All three write about a big press event MENC had this week, as a way to drum up attention to our cause. What cause? The cause to keep music in the schools, and to improve the lot of music teachers.
No doubt everyone has heard of the No Child Left Behind Act - see the MENC document which explains how to advocate, since Music (arts) are listed as a CORE subject in the No Child Left Behind Education policy. (ME and the LAW).
NCLB is one culprit responsible for the declining situation for music in the schools. But there are OTHERS! See the comments and info below to understand what these other culprits are.
And TEACHERS, you can USE THESE DOCUMENTS LINKED BELOW to help offset some of these other issues and concerns: (ALSO: see RESOURCES/ARTICLES at VERY VERY end of this blog post!)
MENC Opportunity to Learn Standards
MENTORS and Member Discussion Forum
In the October Question of the Month (informal on line survey) we asked: What are the major issues of concern you have as a music educator related to your particular situation where you teach, and related to the profession as a whole? Reading these responses, some of which are listed below, really makes you wonder in dismay and amazement: "WHY?!" Yet, these responses also tell us, partly, WHY we here at MENC do what we do every day......
Below is a sample of responses from the 200 which were sent in.These are RESPONSES from teachers about their OWN particular situation , which can generally be summed up to cover these concerns:
not enough prep time
not enough funding
no support from administration
no understanding of the value or importance of music
no respect for our profession or our curriculum
not enough time to see the kids
scheduling problems
competing w/ other activities
behavior of kids
retention of kids
not enough teachers
poor facilities
not treated equally with other subjects
burn out, being asked to do too much, more than other teachers
not enough mentoring support
cohesiveness of k - 12 programs
The responses from teachers about issues of concern for the entire profession of music education teaching can generally be summed up:
TESTING/NCLB effect
music is seen as obsolete
no respect for the profession from admin/society/community
lack of administrative/ society and community support
image problem of music as fluff, fun, play, vs. serious discipline
funding/budgets, music 1st to be cut
poorly prepared teachers
mentoring and support
burn out
BELOW are some TELLING SELECT COMMENTS - WHY!?!?! we ask....and, WHY we are here!
* Burn out. We work very hard and are always in the spotlight.
*Music is being relegated to planning time or entertainment only instead of a true educational entity.
On the elementary level, music teacher is often regarded as a sitter to give teachers a break or go to meetings. Yet, we are expected to carry on all the same responsibilities, etc. as any TEACHER!
We often do not feel the same respect. Many times a music teacher's schedule reflects twice as much work with three times as many students to be done in only 1/2 the time.
The lack of qualified music teachers. Children are being taught music by parents who were "in choir once." The students are missing out on information because "all they do is sing anyway."
Lack or community, administrative, and society support. I feel I am an excellent teacher, and give more to this world than any sports figure, therefore, why are THEY making such big bucks?
Lack of respect and support for the importance of teaching music.
I don't think we are reaching the media in a positive way. The general public is still unaware of the benefits of a sound, structured music education, and hence, does not support it. Congress still views it as an extra, hence a proclamation declaring it important, but no legislation requiring it. We are still preempted and eclipsed by every other subject in the spectrum. It's an image issue.
Music classes being seen by other teachers and administrators as unnecessecary, not academic/curricular,less important, not rigorous
The pressure put on schools and districts from standardized tests is creating an atmosphere where arts education is not important. I feel like my administrators are very supportive, but their hands are tied when it comes to issues like scheduling because of the requirements placed upon them. There is lip service for supporting arts education, but no one seems to really care if it really happens.
Where are the future music teachers? I am scheduled to retire soon and wonder where we will find someone qualified to take my place.Music programs are being cut because of budget woes. Music still considered a "frill" in the curriculum.
We need meaningful inservice and professional development opportunities for music teacher - not just lumping us together with classroom teachers to listen to irrelavant lectures and pep talks.
1. lack of administrative support 2. lack of funding 3. scheduling conflicts
There is never enough funding for music education. It is often one of the first curricular subjects to be cut.
We struggle, sometimes against overwhelming circumstances, to do our best to teach good music to kids, while also needing to struggle against the entirety of society to argue that it is a valid and worthwhile thing to do. We justify or rationalize our field by relating it to math/science/English/foreign language/whatever. The cross-curricular aspects of music are entirely valid and important, but music isn't good enough to stand on its own, in the eyes of our society at present.
respect for the work we do and the skills we have
After talking to other music teachers, scheduling is getting to be a major problem...school districts are under pressure to pass state test and the arts are being left by the road side...districts give great lip service to the arts, but have no problem bending state and national requirements to get the job done of passing tests.
How to combat loneliness and burnout????
Networking with other music teachers is a major concern with me. Being able to have time to communicate is sometimes difficult with my hectic schedule. I do enjoy when I can take time to do these surveys.
How do we get more musicians as administrators instead of physical education teachers (ex-coaches) as administrators?
Too few people recognize the value of music education.
treating music as a core subject and not expecting more from music teachers than is expected from other teachers
Educators and administrators outside of music see no value in what we do.
Respect
I am concerned that we as music teachers are too flexible...in order to save our programs we cut and paste our schedules, allow students to come during lunch, offer after school chorus, etc., instead of demanding our equal rights and responsibilities to offer quality programs to all students that we serve.
NCLB has had devastating effects on our music programs.
I am concerned that NCLB will eat into an already crowded elective schedule.
Reputation in the schools - music is not seen by many as a valuable part of the student's learning. It is thought of by some teachers as no more than "breaktime for teachers".
The major concern is that the emphasis on testing is driving the arts, both fine arts and manual arts out of the schools as we plunge ahead trying to get all kids into college. At what point do we re-evaluate this emphasis and realize that there is value to having students learning other than readin', ritin' and rithmetic? Our basic culture is going to suffer greatly in the future, and more young people are going to feel undervalued because they don't succeed on these tests.
seems that music teachers on the whole are overworked and underpaid. :(
The constant battle to keep arts at the forefront of education. Without arts, students have no outlets and become little math and language arts zombies.
Everything revolves around the FCAT and other standardized tests. In fact, I'm rated as a teacher on whether my chorus students' writing scores improve.
Kids aren't willing to make the commitment it takes to become a good musician. Fewer and fewer good piano accompanists coming out of our high school programs.
The lack of recognition of how long it takes to prepare a group of students for a performance. i.e. I had to educate a coach on the fact that I saw students for 40 min. 2 x's/week and he saw them for 1 1/2 hours 5x's/week, and he wanted to know why he could have 8-10 games in a season and I only had 2 concerts/year (plus a song or two here and there for school functions)
WE KEEP ON! See you next week - see below for a few articles and resources! SR
RESOURCES:
BERKLEE Extension/On-line Prep courses
AEP State Arts policy database
ARTICLES
