Anyone else worried?

[JenKozy]

Yesterday, ALL music teachers in my district where put on notice for layoffs. This morning, my band director was pink slipped for next year. And as much as I understand a pink slip only means that they are not guarenteed (sp?) their jobs next year, I still find it scary.

These past three years with CKM have been amazing. I could not ask for a better group of students, boosters and staff to work with. We are all so supportive of each other, and every one works so hard, and have amazing attitudes. The growth of this program has been off the charts since Mr. Aguilar took over. And now. Oh my god.

I am so scared that this program is going to be cut. Not just because I will lose my job, but that those kids won't have the outlet that give them a reason to come to school! Not to mention a fantastic band director losing his job. I can't imagine losing these kids.

Anyone else in the same boat?

[twinmomma]

I'm with you. I'm only judging, not coaching, but every time I see a band/colorguard program go down I feel like the future of our activity gets bleaker.

As the daughter of a music teacher, I've weathered this kind of thing over the years through him, but this is bad.

[oreocookis]

Im worried, for now the Fremont Unified has spared the music programs in the junior high/high schools but they have taken away 66% percent of prep. to the elem. music..and the music teacher that teaches at one of the schools I teach elem. band at just got a pink slip the other day....I get totally worried, if they eliminate band which might happen if Arnold cant get his act together, I lose my elem. teaching job and my colorguard/band instructor job.... such a very discouraging field to want to go into nowadays..

[danceswithwood]

I attend 12-15 winterguard shows and 7-8 field shows each year and it's always, always disappointing to see programs just disappear from the line up never to be seen again. I hear all the time about travel being cancelled due to cost, units who can't afford to do more than 2-3 shows a season and worst of all, kids who can't participate at all due to financial concerns. It's sad.

I worry about what kind of kids we'll produce without the arts????

[mariahorn]

When I was watching the high school guards in Antioch, I couldn't help but hear the school's name and then match that up with announcements that had been recently made (in instructor forum and newspapers) to reduce or eliminate the performing arts classes for next year. It was so sad seeing great shows and realizing that for some of those schools this will be their last season.

[tara8301]

well jen being an educator my self the entire education system in California is scary. I live in San Jose now and the high school districts here are eliminating all extra curricular... if student want to do sports they have reached a compromise in which the students will pay a few hundred dollars!

I just can't imagine what the next few years will bring not only to the art of colorguard but to education in general....
if kids have nothing to push for in high school , many will drop or turn to the streets that are riddled with crime....

These districts are making awful mistakes by taking away programs.... my district is trying to keep the cuts away from the kids, but that means other things suffer...

I think we all hope things wont continue down this path.... it is definitely scary... and i am just on the edge of my seat until friday to find out if i get pink slipped....

[baritoneplayer]

Here in Merced the city school district is working to keep the music programs in the elementary and middle schools intact, choosing to make their reductions at the district office level and in positions away from the classrooms when possible. At the high school level the band programs remain intact but there are problems on the horizon. The amount the school district provides the band for transportation to band reviews will be decreased or non-existent meaning the shortfall might result in higher "fair share" payments by the student's parents or additional fund raising to cover those costs. Additionally, Golden Valley hosts the parade portion of the CCBR and we have lost our major supporter (County Bank) which was shut down by the FDIC last month and they will be tough to replace given the current economic climate. I often wonder if CCBR and other band reviews will be able to ride out these financially difficult times if the bands that participate in them cannot afford to attend them. Only time will tell!

[tara8301]

oh another side note.... I heard on the news CTA is expecting 25,000 teachers will be given a pink slip this year!

[ErinF]

We went through something similar at the start of the school year. The teachers in the district went on strike. We had to drastically cut down practice time or cancel it all togetherfor several weeks until it was all resolved. If the teachers hadnt come to an agreement we wouldnt have competed this year at all unless we chose to go independant. We didnt tell any of the students because we didnt want a bunch of scared kids but it was really difficult to think of the program being shut down. Its taken so many years to get Vanden to this point and after finally starting a winterguard i certainly didnt want to have to quit after only one year!

I hope things work out for your band director and the program can continue.

[guarddude]

You might want to enlist the parent boosters to do a large scale letter writing campaign. Here's what you do. In your head calculate which parent is the most enthusiastic in your program and "casually" mention the districts proposals. Share your deep concern and how this will affect their son or daughter...and "voila". Instant email and letter writing campaign! Distric officials must respond to parents. Do you have any friends that work at your local newspaper? Fire off an email to them. I say this because it has worked for me.

gd

[danceswithwood]

Not to trivialize the problems facing the arts in our schools or the troubles our education system is facing in general (and I'm glad my kids are grown) but in the days before "winterguard" (at least in Cali) "competition guard" existed and was comprised almost entirely of independent groups.

The dwindling number of pageantry programs in our schools doesn't have to mean the disappearance of winterguard .... but it would mean that some of our California circuits would need to be open to including independent groups as circuit members.

[WCHS_Captain]

What?..wait, Jen are you an instructor from CKM?..their band director has recieved a pink slip?..why would they do that?..Im a guard member from West Campus HS and we had the same issue the beginning of the school year. Before band camp even came, the guard members and i were inform by our instructor, Tim, that there was going to be no marching band or band this year. i was very very upset. the principal and the board director does not like him and wanted hiim out of the district. I along with one of my guard member took the issue to the principal ourself. We gave her all the reason to NOT fire him and that this marching band and color guard mean sooo much to us. Not just that, alot of band kid's parent protested in front of the school and went to the sacramento school district to protest. Only my guard and i went to directly to the principal. We took it professionally but had a tone of voice of being serious.

She kept saying that she will FIND a NEW band director for us but that is not what we wanted. we just wanted Mr. Ousley because he worked so hard to get us to where we are now. it was a very heart breaking time for me during that time. I loved Color guard so much and couldnt possibly imagine going through my senior year without a color guard. it has brought all of us so close to each other that leaving was too damn hard so i told myself that i couldnt just let them do that to us and to Mr. Ousley. So we fought our way through and i suggest that you guys do the same thing. While talking to our principal, we sort of attacked other sports saying that she might as well cancel them too because they use up so much money yet they dont win anything and we're always bringing home a trophy from every competition that we go to...We just kept fighting until we won and we did win. Thats why we still have a marching band and color guard. i strongly suggest that you along with other instructor find out why he got the pink slip and do whatever it takes to get your band and guard back. its not fair to cancel the music program but not other programs or sports.

*Mercedes Her*

[JenKozy]

It is a district issue. Not the school site. The priciple at CKM is going to try and do everything possible to keep Mr.Aguilar at the school, but as I am aware, ALL music teachers in the district are to get their pink slips by the end of today. It's not a school problem. It is coming from the district. I would not be suprised if Ousley got his slip.

I suggest that you write letters to the school board. All of our students and parents are pounding the school board with emails and phone calls. Getting West Campus on the wagon will help the cause to keep music in the district.

Jojo. I hear you. We are trying our best to come up with "in case" senarios. One of the ideas on the table is to start an Independent group. However... NCBA does not allow independent groups! I feel that they should in light of the dark times that we are facing, but getting the membership to go for any kind of changes takes SO much, as you well know!

[oreocookis]

I think NCBA should consider allowing independent groups, especially if all these schools are losing their music programs, they will have little revenue from the groups that are left. Has anyone brought this up to Roland?

[danceswithwood]

Has anyone brought this up to Roland?

yes ...