An administration's decision to remove a music program from normal school hours may seem reckless. School administrators face outside pressures as well. A recent GAO report on access to arts education mentions two, with the first being most likely:
- Decreased state or local funding.
- Competing demands on instruction time.
These factors lead easily to trade-offs, with the principal often being the one who makes the final decision. As the GAO study mentions—in the context of an "inventive" solution to scheduling woes—after-school instruction appears to offer an easy way to fulfill their obligations.
Your challenge in saving your core, school-day program, is to provide solid evidence of music's value to the community. MENC member Michele Kaschub says, "Teachers need to be proactive in this battle - and should always assume that there is a battle to be staged."
Your local conditions should be taken into account, but one proactive approach is an "educate parents" campaign. Preparing a handout can be useful in communicating with parents. Be honest about the pros and cons so they can come to their own decision. Their support can scale into solid evidence for the school board in huge ways.
In the next installment, surviving the squeeze.
Related Resource—Government Accountability Office Issues Report on Student Access to Arts Education (PDF). Available as highlights or a full report.
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MENC member Michele Kaschub, Ph.D., is an associate professor of music education at the University of Southern Maine, School of Music, Gorham, Maine. She is also currently president-elect of The Maine Music Educators Association.
— Paul Fergus, April 2, 2009, © MENC: The National Association for Music Education (www.menc.org)