Wootton’s Arts Legacy at Risk: Beloved Teachers Face Involuntary Transfer

March 25, 2025 – Anonymous Submission

Two senior band and theater educators are being involuntarily transferred from Wootton High School, and the decision has sparked significant concern from the students and the community.

These staff members are beyond influential to all parts of the music department, the school, and the community. The loss of these staff members will have devastating consequences and directly worsen the school. These changes will diminish Wootton’s reputation for arts excellence, affect its ability to recover from COVID-19 setbacks, and undermine its appeal to prospective students.

The loss of these beloved teachers will also severely impact the school’s connection with the local community, as evidenced by overwhelming attendance at recent theater productions and successful music fundraisers.

Additionally, the arts programs at Wootton play a crucial role in preparing students for prestigious university acceptances and scholarships. Wootton High School currently has a very credited and awarded music program through its theater, choir, band, marching band, and orchestra.

All of these groups produced high performing level musicians and performers with memories that will impact them for the rest of their lives.

Sign Petition

Please show your support by signing the petition to keep them here: https://chng.it/9rSBC9ZgdB

Show Support, Attend Theatre Production

And also by purchasing advanced tickets to Wootton’s Wizard of Oz production April 3-6, with our live pit band: https://cur8.com/23150/project/129466

In the News

A rally was held for this yesterday which was featured in the news video at Fox5DC today which you can see here.

More Info from Change.org page:

The Change.org petition reads:

“Wootton High School’s decision to involuntarily transfer two senior arts educators has sparked significant concern within our community. The loss of these award-winning teachers will have devastating consequences for the school’s Arts curriculum. These changes will diminish Wootton’s reputation for Arts excellence, affect its ability to recover from COVID-19 setbacks, and undermine its appeal to prospective students.

The loss of these beloved teachers will also severely impact the school’s connection with the local community, as evidenced by overwhelming attendance at recent theatre productions and successful music fundraisers. Additionally, the Arts programs at Wootton play a crucial role in preparing students for prestigious university acceptances and scholarships.  

We, the undersigned, urge you to do everything within your power to keep these exceptional Arts teachers.  Please find a different approach to resolving the issue, without undermining the very programs that have helped elevate the Wootton High School name.

Examples of Arts Excellence: Here is a partial list of Music awards for 2024 and 2025: All-Eastern Orchestra 2025: 6 students selected from Maryland, with 4 of them from Wootton; Wind Ensemble: Featured at the Maryland Music Educators Conference in Spring 2024; World Premiere Performance: The Women Band Directors International Association selected the Wootton Wind Ensemble to perform the world premiere of “Unwavering” in 2025; Patriot Winds: Performed as a demonstration band at the 2022 MMEA Fall Conference; Wootton Marching Band consistently earns top-three finishes in US Bands and Maryland Marching Band Association circuits, including Open Class; Placed 2nd in the 2024 Maryland Marching Band State Championships; Indoor Guard and Percussion: Indoor Guard placed 3rd in the 2024 KIDA championships; Indoor Percussion placed 1st in the 2024 KIDA championships.”

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