by Sam Seliger
Guilford Gazette Intern
The Howard County Board of Education voted Thursday, June 6th, to approve an $894 million budget for the 2020 fiscal year. Included in that plan is full funding for the music program, thanks to the efforts of parents and students from across the county.
Facing a potential deficit, the board proposed a variety of measures to reduce spending for the upcoming year. One such measure was to lower the number of elementary instrumental music teachers.
Courtesy of Howard County Parents for School Music on Facebook
Currently, students are able to join the string orchestra in 3rd grade, and the wind ensemble in 4th grade. The proposal would have reduced the number of instructors for these programs: instead of each school having an orchestra teacher and a band teacher, teachers may have been shared between multiple schools. Further, string orchestra would begin in 4th grade instead of 3rd. This change would have reduced the number of music opportunities for elementary school students; they would get less time with their instrumental music teachers, and less years of instruction.
Parents and teachers quickly realized the dangers of this proposal. On Facebook, parents shared concerned messages about what the blow to elementary music education would mean. In response to the measure, Howard County Parents for School Music (HCPSM) , an advocacy group that promotes “high quality music education in Howard County Schools,” organized an informal campaign.
Group members began sharing the news with older Howard County students and Howard County graduates, urging them to let the Board of Education and superintendent known of their support for elementary school music.
courtesy of Howard County Parents for School Music on Facebook
The campaign spread rapidly, as students, parents, and music groups began posting photos on social media holding signs reading “music matters.” The Centennial High School Friends of Music started a petition to keep full funding for the music department. Board members received emails from high school students and elementary school parents alike, sharing the “music matters” refrain.
HCPSM member Ginger Segala brought thousands of notes from students to the board. On each note, a student had written a short message about why music education is important to them. In some notes, students emphasized the benefit they get from having a break in their schedule to play music. In others, students addressed the strong community they build in their music ensembles. As Segala put it, “students recognize that the music education classes provide more than a musical education…It’s a family to them. It means everything.”
At the board of education meeting on Monday, June 3rd, many of these advocates were in attendance. A large crown sporting bright “music matters” stickers cheered when the board unanimously approved a motion to keep full funding for elementary school music. The heavy turnout convinced the board to keep all of the music teachers, despite the potential funding conflict. Ultimately, the board of education was able to find other sources of money and make other cuts in order to balance the budget for the next school year, without any fewer music teachers.