Klarinet Archive - Posting 001298.txt from 1998/04

From: exner@-----. Exner)
Subj: Re: budget cutbacks
Date: Thu, 23 Apr 1998 19:28:20 -0400

On Wed, 22 Apr 1998 22:09:39 -0500 (CDT) Roger Garrett
<rgarrett@-----.edu> writes:
>On Wed, 22 Apr 1998, Jason Hsien wrote:
>> Most schools will provide shoes for sports, unless
>> student opts to get their own, socks, and obviously the school
>provides the
>> instrument unless the person opts to use their own, similar to how
>football
>> players get their helmets from school
>
>There are some problems here Jason. The shoes are almost never
>provided
>by the school. That is a fact!
>
>Beyond that, the school does not often provide flutes, clarinets,
>oboes,
>alto saxophones, trumpets, trombones, or percussion mallets.......
>
>
>> Now, I can understand why people can get angry because of my support
>of
>> athletic programs over music programs. Yes, I love music, but I am
>trying to
>> be rational. Instead of thinking of schools as simply places of
>education,
>> think of them as small businesses. Athletics is a great public
>relations
>> device. So is music, but which one seriously makes a bigger punch?
>Which one
>> is the student body more likely to support? ("Sports Jocks vs Band
>Geeks")
>> Which one has a stronger student base?
>
>I'm sorry, but the rationale is just not very plausible......a school
>as a
>place of business and not justa a place of education? You may be
>thinking
>of some universities....and that would be true. But such a thing is
>not
>common for public schools. That's why they are called public
>schools.....they are funded by public tax dollars - parents who wish
>their
>children to be educated by an educational facility.....not a business.
>
>
>> I am always open to different points of view, and I will defend my
>points,
>> but I do ask that you try and keep an open mind about the subject. I
>will do
>> the same.
>
>I have an open mind Jason....and I can appreciate your point of view.
>I
>can also understand why you would support the athletic department
>first -
>but let's not take it to mean that public schools should be run as
>businesses as well......that a child's music education.....as poor as
>it
>is right now in the U.S.......should take a back seat to a business?
>
>It's enough to make me cry.
>
>Roger Garrett
>IWU
>
>Sorry to tell you, Roger, but the school system I teach in doesn't even
call schools schools anymore--they are now "cost centers." You bet it's
a busines.

Jill E.