Keep instrumental music teachers in Saint Paul

Well I'm not the only one!--from the Chicago Reader

2011-07-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

July 28, 2011 News & Features » Ben Joravsky on Politics

Blogger Fred Klonsky's crusade against public education reform

Klonsky's is a voice from the classroom that's oft overlooked

By Ben Joravsky

In the last few weeks, Fred Klonsky has been the Paul Revere of the school blogging world, writing post after post on his education blog warning readers that, in as many words, "The reformers are coming! The reformers are coming!"
In particular, Klonsky is talking about the zealots, backed by multimillionaires, who are crusading against teachers' unions as they claim to fight for the "reform" of public education.
It was Klonsky, as much as anyone, who was responsible for shining a light on the now-infamous I'm-the-king-of-the-universe talk Jonah Edelman gave last month at a think-tank gathering in Aspen, Colorado.
That's the one where Edelman, CEO of the education group Stand for Children, explained how he and his cohorts had effectively bamboozled house speaker Michael Madigan—and just about everyone else in Illinois—into passing Senate Bill 7. Among other things, the bill waters down seniority and tenure for public school teachers.
On July 7 he posted a link to footage of Edelman's talk. Within a few days, he had more than 25,000 hits. That's a lot of hits for a little-known education blog—appropriately named Fred Klonsky's blog—that doesn't feature nude pictures of drunken celebrities. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
On July 10, Edelman felt compelled to eat crow and issue an apology on Klonsky's blog, assuring readers that he and Stand for Children really do "share a common commitment with teachers and teacher's unions."
Apparently they just have a funny way of showing it.
True to form, Klonsky—an elementary school art teacher and union activist in suburban Park Ridge—has been having a field day ever since. "I don't know why Edelman apologized," Klonsky says. "He was only telling the truth."
With his wry, sardonic manner, Klonsky represents the voice from the classroom that's generally overlooked in mainstream coverage of public education.
Yes, I know—many of us have been subjected to boring or ineffectual teachers who might be better off doing something—anything—else.
But as Klonsky points out, the pendulum has swung too far in the antiteacher direction. He argues that groups like Stand for Children have dedicated themselves to the erroneous proposition that much of the evil in public education stems from bad teachers—as opposed to poverty, dysfunctional families, crime, vast economic disparities, misguided reformers, and autocratic administrators. By this logic, if we can get rid of tenure and seniority so that it's easier to fire bad teachers—assuming we figure out who they are—then all children will perform as well as the highest achievers.
To remedy the wrongs, Stand for Children has raised more than $3 million over the last year from 23 donors, including various Pritzkers and Crowns as well as Sam Zell (as if he didn't have enough to do as he deals with the bankrupt Tribune). In other words, we have some of the world's richest people teaming up to make life miserable for middle-class teachers. And who said class warfare is dead?
As Edelman almost gleefully explained in his talk, he used that money to shower donations on legislators who might otherwise go to the evil side—i.e., the teachers' unions.
The end result was the aforementioned SB 7, which, among other things, requires school districts to develop performance benchmarks, most likely based on test scores, to determine which teachers are good and which ones are bad. The bad ones will then be the first to go if a district has to make budget cuts.
Seeing that it was going to pass with or without them, the leaders of the teachers' unions jumped aboard, part of their larger strategy of trying to go with the flow rather than end up drowned. Klonsky, by the way, is even harder on union officials than he is on Edelman, accusing them of caving to the "reformers" on everything from pensions to tenure.
In April, the senate passed the bill by a margin of 54 to nothing. In May, the House passed it 112 to 1 (state rep Monique Davis was the holdout—you go, girl!). And in June, Governor Pat Quinn signed it into law.
Just about everyone from the Tribune editorial board to President Obama has been orgiastically jubilant ever since. In July, some of the law's backers—including state senator Kimberly Lightford, its chief legislative sponsor—schlepped to an education symposium in Washington, D.C., to trumpet it as a model other states might follow.
Word of advice to other states: it's generally not a good idea to emulate anything coming out of Illinois politics, the land of Blagojevich and various other convicted elected officials.
Look, I hate to be the party pooper, but I agree with Klonsky—there's been far too much hype over SB 7, which will have very little substantive inpact on public education, at least in Chicago.
Thanks to Mayor Daley and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman, the district effectively did away with teacher seniority and tenure last year with something called redefinition. That's bureaucratic jargon for arbitrarily changing teachers' job titles so they can be unceremoniously dumped no matter how long they've been teaching. In fact, more than 1,300 teachers were redefined out of their jobs last year in Chicago. It was as if the bosses of an accounting firm told a bunch of accountants that their jobs had been redefined to include juggling. Anyone who couldn't juggle three balls in the air would be replaced by someone who could—preferably someone younger and cheaper.
So effectively the biggest impact of SB 7 is that it eradicated a right that CPS had already eradicated—a point Edelman probably didn't mention to any of Stand's donors, if he knew it himself.
If I'm Sam Zell, I want my money back.
"You're right that SB 7 won't have a big impact on Chicago," says Klonsky. "But it will have an impact on districts outside Chicago, especially some of the poor districts downstate and in the south suburbs."
Fair enough. And Klonsky notes that it will even have an impact on high-achieving districts like New Trier high school in Wilmette, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's alma mater.
"When I used to go to dinner parties and people asked me what I did, I'd say I'm an elementary school art teacher and they'd say, 'Oh, that's nice,'" Klonsky says. "Now they say, 'What's the deal with unions?' and 'Why can't we get rid of bad teachers?'"
Klonsky says that such conversations always turn to the subject of teacher tenure. "And I say, 'Oh really? They have tenure at New Trier and those kids are doing the best in the state. So if we're going to blame tenure for kids doing poorly in some schools, why don't we credit tenure for kids doing well at New Trier?'"
For that matter, teacher seniority and tenure have had no discernible impact at students at North Side College Prep, Walter Payton, Whitney Young, or any of the other high-scoring CPS schools.
So maybe, just maybe, there are other more significant factors at play to explain why students at New Trier—did I mention that it was the mayor's alma mater?—perform so much better than students at, say, Marshall high school on the west side.
Speaking of which, last year CPS unilaterally fired a whole bunch of tenured teachers at Marshall because the students weren't doing well enough. And nobody needed SB 7 to do it.
Joravsky discusses his reporting weekly with journalist Dave Glowacz at mrradio.org/benj. Subscribe to their podcast at the iTunes Store.

