Save Westwood's Strings Program
To all Supporters of the Performing Arts in Westwood,
Our school strings program is in real trouble. Our school administrators have decided to cut, entirely, the middle school orchestra from next year's school budget. This means there will be no in-school orchestra for incoming 6th, 7th and 8th graders to play in.
The irony is that the middle school orchestra just earned Westwood's first ever Platinum Medal (scoring an impressive 96%) at the Great East Music Festival this past weekend.
We are asking every Westwood resident who loves the arts to support our children, our students and our community by sending an email to school administrators asking them to restore this program to it's rightful place in our middle school curriculum.
Please visit saveourstringsprogram.com for information on three simple steps you can take to help us get the message out.
Comments
Strings program
I am curious as to what the cost is to maintain the program?
cost
my understanding is that Ms. Kenney is a 0.20 FTE - so 1/5th of a full time position. I don't know what salary that equates to or the total cost to the budget.
**later addition - I have been told by sources I trust that the amount is in the neighborhood of $11,000.
Strings program
11K? Seriously? It should be easy for the parents to come together and figure out how to save this program. If there is no room in the budget, outside funding should be considered.
This misses the larger point
The total is closer to $11,800 but it misses the larger point. The strings program SHOULD be part of the mainstream middle school curriculum because it connects the elementary strings program to the high school strings program. This is really a curriculum issue rather than an isolated middle school orchestra issue. It's a reflection of how the school administration values the music curriculum overall.
Parents of strings players should not have to pay money for their kids to participate in a school-based music program when the parents of band kids don't. And before you accuse me of being biased, it should be known that I have one child in 7th grade band and one in 7th grade orchestra.
There is a finite amount of
There is a finite amount of money. Where should the 12k come from? If there is no money to fund the program, then fund raising is the way to go. The arts always suffer during an economic downturn. Is it right or fair? Probably not. But the pragmatist in me asks, how can we keep the program? I would not suggest that parents absorb the total cost of the program, but I can remember during another rough economic patch here in WW that some resourceful parents who where able apply for grant monies to maintain a program @ the HS.
It depends whether you're willing to fight for what you value
Jennifer, this is really a philosophical issue about the educational value of the strings program versus that of other programs in the curriculum. Many of us believe that the strings/music programs are fundamental to learning and brain development in our children - and far more effective in advancing overall learning, cognition and creative thinking skills compared to some other programs that weren't cut. We are fighting to save something we truly believe makes the educational curriculum better, stronger and more effective.
SaveOurStrings - what is the alternative?
Hi John,
Did the administration say what the current TMS students are supposed to do next year? Will there be an afterschool orchestra? Is that how it used to be done?
There are no viable alternatives
The strings students have their choice of chorus, general music (they are all well beyond this level) or double gym.
Prior to two years ago the orchestra was an extra-curricular activity. The result is evident, we have a high school orchestra with approximately 6 performers. There are simply too many barriers, too many outside obligations for most students to participate.
Within two years of mainstreaming the orchestra into the middle school curriculum, Ms. Kenney was able to bring home a Platinum Medal from the Great East Music Festival. This is hard evidence that the program works and works well.
So the question becomes, why would we cut a program that is so clearly benefiting the students, the school and the community? This is not just about cutting a part-time teacher for a year. It's about gutting an entire program district wide.
Please help us save our strings program by visiting saveourstringsprogram.com.
Save Our String Program
It's truly a sad commentary that whenever cuts are inevitable, it is inevitable that the arts will become the target of those cuts. As a Co-chair of Westwood's most recent override committee, we knew that without the additional revenue from Westwood Station, funding was going to begin to become an issue for this coming school year. However, I still find it hard to believe that the Westwood Public Schools can not find $11,500 to keep the Strings Program in tact. As a former PTO President, I've often seen how money can be moved from one line to another. I would like to encourage our Superintendent and School Committee Members (for whom I have the utmost respect for and confidence in) to work harder to comb-through the budget and find some creative solutions from other line items in order to maintain the Strings Program. Perhaps taking a look at the snow removal budget from this year (when there was very little to no snow) might be a start! In my opinion, dismantling this blossoming program is a detriment to the students and families of Westwood and I will be voicing my opinion to those mentioned in your letter. Thank you for organizing this initiative.
Thank you April
April, thank you so much for your public support of this effort. It means a lot coming from someone who has been so actively engaged in our schools and community.