$1,000 Chorus Class Lives!

While the MCPS Board of Education and Superintendent pretend that they are "eliminating" a large number of illegal curricular fees, the reality is that local schools will continue to charge students fees to attend public school classes for the 2009-10 school year.

On July 14, 2009, I updated the MCPS Board of Education on our family's experience being billed over $1,000 for a chorus class at Winston Churchill High School. (Please note this was a public school class where our student was receiving credit and a grade.) I brought bills from the last 3 school years showing that illegal curricular fees continue to be charged for chorus classes at Churchill HS.

In addition, for the upcoming 2009-10 school year the Churchill chorus classes will create groups of have's and have-not's. Those students that pay the illegal curricular fees will be featured in competition performances, while students that do not pay the fees will be relegated to performances for parents and other students. Both sets of students will be showing up every day and sitting in the same classroom, but with very different experiences based on their willingness to pay an illegal curricular fee for public school classes. Here is the statement I presented to the MCPS Board of Education:

Montgomery County Board of Education

July 14, 2009

One year ago this week I came before this Board with information about illegal curricular fees being charged at Winston Churchill High School. As an example, I brought with me the $1,120 Show Choir bill that our family received when our student was in the Show Choir class at Churchill.

I am back one year later to report "good news"! While the illegal curricular fees are still being charged at Churchill High School, the fee for the Show Choir classes goes down in alternate years! So the $1,000 Chorus class only exists every other year. For boys the fee to take the Show Choir class has been as follows:

2005-06 $1,120

2006-07 $ 767

2007-08 $1,022

2008-09 $ 835

The plan for the 2009-10 Show Choir fee is to continue charging the fee but EXCLUDE students that do not pay the fee from performances. For those students that do not pay the fee and purchase a costume they will sit at the side of the room and watch the other students prepare for performances. No fee = no costume = no performance.

And there is more "good news"! Students that are enrolled in the Churchill Show Choir called ShowStoppers are now able to earn Honors credit for being in this class. How does Churchill High School manage this?

While it is true that MCPS doesn’t offer an Honors Show Choir class, that problem is easily solved by changing the MCPS Course Code on report cards. Students who are enrolled in the Churchill Show Choir class known as ShowStoppers now receive MCPS Course Code 6743 for Choir – Chamber - Honors on their report cards instead of the Show Choir Course Code of 6745 which does not gives honors credit.

You will see the Course descriptions for each MCPS Course Code attached. The Winston Churchill High School Choral Music Department Student and Parent Guidebook lists the Showstoppers Show Choir as an “honors” show choir.

And finally, to show how important signing the Show Choir contract is at Churchill High School a signed contract earns each student one quiz grade with grade penalties for turning in contracts late.

Thanks for the opportunity to update the Board on the illegal curricular fees at Churchill High School.

WCHS Show Choir Bills