The exclusive private school college drop-out gets his revenge!

2011-05-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

Mr. Gates is the richest marketeer of our century. Though a philanthropist, he has gone on record stating that he will never support the arts. The arts are useless. How can anyone interested in education and the health of our culture have such an attitude? This reveals that his philanthropy has a design just like his marketeering.

It is no surprise that a man who knows how to sell and how to put his competitors out of business would do something like this; set up stealth and false grass roots organizations.

Objective: to make the teachers work for less. The bottom line is that an experienced teacher costs more. New teachers are cheap so all the bad teachers are experienced. Even though experienced teachers do better than newbies. Union busting anyone?

The business model almost bankrupted our country. It seems that they want to do the same to education.

What do I mean?

To spend tens of millions of dollars to undermine organizations that work but are in financial difficulty and replace them with untried methods just so he can claim to be the savior of education. That same money could be used to improve education in a thousand ways.

Then again it would not be Mr. Gates initiatives would it?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/education/22gates.html?_r=1&hp

The Cultural Revolution - American Style

2011-03-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

It seems so long ago when Mao called on the intelligentsia to become one with the people or else.

Well I just heard an American elected politician say on MPR (and read) that public school teachers had jobs that pay and many folks in their State don't have jobs so lets fire the teachers, cut their pay and benefits and even the playing field! It is so bizarre that the right wing has taken the road of class and age warfare more associated with the left That is hate the smart and experienced bad teachers, but not the "cool" novice young people who will replace them at a third the initial cost.

The move to pay teachers merit pay is really an attempt to bring politics back into schools. The fact is schools are communities and that time is finite. A teacher does not work in isolation. Even so a teacher who demands and succeeds in getting more of a students time might have better scores for themselves but at the expense of other teachers. Schools know this and that is why music and the arts and non test subjects are being dropped from the schools. More time for test prep. Turning our schools into factories.

I though that American education was being walmarted. Rather than cut to the bone for profits only and low prices schools are cut to the bone for higher test scores. But I was wrong. Rather the move is to completely dismantle our trusted institutions for someones power grab.

Look to China instead.

PS

I was wondering just how much money the States spend to oversee and assess charter schools.How much of that money might be used for students themselves?

Expert Witness

2011-03-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

Expert Witness

another reason why

2011-02-28T16:59:00.000-08:00

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/diane-ravitch/ravitch-answers-gates.html

Why I love Diane Ravich and why college drop outs like Bill Gates should stay out of Education

2011-02-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/nov/11/myth-charter-schools/

"..I don't hear any of them putting up $100 million to make sure that every child has the chance to learn to play a musical instrument. All I hear from them is a demand for higher test scores and a demand to tie teachers' evaluations to those test scores. That is not going to improve education."

Everybody's an expert everybody has a solution but who is they?

2011-01-24T15:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.startribune.com/local/114486594.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciatkEP7DhUsl

Who do these people represent? Who is paying for their advocacy?
Who created this "group" and hired a former SPPS board member as spokesperson?
It seems that with education reform the cash comes first.
By the way their report has some statistics that seem a little out of proportion, that is to say that comparisons with other states are used to show MN in the worst light.

See Here:

http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/19.pdf
______________________________________

Further this scree from their report (below) seems to leave out the messy political details about why this happened--not to mention who is doing the ranking or the context.

In the Race to the Top federal grant competition, we earned a D− for our
teacher policies and a D for our failure to come together to support education
reform. We ranked 20th overall, far behind the national leaders and
out of the running for tens of millions of dollars in federal aid.

No mention of whether its a good idea for states to compete for school funds. That might require a different kind of advocacy.

Final note before closing

2010-09-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

Those of us who are fortunate enough to remain continue to dedicate ourselves to arts educations 100%.
Our students will excel.
We have again been told (third year now) at district meetings to advocate for ourselves to the public.
The district will not advocate for us. This seems reasonable and we have done this.

The problem is:
We have been told to advocate to the public but the job cuts have come from within the district itself—not from the public.

It is this disconnect that sadly we must overcome.

Phil Fried

Results

2010-09-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

The layoffs have occurred and the remaining tenured teachers forced into TOSA positions outside of music.

