Klarinet Archive - Posting 000748.txt from 2001/05

From: "Marty Josephson" <marty@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Music education goals
Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 14:55:15 -0400

>
> I doubt that school districts in general could provide mandatory
> education in _all_ of the arts at once. This is why, of course, many
> schools have a requirement for art of some sort, but the student is
> allowed to choose which one.
>
>
Well, there you have it. I have been very involved in the public education
process in my area. Your observation is exactly the argument that comes
before either school boards and the boards' budgetary committees. Many
municipalities are under state mandated budgetary constraints. The money is
not there to fund many programs that we would like to see. Music programs,
foreign language programs, and art programs suffer. Science labs and
libraries are ill equipped. Furthermore, the budgets for sports has also be
slashed in my area. We see some schools not having sports programs, or
multiple schools pooling their resources and students to form teams. The
reduction is music programs is not due to the insensitivity on
administrators, it is money. If you want to become enlightened on this
subject, I urge you to go to your school board budget meetings and listen to
what is going on. Read your district's budget. Also, take a look at the
increase in the money now being spent on those programs that were
traditionally left to families-drug and sex education, social work, truancy,
etc. and you will see where the money is going. I am not arguing that these
programs are not needed, but they take to money from education programs that
we would all like to see in our schools.

Marty

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