Klarinet Archive - Posting 000101.txt from 1996/02

From: Anne Vacca <AMVACCA@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Mr. Holland: Insidious Propaganda
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 1996 14:24:36 -0500

I also have seen this movie.

I wondered why the public did not come out to support the program. There
could have been a huge turnout at board meetings in the movie.

Last spring the local school board (Fulton, NY) proposed a budget where the
entire string program was to be eliminated. The public, students, former
students came out in droves the support the program. People were attending
board meetings (I must admit the person with the stopwatch was only *too*
familiar), wrtiting letters to the editor and sending letters to all of the
School Board members. The teachers really couldn't say too much to the board,
as the board does not like to be addressed by the teachers. (they think that
the teachers are there *just* to save their jobs- not to support the
exsisting programs and students) In the end the board did put the string
program back, although the music department as a whole had many cuts across
the board to save the positions.

I must say that athletics are not immune to cuts. They did have $60,000 cut
from the budget one year. The public did help to fundraise the amount. It
could be done for one year. The next year the funds went back into the
athletic program.

I don't understand why the people did not fight to keep the program. Mr.
Holland did speak at one board meeting- where were the art and drama
teachers???

A message about the importance of Arts in Education would have been
wonderful!

I read somewhere to take an administrator to the movie . I don't think that
I would. I would not want to them to get the idea that if the program is cut
I would just go home say "Oh well, I guess that I'll just go home and give
clarinet lessons." I think that arts are essential to the education of
today's youth and I would fight to keep progams in the schools.

Maybe there was no fighting for the program because it was a Hollywood
production. Hollywood- what are we going to do?

I would have liked to have heard some support from the public defending the
program myself.

The movie wasn't all bad.

I was pleased that for once in a movie the kids in the band were portrayed in
a positive light! Yeah! They were not all geeky kids with bad skin and
glasses.

I also had to laugh when the principal sits Mr. Holland down and asks: "So,
what do you know about marching band?"

Enough rambling-

Anne
AMVACCA@-----.com