Klarinet Archive - Posting 000614.txt from 2002/10

From: b5w@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: [kl] ...more about music education
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2002 15:33:34 -0400

After reading the responses here about fears that my school district may
cancel all **elementary** (through 6th grade) music programs, I did some
research.

All of the following is from Education Board members and school staff
and a local civic foundation. I post this summary because a broader
perspective of what's happening in other areas may be useful to some of
you.

===================

The $200,000 that our news paper mentioned includes the 'fully burdened'
out-of-pocket cost (including health insurance, etc) for 2.5 fully
credentialled teachers who visit every local elementary school once or
twice per week, depending on the number of students. The "2.5
teachers" means that some of them work less than a 40-hr week.

Every student who is admitted to this program is loaned an instrument
unless they have their own. The program owns and maintains "hundreds"
of instruments. When I asked, "Do you mean 200 instruments?", the
chair lady replied: "Heavens, many more than that!"

Most of the lessons are given in sections, and the sections include
strings as well as brass and woodwinds and percussion and so forth.
Some lessons are given for full orchestra under the donated supervision
of the local symphony orchestra conductor and principals.

So as a starting point, it sounds as if my elementary district is better
funded for music education than many.

Funding for this program was promised (in the budget) from "categorical"
public revenues. "Categorical" is an important word because it means
that the funds exist outside of the State Dept. of Education 'general
fund'. Therefore, programs like this one can be specifically
cancelled, and they are the first place where staff looks when they must
cut something.

In mid-year (mid-budget year, that is) the State of Calif announced that
major portions of previously budgeted "categorical" education money at
the elementary level will not be forthcoming because of unexpected
recession-induced drop-off in tax receipts. The two largest
'categories' are music and librarians. Thus the elementary districts
are not expecting to be able to pay for the remainder of scheduled music
and library programs without help from outside the school budget ---
such as PTAs, private foundations, donations by credentialled teachers
of their time, donated instruments, etc.

The same for librarians. While this doesn't relate to music, can you
imagine a school without a credentialled librarian?

As part of their effort to create an endowment, a local foundation wants
to improve the existing program rather than just to salvage it. They
want to extend the program to 2nd and 3rd grades, and they want to begin
music appreciation classes as well as music performance. This will
push the annual cost up into the $300,000 - $350,000 range.

A school staff member told me that "probably" the PTA at every local
school is responsible for "at least 50% of the school's music education,
perhaps more".

=================

I'm not saying that this is either good or bad, but my eyes have been
opened recently to the extent to which the school districts are not
completely in control of all of the educational activity that occurs on
their campuses. PTAs and private foundations are selecting and hiring
fully-credentialled teachers, equipping them and equippng the students,
and bringing the education to school campuses --- because the
legislature won't pay for it.

"A librarian? No, not at this school. Sorry."

Cheers,
Bill

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