Teachers want more walls and less open space | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

As Sean Swanson started to lecture, a louder, fuller-voiced Meghan Humbert followed suit. Both of their talks melded into gibberish as they as they tried to talk over each other.

"This isn't a far-fetched example of what it's like to teach at Old Mill," Mr. Swanson said.

The pair's plea to wall in their noisy, open-space classrooms was one of a handful voiced by teachers, parents and students on Tuesday night, the second of two hearings on interim Superintendent Nancy M. Mann's capital and operating budgets.

A contingent of students also turned out for school board members to fund the Advancement Via Individual Determination program, which encourages middle-of-the road students to take higher-level classes.

Mrs. Mann, who attended the meeting along with seven school board members, has proposed adding seven more teachers and a manager for advanced placement and the AVID program, which students like Severna Park Middle School eighth grader R. J. Sullivan said has been priceless.

He used to be an B or a C student. Now he's getting As and Bs and taking Algebra I, a high-school credit class.

"I'm very focused and I stay on task," said R.J. "And I don't talk when the teacher's talking."

Glen Burnie High School Athletic Director Bruce Sider, also president of the county Coaches Association, asked board members to hire athletic trainers for every county high school. Proposals have been given to school officials for several years, only to be ignored, he said.

Marlene Kelly, the school system's coordinator of athletics, said about eight schools are able to find trainers, mostly for events. Her $108,000 proposal to put trainers at all 12 high schools for practices and games was not included in this year's budget.

"What price are we putting on the health and well-being of our student-athletes if we're not funding trainers?" said Cindy Thompson, a Glen Burnie High parent.

Others pushed to keep $145,000 in planning money to launch a middle school International Baccalaureate program in the 2007-08 school year, and $544,000 for 10 more teachers for English for Speakers of Other Languages and related expenses.

Those in favor of building classroom walls came out in force, asking school board members to replace their flimsy partitions. As several pleaded to the school board, they asked about two-dozen supporters to stand up, some holding signs that rallied for their cause.

Chances are they'll get what they asked for. Mrs. Mann set aside $3 million for walls and partitions in schools district wide next year, ranking it eighth among a set of 32 tasks in the $113 million capital budget.

"It is a big issue," said Tricia Johnson, the school board's vice president. "I don't know what they were thinking when they built open classrooms."

Workers finished installing temporary office partitions in the county's 34 open space schools, whose lack of walls grew from a 1970s educational philosophy of fostering cooperative learning and social interaction between classes.

The money slated for next year is the first in a multi-year program to build permanent walls in the open space schools. But it will take years to build them. Three million dollars has been budgeted each year through 2012, and the program will likely continue beyond that.

Tim Mennuti, vice president of the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County. said Teachers largely support Mrs. Mann's budget, which includes money to reduce teacher workload. He called on board members not to make cuts.

"I want you to ask yourself, 'Which services am I cutting by taking this money out of this budget?" he said.

School board President Konrad M. Wayson said Mrs. Mann will prioritize her budget additions and forward them to board members.

"My priority in this budget is to work on teacher salary and workload," Mr. Wayson said. "That would be my focus for this budget."

The board can cut, add to or adopt Mrs. Mann's $798 million operating budget as it is to the County Executive Janet S. Owens by March 1. She'll add to it, cut it or send it as is to the County Council by May 1 for final approval.