Last month, Blair received a lot of attention in local news, and not for the best reasons. After the shocking murder of freshman Tai Lam on Nov. 2, the Nov. 11 in-school stabbing incident and the off-campus accidental shooting of Dimitrios Philliou - stories that otherwise probably would not have gotten much play outside of Blair - were reported in the media and tied to the school and Lam�s death.
An increased use of statistics in regards to achievement has led to frustration among some teachers.
The Magnet program will lose an unspecified number of positions and some teacher planning periods next year due to MCPS budget cuts, according to Magnet Coordinator Dennis Heidler. The changes have led to an outcry among several Magnet parents and teachers. Parents have been communicating their dissent on a Magnet list serve, and several teachers have expressed their intention to leave the program.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) budget cuts as a result of the county's $400 million deficit could lead to Magnet courses and teacher positions being eliminated next fall, according to Magnet Coordinator Dennis Heidler. The Board of Education will vote on the fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget Feb. 5 and send their proposal to the county executive on March 1.
In an effort to phase out evening classes, Blair began offering High School Plus courses Sept. 11 to students in the classes of 2010 and 2011, according to Assistant Principal James Short, the lead High School Plus administrator for Blair.
In order to avoid potential budget problems caused by excessive paper use, the administration is encouraging teachers to order copies through an off-site MCPS program called Copy-Plus, according to Business Manager James Funk.