Despite the widespread budget cuts the county is experiencing, several new classes will be available for students to take next year, including International Baccalaureate (IB) Film Study and guitar class.
The process by which new classes are added to the curriculum is relatively simple. Possible courses are presented to the leadership team (LT), made up of department chairs, administrators and IB coordinators. The LT then takes into account a variety of factors that are related to the course, such as educational benefits, cost and potential teachers, and decides whether or not to offer the course.
Last year, IB Film Study was rejected by the LT due to its high cost. This year, the course was presented again and was accepted. Taught by English teacher Pierce Bello, IB film will give students the opportunity to analyze movies and create films of their own.
Additionally, personal finance was going to be a mandatory course for graduation for the incoming freshmen. However, according to Cindy Blakeley, the implementation of this requirement has been postponed.
“The state just released a statement saying that it will be delayed at this time, but the current seventh graders may have to take it [to graduate].”
A new course will also be offered in the music department, available because band director Paul Vesilind felt that the percussion section should be in the same class as the rest of the band. Next year, with the hole left in the schedule by percussion will be filled with a guitar class to see if there is any interest in this specialized strings class. The future of this course will be contingent on this interest.
Because of a new IB Organization requirement, IB diploma candidates will have to start taking Theory of Knowledge, previously a class solely for seniors, during their second semester as juniors. The course will continue into their senior year.
“The IBO made a demand that instruction happen over both years,” Blakely said. “The problem with this [instruction] is that the juniors will have to take it in the evening, and there is potential for conflicts between prior commitments and class time.”
Previously, new classes have been successful. This year, Marshall became the first school in Fairfax County to offer IB economics, a class that has received positive feedback.
“I have heard great things from the instructor, and some students want to take it as a higher level class,” Blakeley said.
In future years, Blakeley hopes that courses will be added to support students with sub-par reading levels.