Elementary instrumental music has been eliminated and shifted to an ALC after school program except in a few schools that have it in their SCIP plans.

Details of the ALC band program.

ALC Band is now part of ALC enrichment. That is pull outs from ALC remedial classes

Only those who are in the ALC remedial programs, or take the ALC enrichment programs can use the district bus service.

Any student can be in the ALC band program if there is parent pick up.

The new ALC band director has been hired but is not an instrumental music person. Her job description (at least on paper) has many other duties. This means her job only allows for a 50% time allotment to ALC Band.

This will not be less expensive than a daytime program rather it merely a budget switch.

Hiring teaching staff has not taken place yet.

Some Good News From the US Congress

2010-07-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

H.CON.RES.275 -- Expressing support for designation of the week beginning on the second Sunday of September as Arts in Education Week. (Introduced in House - IH)
HCON 275 IH
111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. CON. RES. 275
Expressing support for designation of the week beginning on the second Sunday of September as Arts in Education Week.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 6, 2010

Ms. SPEIER (for herself, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. WU, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Ms. BERKLEY, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. LEE of California, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. POLIS of Colorado, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. STARK, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. FARR, Mr. GARAMENDI, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. TONKO, Mr. SCHAUER, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. KIND, Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. WATSON, Mr. HOLT, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. FILNER, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. SCHWARTZ, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. CAO, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. DICKS, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. SNYDER, Ms. NORTON, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. HALL of New York, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. WATT, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. YARMUTH, Ms. SUTTON, Mr. HINCHEY, and Mr. HARE) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing support for designation of the week beginning on the second Sunday of September as Arts in Education Week.
Whereas arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines including dance, music, theatre, media arts, literature, design, and visual arts, is a core academic subject and an essential element of a complete and balanced education for all students;
Whereas according to Albert Einstein, `After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved, science and art tend to coalesce in esthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientists are artists as well.';
Whereas arts education enables students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, imagination and creativity, discipline, alternative ways to communicate and express feelings and ideas, and cross-cultural understanding, which supports academic success across the curriculum as well as personal growth outside the classroom;
Whereas the nonprofit arts sector is an economic engine and plays a significant role in the economic health of communities large and small with direct expenditures of wages and benefits as well as goods and services;
Whereas to succeed in today's economy, students must masterfully use words, images, sounds, and movement to communicate;
Whereas as the Nation works to strengthen its foothold in the 21st century global economy, the arts equip students with a creative, competitive edge;
Whereas the arts provide the skills and knowledge students need to develop the creativity and determination necessary for success in the global information age;
Whereas where schools and communities are delivering high-quality learning opportunities in, through, and about the arts for children, extraordinary results occur;
Whereas according to a study by the Arts Education Partnership entitled Third Space: When Learning Matters, schools with large populations of students in economic poverty can be transformed into vibrant hubs of learning when the arts are infused into the culture and curriculum;
Whereas studies have also found that eighth graders from underresourced environments who are highly involved in the arts have better grades, less likelihood of dropping out by grade ten, have more positive attitudes about school, and are more likely to go onto college;
Whereas attracting and retaining the best teachers is vital and can be achieved by ensuring that schools embrace the arts, becoming havens for creativity and innovation;
Whereas arts education has the power to make students want to learn not just within the arts, but other areas of study;
Whereas art is integral to the lives of United States citizens and essential to the health and vitality of communities and the Nation; and
Whereas the week beginning on the second Sunday of September would be an appropriate week to designate as Arts in Education Week: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),

(1) supports the designation of Arts in Education Week;

(2) calls on governors, mayors, and other elected officials from across the United States to issue proclamations to raise awareness of the value and importance of arts in education; and

(3) encourages the President to issue a proclamation encouraging the people of the United States to observe such week with appropriate activities.

Urgent message

2010-06-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

The time to contact the board is now!
Write them snail mail 360 Colborne -see the info below in older posts.
Call them.
Tell them to save the program that works!
Tell them what music means to you!
Tell them how music made a difference in your, or your family's, life.
Don't wait!

More from Paul SPFT

2010-06-16T18:56:00.001-07:00

Parents need to know:

1) Because of the possible illegality of laying off tenured music teachers (due 
to the probationary TOSAs) there is a real chance to get the board to reconsider 
their decisions about music cuts. Is the school board really going to say that 
SPPS prefers to place world-class music teachers in non-classroom positions when 
we could eliminate those TOSA positions (none of which provide direct services 
to children or families) and use the money to return teachers to their music 
positions? It is HIGHLY unlikely that the administration has framed the question 
in this way to board members but this IS the choice they have to make.

2) NOW is the time for board members to hear from parents that they prefer 
spending money on music in our schools rather than preserving these 
administrative positions.

3) SPFT is fighting for music in the SPPS and has been for some time. There has 
been some misinformation circulating among parents suggesting that our union is 
to blame for layoffs of less senior teachers as a result of these proposed 
budget cuts. The Minnesota Teacher Tenure Act (MN Stat 122A.41) establishes the 
rules for cutting teacher positions - not our contract. That same law prevents 
the district from laying off tenured teachers when there are positions that 
their license would allow them to hold that are currently held by probationary 
teachers.

I can't attend the meeting because it conflicts with my daughter's 4th birthday 
party this Saturday.

Let me know if you have questions.

