During the week of March 17, word spread at Thomas S. Wootton High School about staffing cuts for the 2025-26 school year. Among those involuntarily transferred to different MCPS schools were two of Wootton’s band and theater teachers, Mrs. Susan Eckerle and Dr. Julian Lazarus, among the most esteemed and influential figures for students at the school. The administration, led by acting principal Dr. Joseph Bostic, Jr., announced that budget cuts, enrollment trends and MCPS Office of Human Resources and Development guidelines necessitated the changes. However, many questions on the exact decision-making process remained unanswered, sparking frustration that community voices were not invited to the table.
Such cuts are not unique to Wootton, nor to the next academic year—similar decisions have been made across MCPS, in the past as well. However, Wootton’s accomplished arts programs viewed the undue impacts they would experience as unjust, and outrage surged in the community. Students and families alike argued that such valuable teachers—who almost single-handedly uphold the school’s band and theater programs—should not be at the top of the cut list. They raised concerns that the referenced enrollment statistics could not depict the whole picture of participation in the programs, and emphasized the level of the teachers’ dedication and the personal bonds they have established with students.
“These teachers are very important to a lot of people. They’re a lot of the students’ contacts in schools, people they go to if they’re being bullied or if they’re hurt in some way. They’re also people that you can just feel safe with,” Wootton freshman Alex Alby-Gabara said. “Without these teachers, these programs themselves would go down, and these safe places that they’ve created would just be—it would be gone, and that would cause issues for the students.” Eckerle and Lazarus are some of the only staff members students interact with yearly through the band, marching band, theater and drama programs, serving as trusted adults who teach, beyond tone production or acting techniques, life lessons, influencing students’ future paths.
As indignation grew, arts students and parents refused to sit idly by, taking various routes to rally for their teachers and the dignity of the programs as a whole. They hung posters around the Wootton building, which the administration later took down, and expressed their perspectives to the PTSA and Dr. Bostic. Students created a Discord server to convey information and craft a plan of action, as stakeholders from both theater and band united and sent countless emails opposing the transfers to school and county administrators.
Ultimately, a parent created a Change.org petition, which has amassed nearly 1600 signatures at the writing of this article, and the community planned an after-school rally across the street from Wootton for Monday, March 24th. Even the rain failed to daunt the protesting arts students and Patrons of the Arts booster group, as the marching band and color guard performed to passing cars. The rally only highlighted their fortitude and passion, engaging onlookers and powerfully appealing to the Wootton administration.
Two days later, Eckerle was offered a full time position for next year. Despite this victory, the community’s resolve only grew to fight for Lazarus. They worked to fill the house for their spring production of The Wizard of Oz, running from April 3 to 6, and have continued relentlessly lobbying the administration to address their concerns.
“Even though a lot of seniors and alumni won’t even have [the teachers] next year, I think the fact that a lot of them are still fighting for this issue shows how important [they are] to this community and how much we want others to have the same experiences we did,” Wootton senior Collin Berman, who plans to major in music education, said.
The movement has evolved into a fight to save the arts at large—a vital element in education that often passes overlooked, underestimated and underfunded compared to other areas like sports. “The arts are so important because they kind of foster an environment of learning, growth and creativity, which is all very important in the workforce,” Berman said. “You learn how to communicate better with people and learn how to talk with people more effectively. And just—not only is it fun, but it helps people gain confidence and creativity.”
“In principle, I think it’s a bigger issue than just the teachers. I think the school doesn’t do enough for our arts department in general. And I think this was a step too far,” Wootton sophomore Louis Wang said. “What would we be without the arts? Right? We would just be people who can do math and science. And art is what keeps us human.”
Amidst painful cuts and layoffs throughout the nation, as we are more divided than ever, the arts play a crucial role in healing wounds, building bridges and helping us march forward. The Wootton movement’s spirit, victory and ongoing battle—while seemingly small in the grander scheme of things—exemplify how far the arts and collective voice can reach, even in the most perilous of times.
Written by Daniela Naaman
Photo courtesy of David Wang of Wootton High School