valuable teaching staff who enrich the experiences and learning of all students.
The theater at school Without walls helped me find my friends and community in high school. I would not be who I am without these programs.
The theater department at SWWHS is excellent and despite being a small department on a shoestring budget, they have managed to put on exciting and challenging productions. As a former theater kid myself, it makes me so happy to see that in a competitive high school setting there is room for play, imagination and the thrill of the theater. Please don't take this wonderful opportunity for self- expression away from these kids.
The theatre program at SWWHS is small and mighty--so few staff work with so many students and make such a huge impact. PLEASE keep it going!
The two programs being impacted by this cut, the Chinese and Theater programs, were some of the most pivotal experiences in my academic career. Beyond their respective course content, teachers Ms. Z and Ms. Song were incredibly influential in how I got to where I am today. In Ms. Z’s class, I learned important communication skills and seriously improved my ability to step out of my comfort zone. Similarly, Ms. Song pushed me to explore a new culture, and without her teaching I would not have had the curiosity to take a trip abroad to China with my father, a trip that completely changed my outlook on new experiences. If not for these educators, I would not be half the person I am today. Losing them from the School Without Walls staff would cause a devastating blow to the educational experiences of all who walk through the buildings doors. We will not only be losing 2 fantastic teachers, but 2 passionate and loving members of the community as well.
Theater and language are not frills--they are a key part of the SWW experience, and mean so much to many students.
Theater and language arts are integral to a well-rounded education and should be available to all DC students. These areas of study should be part of the all DCPS curriculums and be fully funded in DCPS budget. Please restore funding for SWWHS Chinese language teacher and beloved theater teacher.
Theater is very important as part of social/emotional learning....and Chinese is the fastest growing minority in the surrounding DMV region so learning about it is important.
Theater program has been so wonderful for so many years
Theatre and language programs are vital to well rounded arts education that offer not only academic but arts enrichment for our students. These investments in our students are critical and must be retained.
These classes form the backbone of making our students well rounded.
These classes/teaching positions afforded me the opportunity to gain a career in foreign affairs. These classes are what set SWW apart from the others. Please continue to offer greater so greatness can change the world.
These positions are critical to the development of community at the school. The students need more than just the core courses to enrich them.
These positions are essential contributors to the SWW experience & community that attracts, unites, elevates and ultimately, grows & prepares SWW students.
These teaching positions are essential to us because I have been excelling in Chinese for 3 years, and we don’t want all of my progress to be lost. Chinese is a very important language that many people in the world speak. It would very much be a shame to see it forced out of this otherwise amazing school.
They secure quality of education for our children
Think back to *your* teen years. Was there one subject or extracurricular activity that truly sparked your enthusiasm, provided you with an invaluable creative outlet, or opened up your universe to like-minded quirky friends? How much worse would high school have been without that one special subject or cool teacher?
As stated so eloquently in the community letter, not offering such basic classes as theater arts, public speaking, or Chinese will be a turnoff for students across the city and could be a deciding factor in how they rank Walls—or whether they even apply.
This is a great school for my kids who need their teachers supported.
This is by far the best DCPS school ever. Regardless of the decade, the 70's were the best; we are some of the best students who have ever graduated. Don't destroy a legacy school that has always been a star in the school system. The money is there. Please find it. Thank You!
This is the best, non private high school in DC and maintaining it gives every parent in the city hope for a good education for our kids.
This will be the 2nd year that my daughter will be unable to take AP Chinese and complete her language requirement to graduate HS. There are also incoming freshmen that selected Walls specifically for the Mandarin language component. Mandarin is the 2nd most popular language spoken in the world. We need more American citizens with the ability to speak multiple languages proficiently. Walls is a globally focused humanities based school. The students need more options then just French and Spanish which have been taught in DCPS for decades. As the world has become more globalized within the last 50 years, Mandarin will be key language and highly sought after skillset.
Walls is a fantastic example of how public education can flourish and provide opportunity for students from every walk of life and every ward. Furthermore, SWW is a bargain for DC - it doesn't require upkeep for expensive fields, a gym, or other amenities. Please preserve these core programs, which should be essential for *every* DC high school student.
Walls is a humanities-focused school for driven, accomplished kids from ALL of the DC Wards! These kids' desire to learn and to excel should be supported with theatre/public speaking and critical language programs that make them well- rounded and set up for success in the broader world.
Walls isn't Walls without the theatre.
We are a small school where academics are prioritized, but the arts are incredibly important to any student’s education and cannot be disregarded. Ms Z was one of the most supportive and involved teachers that I had during my time at walls, with her classroom being a place where students could express themselves.
We can't stop investing in educating our young people; all types of classes make for well rounded members of society. Learning a language and participating in the arts are just two ways to broaden students' viewpoints; let's not shut them down.
We feel investing in education is critical
We have decided to enroll in SWW because of its ability to retain a quality teaching staff. This balances the deficit in facilities. I feel that the school will be hindered in its ability to attract and retain quality teachers if they do not demonstrate an ability to retain quality teachers. This will affect its reputation and national standing. Something that DC should be proud of as well.
We hope to send our kids to Wall someday, and would really like for it to maintain its rigor!
We just want to keep the teachers we already have! How can DCPS even consider chopping our theater teacher at this time when the arts and mental health are more important than ever for our kids. The District lauds its language programs but won't support them through high school? Find the funding for policing elsewhere, not the education budget.
We need a great high-school with great teachers!
We need MORE support for our children. Not LESS! Please do not minimize the needs of our children. This directly effects the entire community.
We strongly believe that arts and languages are important for our students development and ask to please reconsider allocating funds to keep all our teaching positions.
When education works, then everything works. Students need more teachers, not less.
Without language and the arts, young people are not fully educated. These disciplines play a vital role in forming our youth.