-Paul

Hold it! Music Layoff are on Hold till July

2010-06-14T23:55:00.000-07:00

A message from Paul

Hi,

I got the following email this morning from HR confirming that the district will
not be bringing the proposed layoffs of tenured teachers to the board tomorrow
night. This delay is the result of a concern the union has raised about the
legality of laying off tenured teachers (in areas such as music) when there are
as many as 40 probationary teachers holding various TOSA positions that require
a teaching license but not a license in any particular area. It is the union's
position that tenured teachers have rights to those TOSA positions and may not
be laid off.

The district has said that it intends to "study" this issue over the next month
and could choose to bring the proposed layoffs to the board at its 7/20 meeting.

Those of you who had been expecting official layoff notices should be getting
contacted by Julie Coffey over the next several days to explain that those
notices will be delayed. It is our hope that they never come at all. However, if
the district does send notices out in July, we would encourage any impacted
tenured teachers to request a hearing to challenge your layoff. The union will
provide legal representation to members at that hearing at no charge. That would
be the venue for us to formally make this argument about the legality of the
layoffs.

One unintended consequence of this delay is that teachers who thought they would
be receiving formal layoff notices should hold off on filing for unemployment
for now. You still have a "reasonable expectation" of reemployment in the fall
unless and until we learn otherwise from the district in July.

Please call if you have any questions about this. Also, please come to this
afternoon's meeting with Jan Spencer (4:15 today at the SPFT office) so we can
raise some of our concerns about the proposal to move elementary instrumental
music into ALC.

-Paul

_________________________________

Forwarded Message: Paul - Just an FYI that we are not taking layoffs to the BOE on 6/15 for approval until we can get better clarification on the TOSA issue. We'll plan to take - probably in July. I need to notify teachers that are affected and will do so in the next day or two.
J.C.

As mentioned in the previous post about the Monday Meeting we do not know what happens if these lay offs are canceled.
Will the music positions also be reinstated?
Or will these teachers will become TOSA's themselves?

The scoop

2010-06-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

At the meeting; the district gave information and requested our input on the new ALC instrumental music program and we gave it.

half hour lessons
more than one teacher at each location; at least 2 teachers at 4 hours each
phone number for the new program asap -- transparency is a must
quality control, and performances
instrument rental and collection details
start a pilot program first then expand
teach fewer instruments
recruitment can not be limited to after school

The district could not, or did not have, answer these questions:

What is the total budget?
Who are our partners?
Who will be hired?
Who will do the hiring?
Are music experts involved with the above decisions?
If we spps music teachers give input will it be used?
If we spps music teachers give input will it be paid for?
How will quality control be implemented?
If the layoffs are stopped will those music teachers positions be restored or will they become TOSA's?
How is one TOSA going to create quality control for 30 plus weekly locations and 3 Saturday locations?
Will schools that retain daytime instrumental music also have an ALC instrumental program?
How will this program be integrated with the elementrary school experience?
How to maintain continuity.
Explain what is our, the remaining music teachers, or the perspective ALC music teachers buy in?
What is the time line to have all details in place?
How do you address all the different needs of students who want and need instrumental music?
How many teachers will be in each location and how long will they work?
Who will recruit and when?
How will instruments be distributed and collected, inventories maintained and protected?
What are the student costs?

What did we find out?

The $150,000.00 figure will not be used for instruction but will be use to find outside partnerships. Also it may or may not be used to fund the new TOSA ALC instrumental music director.
Instrumental music will be part of several different enrichments added to ALC to give it more variety. (So whats bad for the schools is good for ALC)
There may be a partnership ahead (My bet--MacPhail -others say Walker West)
ALC will fully fund the program for its complete length.
ALC requires fully licensed staff, but they might be able to bend the rules a little. ( Bus funding requires licensed staff to teach)
Local control of the program will devolve to each particular ALC school lead teacher.
The program will take place at all ALC locations and at 3 different locations on Saturdays.
I infer that the program will not be centralized. In any event the ALC instrumental music director will be hard put to create uniformity at so many locations at once.
The ALC music TOSA has not yet been hired.

Sorry to say folks I was almost in tears after the meeting. SPPS have no plan just space and an idea and limited funding. That might be enough yet it is not clear that there is any cost savings to be realized from this proposal other than the use of the different ALC budget line (An anonymous source mentioned the SPPS was looking for volunteer music teachers). Nor is it clear that a viable replacement standards based music program up and running by September can be developed in this manner.

Paul said this new program is a joke as there is no workable model to be found. Or its a strategic maneuver to make it look as if SPPS were keeping the instrumental music program intact.

Stay tuned for more info.

Thanks

Dr. Phil

"Music for All" Saint Paul Music Education - Meeting to Form Advocacy Group

2010-06-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Date:	Saturday, June 19, 2010
Time:	2:00pm - 3:00pm
Location:	Hamline Midway Library - Auditorium
Street:	1558 Minnehaha Ave W
City/Town:	Saint Paul, MN

Facebook page

Sad News

2010-06-10T13:21:00.001-07:00

NEWS

It is with regret that I report to you that SPPS has cut music. These cuts which include hires up to 1999 were even deeper than expected, and include classroom music specialists. We have lost more than 30% of our teachers even though the SPPS only experienced a 5 % cut. Instead of evenly spreading out the cuts SPPS chose to eliminate the entire program.

