OK. There's not actually any free ice cream. Sorry about that. But people don't want to hear about the Doomsday Budget anymore. We are all weary of the fighting in the legislature and worrying about what it means for our schools. We're all busy, too, and hoping someone else will take care of the problem.
I wish it could happen that way, but does it ever?
Please take a moment to read on . . .
1. Board of Education president, Jennifer Seidel, and Superintendent Guthrie are giving us (the public) an opportunity to meet with them and learn more about this issue and how it affects our schools. We really should take them up on their offer. Learn about it. Get involved. Take advantage of opportunities to be part of the discussion. (I know. You're busy. You have a million places to go tonight. I completely understand! I'm in the same boat. Make time anyway. How can we complain later if we didn't make the time to be involved in the first place? I'll see you there!)
The meeting is TONIGHT (April 19th) at 7:00pm at Shiloh Middle School.
2. There is no doubt in my mind that music and the arts will be affected by cuts. They always are. Part of me says "Every groups needs to do their part and take one for the team, for the greater good, even music." Another part of me says "Music has already been cut and most people don't even know it. Several music teacher positions have disappeared during the past 5 years as people retired and their positions were not filled or as administrators made tough choices about staffing allocations. All of the high school programs that I know fund themselves almost completely, with very little financial support from the county." I hope that our school system officials recognize that music has already faced these cuts and chooses to look elsewhere. If our music programs have to "take one for the team" then I hope others programs will bear that burden in equal measure so that all may survive.
3. Advocacy works! If we educate ourselves about this issue and respectfully take part in the dialog, we can be part of the solution.
Come and be part of the solution with me!
Town Hall Meeting- TONIGHT at 7:00pm at Shiloh MS.
Showing posts with label music advocates of carroll county maryland MACC advocacy arts budget music education advocacy band choir orchestra teachers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music advocates of carroll county maryland MACC advocacy arts budget music education advocacy band choir orchestra teachers. Show all posts
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
What does advocacy look like?
As parents, we see the word advocacy all the time. But sometimes it is difficult to know what a parent can do. Perhaps more importantly, it's tough to know what we should do! How do we know when it's time to advocate for school music programs?
The easiest answer is . . . It is ALWAYS time to advocate for our school music programs. Why? Because we live in a culture that places the arts on the fringe. We know that when it's time for budget cuts, the arts are almost universally identified as a place for potential reductions. We also know that if we are proactive in our support for the arts, we can dramatically decrease the likelihood that music will be targeted for cuts. We can stand prepared to speak against such cuts at the earliest stages of the discussion, rather than when it is almost too late.
Being proactive as an advocate means . . .
1. Speaking positively about music with our friends, neighbors, students and teachers. Negative comments and criticisms don't build strong music programs. In fact, they usually undermine the efforts of even the best teachers. Be a cheerleader for music. If you have a legitimate concern, try to work through it with the teacher.
2. Paying attention to the decision-making processes in our school district. Most Boards of Education post their meeting agendas and minutes online. It only takes a minute to check the agenda and see whether there are issues under discussion that will affect music.
3. Asking your student's music teacher if there are areas that need advocacy. Parents don't always know all the behind-the-scenes policies that affect their child's music education. Sometimes the music teacher's hands are tied by the budget, the attitude of administrators or a fellow teacher's unwillingness to "share" students. Many times a parent can say something to an administrator that a teacher cannot. But it is important to ask the music teacher first in order to gain a clear, complete picture of what is happening at the school and how you can help.
4. Attending concerts, testifying at board of education meetings, gathering like-minded supporters on a facebook group, etc. The decision-makers in the school district are less likely to cut music if they know that there is already strong community support for keeping it in the curriculum.
5. Including advocacy materials in concert programs or as slide presentations while people are waiting for concerts to begin. There is a captive audience of fellow parents who are waiting to hear their kids make music. They probably arrived early to get a good seat. Why not use the time to educate them?
Here's a great example, created by Mr. Andrew Spang, a member of the Music Advocates of Carroll County (MACC) and a very accomplished band director. Andy created this video to be shown at a MACC meeting of teachers and parents, but he also shows it before concerts as a way to get parents thinking and talking about the value of arts education. Click the link to view it.
MACC Keynote Video
Is there more we can do as advocates? Of course! But hopefully this is a good start.
The easiest answer is . . . It is ALWAYS time to advocate for our school music programs. Why? Because we live in a culture that places the arts on the fringe. We know that when it's time for budget cuts, the arts are almost universally identified as a place for potential reductions. We also know that if we are proactive in our support for the arts, we can dramatically decrease the likelihood that music will be targeted for cuts. We can stand prepared to speak against such cuts at the earliest stages of the discussion, rather than when it is almost too late.
Being proactive as an advocate means . . .
1. Speaking positively about music with our friends, neighbors, students and teachers. Negative comments and criticisms don't build strong music programs. In fact, they usually undermine the efforts of even the best teachers. Be a cheerleader for music. If you have a legitimate concern, try to work through it with the teacher.
2. Paying attention to the decision-making processes in our school district. Most Boards of Education post their meeting agendas and minutes online. It only takes a minute to check the agenda and see whether there are issues under discussion that will affect music.
3. Asking your student's music teacher if there are areas that need advocacy. Parents don't always know all the behind-the-scenes policies that affect their child's music education. Sometimes the music teacher's hands are tied by the budget, the attitude of administrators or a fellow teacher's unwillingness to "share" students. Many times a parent can say something to an administrator that a teacher cannot. But it is important to ask the music teacher first in order to gain a clear, complete picture of what is happening at the school and how you can help.
4. Attending concerts, testifying at board of education meetings, gathering like-minded supporters on a facebook group, etc. The decision-makers in the school district are less likely to cut music if they know that there is already strong community support for keeping it in the curriculum.
5. Including advocacy materials in concert programs or as slide presentations while people are waiting for concerts to begin. There is a captive audience of fellow parents who are waiting to hear their kids make music. They probably arrived early to get a good seat. Why not use the time to educate them?
Here's a great example, created by Mr. Andrew Spang, a member of the Music Advocates of Carroll County (MACC) and a very accomplished band director. Andy created this video to be shown at a MACC meeting of teachers and parents, but he also shows it before concerts as a way to get parents thinking and talking about the value of arts education. Click the link to view it.
MACC Keynote Video
Is there more we can do as advocates? Of course! But hopefully this is a good start.
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