Tradition, Technology Meet At Worcester Prep

Tradition, Technology Meet At Worcester Prep
Tradition

BERLIN – In 1970, Dr. Barry Tull was a young public school teacher who decided to take a chance on a little private school in Berlin.

He’s been at Worcester Preparatory School (WPS) ever since and is marking his 30th year as headmaster. In its 45-year history, the school has had just two headmasters with the other being founding Headmaster Franklin Lynch.

“I remember when we broke ground on Main Street,” recalls Tull. “We started with one little building with 11 classrooms and 113 students from kindergarten through 9th grade. I don’t think anyone expected the school to grow to what it has become.”

Today, WPS has more than quadrupled in size, amassing almost 550 students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, and its campus on the south end of Berlin’s Main Street has grown to 45 acres and has become a pristine landmark of high quality education in the community.

Sophomore Josh Bredbenner, who commutes from Seaford daily, is pictured with a milling machine at the Berlin school.

Sophomore Josh Bredbenner, who commutes from Seaford daily, is pictured with a milling machine at the Berlin school.

Moreover, 100% of WPS graduates go on to college, and over the past five years, more than $24 million in merit scholarships have been offered to the school’s graduates.

“Last year’s graduating class of 46 students got over $6.4 million in scholarship offers alone,” said Tull.

High Stakes Education

While WPS can boast staggering academic achievements, the cost of that education is something that can stop many families from even considering sending their children there.

Based on today’s tuition costs, the price tag for one student to go through WPS from pre-kindergarten all the way to graduation is more than $175,000. However, WPS’s growth and national trends point to the fact that more and more families see a larger investment in a child’s elementary, middle and high school education well worth the cost. Additionally, people who relocate to the shore from metropolitan areas, such as Baltimore, report WPS tuition is much more affordable than private schools in their region.

“I do believe that education is more high stakes than ever. There’s just no question about it,” said Tull. “There is much more competitiveness amongst families who all want their children to succeed. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, it’s just very different to the way things were when we started.”

That increased “competitiveness” may stem from the fact that colleges have raised their expectations dramatically since the 1970’s. Yet, while technological advances and changes in the culture have changed the delivery of education or perhaps even the way children are taught, Tull believes the school’s success lies in the fact that WPS offers a much more traditional curriculum.

The student body at WPS represents six counties from three states. Above, first graders are pictured working with seniors in the lower school computer lab. Submitted Photos

The student body at WPS represents six counties from three states. Above, first graders are pictured working with seniors in the lower school computer lab. Submitted Photos

“Traditional for us means that the courses that we are teaching are very similar to the classes that you have seen before,” said Tull. “Obviously, we have expanded them and technology has driven much of that.”

Tull says private schools all across the country, including WPS, took a hit in enrollment during the recession, but those losses have been stop-gapped and reversed in recent years.

In addition, during the rollout and the most heated portions of the debate surrounding the Common Core curriculum in public schools, there was a concurrent bump in enrollment in private institutions like WPS all over the country, and furthermore, a spike in the number of parents that decided to home school their children.

“We certainly had families who came here because they seemed to be not so happy about how Common Core was implemented,” said Tull. “I think some of them were looking for something much more traditional.”

Tara Becker, WPS’s Director of Admissions and Marketing is quick to point out however, that traditional should not be taken to mean old-fashioned.

Starting in fourth grade, students are required to have an iPad and the school has been at the forefront of technological advances and learning tools for students to use since the 1980’s, according to Becker. All the while a focus remains on small class sizes — the average is 16 students — and a low ratio of students to faculty members — 10 to one currently.

“We want to make sure that kids leave here knowing how to think, analyze, and speak well,” said Becker. “I think students collaborate more today and are more creative because of technology.”

Coding For Kids

Fifth grader Parker Tingle works with an iPad and the Osmo program in the lower school art room.

Fifth grader Parker Tingle works with an iPad and the Osmo program in the lower school art room.

This week, WPS participated in the Hour of Code, which is a global movement that has seen tens of millions of students all across the globe dedicating at least an hour of the school day to learning various levels of computer coding.

That instruction ranges from the very basic elements of teaching pre-kindergarteners the importance of sequencing through instructional based drawing projects or navigating through a maze with using a tiny bee shaped robots to developing complex “apps” in the upper grades.

“In pre-kindergarten, we are working with Apps on the iPad that are basic coding and the kids love playing with the beebots,” said WPS pre-kindergarten teacher Erika Phillips, who is in her first year of the position after previously being the school’s lower school technology instructor. “It just blows me away how well even 4- and 5-year-olds respond to working with this type of technology.”

Amanda Lynch, a former fourth grade teacher at the school, replaced Phillips as the lower school computer teacher this year at WPS. She says the Hour of Code program shows that students of all ages have a proclivity toward the fundamentals of computer coding.

“They have practically grown up with these devices,” said Lynch, “and they are fearless about doing the tasks because they aren’t scared about making a mistake because you can just undo them. But, even if these kids don’t go into the profession, employers will be looking for the fundamental skills that coding teaches, and that’s problem solving and troubleshooting.”

Mission Has Never Changed

Dr. Barry Tull’s office used to be one of the first 11 classrooms at WPS.

“I think they taught fourth grade in this very room,” he recalls.

He admits while there have been incredible achievements and almost wildfire like growth on the campus, he says the mission of the school has never changed.

Lower school students Ava Vane, Haris Gjikuria and Timmy Hebert working on a Lego Education WeDo project during an Hour of Code instruction on Tuesday.

Lower school students Ava Vane, Haris Gjikuria and Timmy Hebert working on a Lego Education WeDo project during an Hour of Code instruction on Tuesday.

“We are a college preparatory school and we have always tried to maintain that focus,” said Tull. “I think families are looking to provide everything they can for their children and that’s why families are looking to make the investment when kids are much younger, and, yes, it is an expensive choice. But, while a college education can’t necessarily guarantee you a job anymore, it has become the entry level requirement for a job so going to get a college degree for our families is the first goal for them.”

The debate surrounding the merits of a public school versus a private school education has existed for decades, and that debate will inevitably continue for decades to come. Technology will continue to change the delivery of children’s education and experts believe that the demands for what is deemed “college readiness” will continue to rise.

Tull believes the school’s traditional approach to education, combined with a watchful eye on our ever changing world will continue to help its students succeed at high levels.

“I think you have to have a shared philosophy between the school and the parents on what is the best way to educate the children,” said Tull, “and I’m very proud that we have that here.”

About The Author: Bryan Russo

Bryan Russo returned to The Dispatch in 2015 to serve as News Editor after working as a staff writer from 2007-2010 covering the Ocean City news beat. In between, Russo worked as the Coastal Reporter for NPR-member station WAMU 88.5FM in Washington DC and WRAU 88.3 FM on the Delmarva Peninsula. He was the host of a weekly multi-award winning public affairs show “Coastal Connection.” During his five years in public radio, Russo’s work won 19 Associated Press Awards and 2 Edward R. Murrow Awards and was heard on various national programs like NPR’s All Things Considered, Morning Edition, APM’s Marketplace and the BBC. Russo also worked for the Associated Press (Philadelphia Bureau) covering the NHL and the NBA and is a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter and composer.