What this means:

SPPS will go forward with its plan to outsource elementary instrumental music teaching (classroom music also), replacing full time positions with part time workers either before/after school and on Saturdays. The details of this plan will be made public to the remaining music teachers on Monday. Details will follow here.

Those of us who remain are now placed in the position of supporting this plan whether we think it good policy or not.

It means that this is no longer just a music issue, but also an issue of total quality instruction, full participation, school culture, and identity.

KEEP THE PROGRAM THAT WORKS!!!!
Schools are not factories.

Related Problems:

Elementary Classroom Music.

By law elementary classroom teachers are just as able to teach music as specialists are. Classroom teachers take only 2 classes to be qualified. In addition, classroom teachers are allowed to interpret the standards in their own way i.e. The State Elementary Music Standards have no standard so they have no meaning.

Why this is bad

There is no need for classroom music specialists. They are expendable.

Outsourcing isn't cheaper.

Commercial music schools and instrument rentals are much more expensive than SPPS in house music specialists and school rentals. Commercial music schools have mostly private lessons and few ensembles.

If outsourcing isn't cheaper how is this going to work?

Volunteers?
Fewer participants?
Short term artists in residences?
Outside funding?
PACS?

Details will follow Monday's meeting.

Do elementary instrumental teachers just teach music lessons?

2010-05-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

Do elementary instrumental teachers just teach lessons? They can do that after school can't they?

No. We do not just teach lessons.
We teach ensembles and direct concerts.
We build and create teams.
These teams can continue all the way through to high school.

What to tell the board

2010-05-02T06:11:00.001-07:00

We believe that the board has been misinformed about the nature and and extent of the cuts to elementary music.

1.Music will be completely removed from school's curriculum as many Schools have no classroom music specialists.

A classroom teacher singing a song or showing a picture of a violin is not a substitute for learning music.

2.The proposed ALC music program has nothing to do with the current itinerant music program.

Those teachers, 10.6, are scheduled to be laid off.
They will be replaced with part time workers.

3.There is no evidence that day time pull-outs inhibit learning.

4.There is no evidence that removing music from the school day will increase efficiency.

5.Rather there is evidence that removing day time music will cause the loss of students and the funding that comes with them.

It will not save money.

6.The effect of these cuts on the quality of the middle and high school programs will be substantial.

Besides the program continuity issue the entire music staff will have to be reshuffled.

7.No one knows what this after school program is or what it will be.

8.We do know that the proposed after school music program represents approximately an 85% cut in funding and a 90% cut in face time. In addition it may involve outsourcing.

How can this program reach more children?
The issue of Friday scheduling (fewer teaching days) became a problem only because of the directives and inflexibility from the district. This is not even a problem for every teacher. For the few it does concern many have found creative solutions.

9.The proposed after school music program is essentially vaporware.

Accountability starts now.

10.Music still bares the brunt of layoffs.

Just like last year.

11.Who knows where or when the cuts to music will end.

Did music have to be cut?
Could cuts have been made elsewhere?

The board voted April 20th to cut only 8 administrative positions out of the proposed 20.

From Paul Rohlfing:

Allow principals to decide whether to spend building dollars on Coaches instead of mandating coaches as has been the practice at the district in recent years. Making the hiring of building coaches an option would result in schools being able to prioritize more dollars to direct service to kids and families.

From Mary Cathryn:

Currently 300+ teachers on special assignment or TOSA positions.

·      Prioritize bricks & mortar spending on energy efficiency for long-term cost savings

·      Limit the use of outside consultants and use the expertise of the 3,200+ licensed staff already employed by SPPS (look for internal solutions—like for cultural competency, literacy instruction, etc.)

·      Moratorium on initiatives and limit the current initiatives.

·      In considering school closings, set criteria for closing that includes respecting the impact on the school and neighborhood community AND define how we will better meet the needs of students and expand their access to high-quality, licensed and non-licensed staff at the same time.

·      Work together on a student recruitment campaign because we still have so much to offer in St. Paul Public Schools we can coordinate how we showcase the district’s attributes.

·      Make a decision about busing, have a rationale for it, and move on.

·      Eliminate leased space-cost neutral to the district but critically important to St. Paul as we look to our referendum renewal (Currently 20 levies operating for St. Paul Public Schools, only 1 is voter-approved).

·      Rethink how we deliver ALC programming, to better meet the needs of our students AND be more cost-effective with the money at the same time.

Contact the board with your concerns

2010-04-30T14:51:00.001-07:00

Go to the Board of Education meetings!!
May 4, 4:30 PM at 360 Colborne Street.

Folks can talk to the board at these meetings:

May 13, 2010

7:00 p.m. Board of Education Listening Session

Neighborhood House

Heitmeyer Room
Wellstone Center (Neighborhood House)
179 Robert Street, St. Paul

May 18, 2010

4:30 p.m. & After BOE Committee of the Board

Standing Item: Budget Update

May 18, 2010

5:45 p.m. (You can talk to the Board) Board of Education Meeting

360 Colborne

May 20, 2010 (Thursday)

4:30 p.m. Committee of the Board

· Standing Item: Budget Update

June 1, 2010

4:30 p.m. Special Board of Education Meeting

Action on Non-Renewals

Tell them to keep daytime elementary instrumental music in the Saint Paul Public Schools!

