Klarinet Archive - Posting 000589.txt from 2003/02

From: Deidre Calarco <dleigh@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] Music vs. language --- school cutbacks
Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 15:13:35 -0500

On 2/21/03 1:43 PM, "Elizabeth Berry" <MarchinCharger88@-----.com> wrote:

> Our school district has a new superintendent and he has this "great" idea
> that will help us do better on our tests. We will take these little
> examinations every few weeks and when we don't get an above average score on
> them, we will be taken out of our elective classes. For me, that means
> Spanish, 2 band classes. !!! This is outrageous !!! I do not think a foreign
> language should be an elective on account of if you plan to ever graduate
> from college, you HAVE to take 4 years of a foreign language. And SECONDLY,
> they should take us out of PE or even the class that we're not doing well
> in. What about those people that are going to have a career in music? Why
> don't they just have classes that they are required to attend afterschool?
> Or do it during the lunch hour. Why are there "Save The Music!!" campaigns
> and yet they're trying to take it away from us? Our community would rather
> see our marching band go before PE classes. For crying out loud, practically
> nobody likes PE!

That stinks, but usually tests like that aren't too hard.

I sympathize with you on the foreign language thing, though. I took two
years of Latin in high school (the teacher was a native speaker :-) I was
an A-/B+ student, but got all Cs in Latin. Languages are the one thing I'm
no good at all at.

I picked my college majors (architecture and civil engineering) partly
because they didn't have language requirements. I'm not proud of having
done it, but it IS possible to get through college without learning a
foreign language. (But, I'm planning on taking one for fun at the community
college some time soon. I feel so unsophisticated only being able to speak
English...)

-Deidre

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