MUSIC ADVOCACY: Caring Enough to Put the Student First
May 12, 2005
Identifying Potential Music Cuts-Part I: Music Budget
Definition:A
"cut" is any decision made that will negatively impact the ability of
any student to participate in making music.
RULE #1
NO CUTS OR
COMPROMISES SHOULD BE SUGGESTED BY ANY MEMBER OF THE
COMMUNITY, INCLUDING: THE MUSIC COALITION, MUSIC EDUCATORS, OR THE MUSIC SUPERVISOR!
I would like to state clearly that I have never met
an educator who pursued a position as school administrator because he/she
wanted to eliminate the music program, or for that matter any other area of the
curriculum.It is, however, a part of
the administrative responsibility to balance the district budget. (See Uncovering the Mystery of the School Budget:Glossary.)
The district school board will adopt a set of budget
assumptions as recommended by the administration.These assumptions will be used as a
guide in the decision-making process.
Central and site administrators will meet together to
determine a consensus philosophy as to which programs are most important
to maintain, and where cuts should be made first.They will develop a list of priorities
for presentation to the board.
Surveys may be taken of the community
to provide the administration with a sense of what cuts may be most
politically acceptable.[Note:These surveys may or may not be
scientific.Further, they are often
completely ignored in the decision-making process, only serving as a means
of giving the community the impression they have been involved in the
process.
Music
teachers may be contacted individually, or as a specific area group (such
as band teachers), and asked which reductions will do the least damage to
the program.Any suggestion made
will most certainly be accepted and summarily blamed on the teachers.The most dangerous response is when
teacher(s) from one area or level of the music curriculum suggest a cut(s)
in another area.It divides the
music staff and converts music educators to music competitors.The old adage "United we stand, divided
we fall" is certainly applicable here. The appropriate response is,
"No cuts can be made that will not have a negative impact on student
participation in music."
On the surface, music cuts are
relatively easy to identify.Any line
item in the budget that includes the word music is a fair target.These should become obvious as the district
develops it list of cuts being proposed or "considered."Two cautions:
The proposed cuts publicized by the (central)
administration to the school board normally identify only those specific
music cuts that are a part of the central budget.Usually this includes any cuts to
elementary general/vocal and instrumental music.
The
more difficult cuts to determine are those that include potential
reductions to the music program, but do not specifically identify music.
Cuts at the secondary level most often fall into this category. I refer to
these as hidden cuts, the topic for Part II of
"Identifying Music Cuts."
As you investigate the potential
for cuts in your own district it is important to review all documents related
to the budgetary decision-making process.This information is public and should be made available to the community
as individuals or the music coalition.
Remember this!It is not the role of any member of the music
staff or community to suggest cuts or compromise.To do so transfers the responsibility for
having made the decision to cut music from the administration to the music
teacher, music supervisor or the music coalition.Rather, it is the role of the advocate to
defend the program with impact statements:"If the administration adopts the
recommendations proposed, it will have the following short and long-term
impacts on the faculty…, curriculum…, student participation…, and the budget….