The Saint Paul School Board has said that elementary classroom music will continue.

2010-04-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

The following St. Paul elementary schools DO NOT have classroom or vocal music:

1. Ames

2. Barack and Michelle Obama

3. Cherokee

4. Como Park

5. Daytons Bluff

6. Farnsworth lower campus

7. French Immersion

8. Galtier

9. Hancock

10. Highland Park Elementary

11. Highwood Hills

12. Homecroft n/a

13. John A Johnson

14. Mann

15. Nokomis

16. North End

17. Open

18. Prosperity Heights

19. Randolph Heights

20. World Cultures/AIM

21. Frost Lake, Grades 4-6

The following St. Paul elementary schools have part time music or culture/integrated arts (which may or may not include music study):

1. Phalen

2. Longfellow (.5)

JJ Hill
Eastern Heights integrated arts
American Indian
World Cultures
Capitol Hill
Frost Lake, K-3

The following St. Paul elementary schools DO have full time classroom or vocal music:

1. Adams

2. Battle Creek Elementary

3. Ben Mays

4. Bruce Vento

5. Chelsea Heights

6. Crossroads Arts, Science, Montessori

7. EXPO

8. Four Seasons

9. Franklin Music Magnet

10. Frost Lake

11. Groveland

12. Hayden Heights

13. Jackson

14. Linwood

15. Maxfield

16. Mississippi Creative Arts

Scheduled to lose 1 Music position

17. Monroe

18. Museum

19. Wellstone

20. Riverview

21. Roosevelt

22. Sheridan

23. St. Anthony Park

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS:

No vocal for Farnsworth

Hazel park (half time)

Highland Park (no vocal)

Murray (No vocal)

Open (no vocal- or band only strings K-6)

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS:

Arlington (.5 total)

Central (.5 vocal)

Creative Arts High School - no music

Gordon Parks- no music

Highland Senior (.5 vocal)

Leap ???

Johnson Senior (.5 vocal)

Open- NO music

Cutting School day instrumental music won't save a dime. By Dr. John Benham

2010-04-22T13:44:00.001-07:00

Click the Links:

Reverse economics 1

Reverse economics 2

The Board has not saved our program they have gutted it instead

2010-04-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

The SPPS school board has decided to remove instrumental study from the elementary school day into a two afternoon after school activity. This effectively kills and outsources the program.

What this means:
10.6 full time teaching positions will still be cut.
These positions will then be replaced with perhaps a 4-8 hour a week part time work.
In essence less than 1 day of teaching per week when their used to be five full days.

How can the Board say its continuing the itinerant music program and yet not retain its teachers?
The reduced SPPS Staff will simply have to look elsewhere for full time jobs.
The after school programs will go to either other SPPS teachers as additional work or to outside contractors.

Isn't music still in the schools?
It may be but it is no longer central to students education or school experience.
Few elementary schools have classroom music.

Won't there be greater access to music for our kids? The school superintendent said so?
Cutting a program by approximately 80% cannot improve access.
Rather, it is severely diminished.

To call a new after school program connected to ALC the "itinerant music program" is misleading and as proposed untrue.

Why these cuts are bad:
The experiment to turn elementary schools into learning factories has no scientific basis only a financial one.
There is no evidence that this procedure will improve test scores or help schools reach AYP.

A School is more than test scores!
Bring the Itinerant Music Teachers Back!

We are back because the cuts to instrumental music are back!

2010-04-17T09:38:00.001-07:00

SPPS has proposed to eliminate itinerant instrumental music program for grades 4-6, to save $900,000.
These cuts involve 10.6 full-time-equivalent positions.

Call the board!!
Go to the next Board of Education meeting!!
April 20, 5:45 PM at 360 Colborne Street.
Wear Red!!

Tell them to keep elementary instrumental music in the Saint Paul Public Schools!

More information will follow!
Facebook connect

If you wish contact all Board members with a question or concern, please e-mail your question or concern to Marilyn Polsfuss, Secretary to the Board (click on name for e-mail form). On receipt it will be forwarded to all Board members.

Elona Street-Stewart, Chair 651-291-8569
Elona.Street-
stewart@spps.org

John Brodrick,
Vice-Chair 651-645-7500
John.Brodrick@spps.org

Keith Hardy,
Clerk651-497-8924
Keith.Hardy@spps.org

Jean O'Connell,
Treasurer
651-295-1623
Jean.OConnell@spps.org

Anne Carroll,
Director 651-690-9156
anne.carroll@spps.org

Kazoua Kong-Thao,
Director 651-238-1869
Kazoua.Kong-Thao@spps.org

Vallay Varro,
Director
651-592-0513
Vallay.Varro@spps.org

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 625

SAINT PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS

BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS

The following Board of Education meeting will be held in the district Administration Building at 360 Colborne Street unless otherwise noted
360 Colborne Street -- Saint Paul, MN 55102 -- (651) 767-8149

April 20, 2010

4:00 p.m. Committee of the Board

● Standing Item: Budget Update

April 20, 2010

5:45 p.m. Board of Education Meeting

May 4, 2010

4:30 p.m. Committee of the Board

· Quarterly Financial Update

· Presentation of Recommended 2010-2011 SPPS Budget (including Referendum Report & ARRA Update [as necessary])

