Elkridge Teacher Reports for Duty in Fort Meade Classroom

Teacher Manina MacAloney begins her day a bit differently than most educators.

For this Elkridge resident, there's no driving right up to the school parking lot for another day with her fourth graders. When first arriving on post, she must wait in a long line of cars to get to security, a line that's been growing with the recent transfer of personnel to Fort Meade via (Base Realignment and Closure).

Once at the security checkpoint, she must present various forms of identification to be admitted to the grounds.

"Security's tightened up since the beginning of the year," said MacAloney, who has taught for three years at Fort Meade. "But I guess that's not a bad thing."

Revolving school door

MacAloney taught at a private school before coming to Fort Meade's Manor View Elementary, and though there was no primer for teachers new to military bases, she said she learned the nuances of teaching the sons and daughters of military personnel from other teachers at the school.

"Some things are different and some the same in teaching the kids here," she said.

One major difference is the frequency with which students enroll and transfer as families travel to new posts. "There are sometimes gaps in their education as they move around," said MacAloney.

This year, MacAloney gained three new students. She lost seven as their parents were transferred to posts in Texas, North Carolina and Washington state. And among her current fourth graders are several whose parents are deployed overseas.

One positive result of these revolving door classrooms is that students are often well-rounded in their view of the world and more tuned in to current events than their off-post peers, said MacAloney.

"Though the families sometimes have different priorities as far as education," she informed, "from their experiences living in different places, the students have rich experiences to bring to the table."

Testing—it's universal

Along with March blowing in every year comes the Maryland School Assessment (MSA). MacAloney's class just completed the tests, which rate students' competency in reading, math and science.

"I'm glad the testing is over and we can go on to other things like working on reading novels," said MacAloney.

MacAloney's class has a pajama party the day after the test, when kids watch a movie in their PJs. And so happy are all involved when the testing period is over, there's a picnic for the upper grades with ball games outside where students compete against their teachers.

But even the MSAs must give way to the reality of military life. "We have students who leave right before MSA and who arrive at our school during MSA .... If they arrive during the MSA testing window, they take the test—even on their first day!" said MacAloney.

Rolling out the welcome mat

MacAloney can relate to moving around—she is a transplant too, coming to Maryland 10 years ago from upper New York state.

"I love it here, and we have great neighbors in Elkridge," said MacAloney, who moved to the Meadowridge area of Elkridge with her husband, Brenton, two years ago.

And, after attending graduate school at the University of Maryland, she's also become a Terps fan. "We try to do things local, to eat at local restaurants—and my husband is an avid Patch reader," she said.

In her classroom, she sees repeatedly the warm welcome she found in Elkridge, as her students are unfailingly friendly to any newcomers.

With new students constantly coming in, the school is now over capacity, serving approximately 650 students; next year, a new elementary school is slated to open on post.

"When we hear there's a new student coming in, well, we have more boys than girls in my class right now, so the kids all take sides hoping it's one for their side. That makes it fun," said MacAloney, who has had students fluent in Korean, Spanish and Greek.

At some time they've all been the new kid, she explained, and felt the trepidation of walking into a classroom full of strangers. They may be moving to a strange state or returning to the United States following years of living in a foreign country.

Regardless, "they are all so welcoming," said MacAloney. "I don't think that happens in other schools. They've all been in the same situations, [and] that gives them a real bond."