Better band plan is needed
To the editor,
In July, the RSU 21 school board supported a policy presented by the principals moving fifth-grade band to recess (at Sea Road School), or morning meeting (at Mildred L. Day/Kennebunkport Consolidated School). The superintendent stated, “We are not cutting band,” in that meeting, and repeated, “We are not cutting band” in the August school board meeting, but the facts remain: 30 percent of the music teachers’ time was cut and band was moved to non-instructional time in our elementary schools. This decision came just weeks after the Sea Road School fifth-grade band was celebrated by the administration at Arts Night.
File photo
This was two years after eliminating the fourth-grade band, promising then to throw every resource for fifth graders.
Last year, 19 of 20 Consolidated School kids chose to take the additional responsibility of learning an instrument on top of academics. Seventy percent of Sea Road School kids did the same. This program is wildly successful.
When the district says they support teachers, science and arts, science has one 30-minute block for half the year (on average). Yet, two hours daily are dedicated to language arts, and 90 minutes to math. Test scores matter more than science, arts, non-English languages, recess, getting properly settled to learn for the day, breakfast, or humanities. If band was a standardized test subject, it would have more time than science in this district.
It would be laughable to move math to morning meeting, or reading to recess. No one in a position of power laughed at slashing and moving band. They didn’t push back. They didn’t say no.
I propose we go back to the way it was last year until we can get a better plan in place where teachers are brought to the table, parents get a say, and kids can have their voices heard. Those in positions of power can set this right. It took a few weeks to cut band, but we could get it back before October’s instrument selection process.
While the superintendent said, “We are not cutting band,” I believe setting it up to fail is the same thing.
Melissa McCue-McGrath
Kennebunk
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