May 13, 2010

7:00 p.m. Board of Education Listening Session

Neighborhood House

May 18, 2010

4:30 p.m. & After BOE Committee of the Board

● Standing Item: Budget Update

May 18, 2010

5:45 p.m. Board of Education Meeting

May 20, 2010 (Thursday)

4:30 p.m. Committee of the Board

· Standing Item: Budget Update

June 1, 2010

4:30 p.m. Special Board of Education Meeting

· Action on Non-Renewals

June 1, 2010

5:30 p.m. 5A Committee of the Board

· Standing Item: Budget Update

· Work Session: (PLA & Procurement/Minority-Owned Businesses Discussion)

June 15, 2010

5:45 p.m. Board of Education Meeting

50% is a failing Grade

2009-04-06T16:41:00.000-07:00

We still need your help to restore full funding to the elementary instrumental programs!
Take the survey below. Call or write the SPPS board members today and attend school board meetings.

Let your voice be heard.

Here’s what needs to happen:

Keep the cuts from the kids, cut elsewhere.

Teachers need to be directly involved in any re-structuring of the instrumental music program

St. Paul needs to manage its instrument assets. People involved in the repair process, both within the District staff and vendors, should help plan this. We think money could be saved!

Saint Paul should look at running a summer beginner program through Community Educ, like Roseville, Mounds View, Maplewood, and West St. Paul do.

A moratorium on the closing of any more vocal or instrumental music programs.

Keep instrumental music in Saint Paul
Keep the cuts from the kids

SPPS Budget Survey

2009-04-02T07:39:00.001-07:00

Saint Paul Public Schools seeks community feedback on 2009-10 budget through online survey

Keep the cuts from the Kids!

Keep elementary instrumental music in the Saint Paul Public Schools

Survey Link:
SPPS Budget Survey

News Flash!!!

2009-03-29T09:42:00.001-07:00

At the School Board “Committee of the Board” meeting on Tuesday evening. The board approved cuts to administration, and also approved a maximum cut of $700,000 to elementary instrumental music and a maximum cut of $450,000 to athletics. These cuts might become smaller, if the District is able to identify other savings.

This is half the original proposed cut to instrumental music.

The District is proposing that (a) each SPPS elementary school have one day of instrumental music education funded by the District, and that (b) music magnet schools (4 Seasons, Franklin, Monroe Linwood A+, and Mississippi Magnet) be maintained at the same District funding level for one year. Schools have the option to pay for additional instructional time from their own budgets.

This is great news, here’s why we think so:

· The board is rethinking its position.

· funding is central

Not-so-good news, here’s why we think so:

· We still stand to lose 10 instrumental positions which is 12.5% of all music teachers.

· Schools can chose to defund their music programs district money or not.

· 1 day per week isn’t enough for many schools (Expo, Capitol Hill, etc.)

District wants the teacher to spend an entire day at a specified school – that won’t be effective because band/string teachers can’t pull students out of many classes - leads to a teacher who has periods when there aren’t any students available to teach!

Also:

Teachers will be forced to make painful choices about who will be excluded from their Band/Strings programs.
Teachers may be forced to take on many large groups of different abilities and/or instrument types effectively compromising learning standards.
Lesson times will be severely abbreviated also compromising learning standards.

According to the National Standards in the Elementary Music we should have:

A minimum of two 30-minute group lessons per week, with a maximum of 4 students with the same instruments. (all flutes, all trumpets, etc.)

When the students have successfully accomplished half of their beginning text, an ensemble class of no less than 30 minutes (45 is better) should be added once a week.

Here’s what we think needs to happen:

Keep the cuts from the kids, cut elsewhere.

Teachers need to be directly involved in any re-structuring of the instrumental music program

St. Paul needs to manage its instrument assets. People involved in the repair process, both within the District staff and vendors, should help plan this. We think money could be saved!

Saint Paul should look at running a summer beginner program through Community Educ, like Roseville, Mounds View, Maplewood, and West St. Paul do.

A moratorium on the closing of any more vocal or instrumental music programs.

Details

2009-03-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

What is happening?

February 10, 2009: St. Paul Publics Schools proposes the district budget for 2009-2010 school year.
Budget includes a $1.4 million cut to itinerant instrumental music.
The $25 million deficit reflects a 5% decrease to overall budget. The 19.5 music teacher cut eliminates approximately 25% of music teachers/programs district wide.

What does this mean?

“Itinerant” essentially means district-funded, and most strongly affects elementary band and orchestra programs.
A $1.4 million deficit in instrumental music results in the elimination of 20 district-funded band and orchestra programs.

Why is this bad?

While individual schools will have the option of funding their own instrumental music programs, the majority of the schools impacted by this do not have the finances to do so. Many general music programs at our elementary schools have already been eliminated.
Taking away district-funded instrumental music programs at the primary level takes the “public” out of “public schools” and thus leaves instrumental music only available to those families who can afford to pay for private lessons and instrument rental.
Families who wish to have instrumental music provided to their children at the elementary level will begin to pull their students from the public schools, and will send them to charter schools who are increasing their arts funding. This naturally results in declining enrollment and retention in St. Paul Public Schools, which ultimately decreases funding for the schools.
Eliminating elementary programs will erode secondary programs in a matter of 2 to 5 years. As fewer students are trained to become a part of these higher level programs, fewer students will participate, and music programs will face more cuts at the secondary level due to quality and quantity of participants.
Taking music instruction away from St. Paul students removes one more commonality that they can share with many other well-educated people later on in their lives. Taking this common vocabulary and life experience away from our students increases the socioeconomic gap and gives them one more obstacle to overcome later on life.

What are some of the statistical benefits of elementary instrumental music?

The scores of elementary instrumental music students on standardized math tests increased with each year they participated in the instrumental program.

-"Music Training Helps Underachievers," Nature, May 26, 1996.

A ten-year study indicates that students who study music achieve higher test scores, regardless of socioeconomic background. - Dr. James Catterall, UCLA.

In a 1999 Columbia University study, students in the arts are found to be more cooperative with teachers and peers, more self-confident, and better able to express their ideas. These benefits exist across socioeconomic levels. -The Arts Education Partnership, 1999.

Students with band and orchestra experience attend college at a rate twice the national average. - Bands Across the USA.

Schools with music programs have higher attendance and graduation rates than those without. -MENC

The statistics that can be shared about the benefits of instrumental music training within our youth are endless. The bottom line is that we, as a fragile species, have such a short time to be passionate, and every child deserves the opportunity to find passion in some aspect of life. For so many people, that passion is only found in music. To define the true purpose and intention of music by using words is not possible. If it were, it would not be music. Music is for the things we experience in life for which there are no words.

Who can you contact to make your voice heard?

Members of the St. Paul Board of Education should be contacted:

Kazoua Kong-Thao, Chair
651-238-1869
Kazoua.Kong-Thao@spps.org

Elona Street-Stewart, Vice-Chair
651-291-8569
Elona.Street-stewart@spps.org

Tom Conlon, Clerk
651-699-7399
thomas.conlon@spps.org

Tom Goldstein, Treasurer
651-644-8558
tom.goldstein@spps.org

Anne Carroll, Director
651-690-9156
anne.carroll@spps.org

John Brodrick, Director
651-645-7500
John.Brodrick@spps.org

Keith Hardy, Director
651-497-8924
Keith.Hardy@spps.org

Please E-mail Paul Rohlfing at Paul@spft.org

If:

You have already contacted the board-we need to know!
You want to do more!
You need more information on keeping elementary instrumental music in the Saint Paul Public Schools!

Right to the point

2009-03-09T21:19:00.000-07:00

SPPS is planning to cut 19.5

Elementary Orchestra and Band Positions

Instrumental music plays a FUNDAMENTAL role in children's basic education contributing in countless positive formative ways to the development of:

Artistic & Aesthetic Literacy
cognitive skills
mathematical abilities
social skills
small & large group work skills

self-discipline
cultural awareness
listening skills
a capacity to engage in slow diligent work toward a future goal

Success: in school learning and society

Success in developing intelligence and success in life.

Parents! We need your help!!!

Contact the St. Paul School Board Now

Tell them to keep instrumental music

in the Saint Paul Public Schools

http://boe.spps.org

Kazoua Kong-Thao, Chair 651-238-1869 / Kazoua.Kong-Thao@spps.org

Elona Street-Stewart, Vice-Chair 651-291-8569 / Elona.Street-stewart@spps.org

Tom Conlon, Clerk 651-699-7399 / thomas.conlon@spps.org

Tom Goldstein, Treasurer 651-644-8558 / tom.goldstein@spps.org

Anne Carroll, Director 651-690-9156 / anne.carroll@spps.org

John Brodrick, Director 651-645-7500 / John.Brodrick@spps.org

Keith Hardy, Director 651-497-8924 / Keith.Hardy@spps.org

Or attend a meeting!

Meeting Schedule

Board of Education meeting will be held in the district Administration Building at 360 Colborne Street, 5:45 PM

Tuesdays, March 17, April 14, May 19

Listening sessions:

Thursday, March 26th - 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. -- John A. Johnson Elementary

740 York Ave, 55106

Thursday, May 28 - 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. -- EXPO Elementary School

Please E-mail Paul Rohlfing at Paul@spft.org

If:

You have already contacted the board-we need to know!
You want to do more!
You need more information on keeping elementary instrumental music in the Saint Paul Public Schools!

Keep instrumental music teachers in Saint Paul

Well I'm not the only one!--from the Chicago Reader

Blogger Fred Klonsky's crusade against public education reform

Klonsky's is a voice from the classroom that's oft overlooked

Tools

The exclusive private school college drop-out gets his revenge!

The Cultural Revolution - American Style

Expert Witness

another reason why

Why I love Diane Ravich and why college drop outs like Bill Gates should stay out of Education

Everybody's an expert everybody has a solution but who is they?

Final note before closing

Results

Some Good News From the US Congress

May 6, 2010

Urgent message

More from Paul SPFT

Hold it! Music Layoff are on Hold till July

The scoop

"Music for All" Saint Paul Music Education - Meeting to Form Advocacy Group

Sad News

Do elementary instrumental teachers just teach music lessons?

What to tell the board

Contact the board with your concerns

The Saint Paul School Board has said that elementary classroom music will continue.

Cutting School day instrumental music won't save a dime. By Dr. John Benham

The Board has not saved our program they have gutted it instead

We are back because the cuts to instrumental music are back!

50% is a failing Grade

SPPS Budget Survey

News Flash!!!

Details

Right to the point