News-Record.com

Yes more money would be great, but there are no guarantees that GCS will use that money for art programs. They redirect the money all the time. Add foreign language, more magnets, new flex language for ACES (which is all taxpayer money, but only those kids taking after school care are entitled) etc. It is a matter of priorities, not always money.

All redirection of funding aside (which is not a good thing either), it is clear GCS was hostile to the arts this year, and it will hurt some of our incumbents in this year's GCS Board elections.

Hey Amanda...have you found out yet (on the record) who's running again and who's not?

It is not the money, it's the time. There are ways to keep up the arts without an infusion of cash! Terry and others want more time in the classroom for other things than art. PE is not a mainstay either, nor is valuable social time in recess for the younger kids.

No balance is the big problem, no classroom and school dscipline is the largest time waster in our schools, yet we fail to address it as the issue it is. Disruptive behavior is not on the bill of rights, yet we protect it as more important than free speach!

AL has also been trashed throughout most the district and few parents realize it.

Garth,
that was my point-- it isn't the money, its the priority. I totally agree with the discipline issue, it is out of control. Kids tell teachers'you can't take my phone' 'get out of my face' and so much worse. There is no respect for teachers any more. This starts in the home, but if the disruptive kid doesn't get that message from home, we need to enforce that message at school from the start. If a child can't follow the rules, then they need a big time out... ISS, OSS etc.
Here is an example: New school, two kids abuse books, spill drinks, dog eats it etc. Will they pay for the book? Nope, parents say too bad- I'm not paying for that book. Now you have a 2nd grader that has been told to take care of the book, it's their responsibility. They don't do it and what happens... parents say too bad... not my responsibility.. what kind of mixed message is the child getting. School isn't important, books aren't important and the school can't make me do it. Society is going in the wrong direction.

Yes- typo on speech, sorry.

Garth is correct. Even GCS' own consultants and staff made clear that music and arts question is a curriculum issue -- not a budget issue. In the No Child Left Behind Era so much instructional time is redirected to "teaching to the test" that the balance of instructional time left in the school day becomes the subject of interdisciplinary competition. (For a more in depth discussion see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/16/AR2007121601765.html)

Over the years, GCS has pared music and art instruction to the barest minimum for effective instruction. Then this year, instructional time was cut below even that level. (Many school board members were apparently unaware of the 2007-08 cuts in advance.)

The cuts are so severe in fact, that in many elementary schools art, music and PE instructors will only have about 10 minutes of instructional time to devote to each of the 40 to 48 objectives set forth by the NC Standard Course of Study.

Certainly many advocates for effective music and art education are also concerned about the enormous cuts made by the commissioners to cultural arts funding in our county.

It is misleading however to suggest that the cuts to instructional time in arts education is a funding issue. Those cuts were made to make room for instruction in other areas.

Arts education advocates have no beef with other disciplines. Nevertheless, administrators were wrong to take even more time away from music and art this year. The community has come together to make this point clearly: art and music education must be restored at a minimum to 2006-07 levels.

If school administrators wish to enact new programs or expand drilling for standardized tests, they need to look elsewhere for the instructional time.

Garth is correct. Even GCS' own consultants and staff made clear that music and arts question is a curriculum issue -- not a budget issue. In the No Child Left Behind Era so much instructional time is redirected to "teaching to the test" that the balance of instructional time left in the school day becomes the subject of interdisciplinary competition. (For a more in depth discussion see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/16/AR2007121601765.html)

Over the years, GCS has pared music and art instruction to the barest minimum for effective instruction. Then this year, instructional time was cut below even that level. (Many school board members were apparently unaware of the 2007-08 cuts in advance.)

The cuts are so severe in fact, that in many elementary schools art, music and PE instructors will only have about 10 minutes of instructional time to devote to each of the 40 to 48 objectives set forth by the NC Standard Course of Study.

Certainly many advocates for effective music and art education are also concerned about the enormous cuts made by the commissioners to cultural arts funding in our county.

It is misleading however to suggest that the cuts to instructional time in arts education is a funding issue. Those cuts were made to make room for instruction in other areas.

Arts education advocates have no beef with other disciplines. Nevertheless, administrators were wrong to take even more time away from music and art this year. The community has come together to make this point clearly: art and music education must be restored at a minimum to 2006-07 levels.

If school administrators wish to enact new programs or expand drilling for standardized tests, they need to look elsewhere for the instructional time.

I think the issue of disciplinary problems being at the heart of wasted time in the classroom is a very valid issue. In GCS, students are too often given a pass on disruptive behavior to reduce the number of suspensions and expulsions. Teachers often deal more with disciplinary problems than spend time teaching a subject.

Isn't it interesting that teachers of the arts deal less with discipline than most other teachers? Take band and choral directors for example. At Western Guilford during the fall season, I coordinated 85 students at one time on the football field. To date, I have not felt compelled to refer any of my students to the office. Other band directors and some choral directors teach more students than this with the same results.

There is a direct correlation between the good discipline, mostly self-discipline, and students who take classes in the arts. Why can't this system begin experimenting with giving more time in arts classes and encouraging more students to enroll in these classes? I am convinced the more students enrolled in these classes and allowed to spend adequate time in arts classes will result in changes of attitude and discipline over time.

As of now, teachers of music and other arts at the elementary and middle school levels are struggling not for maximum time with their students, they are simply asking for adequate time at this point.

Often, administrators cite No Child Left Behind as reasoning as to why more time must be taken from the arts and given to math, science, and foreign languages. Many administrators and teachers of the arts fail to realize that even though we are not a state or federally tested subject, we are included in the list of "core academic subjects" according to No Child Left Behind. If we abide by this federal law, then arts classes should be given at least the same amount of time as math, science, social studies, and other subjects.

We are not trying to say that the arts are better than other subjects or more important, we are saying we are equally as important and we should be treated as such. Frankly, its the federal law.

Re: Middle schools and the arts

One question I've had regards the "guided studies" or extended-learning programs. Some of the middle-school improvement plans call for these programs in order to provide extra instruction for students who are working below grade level in language arts and math.

If these programs are in place, why are the longer, 90-minute language arts and math periods also being required? This is time that was taken away from electives.

Well spoken, Mr. Edgerton.

I would also submit for Mr. Hebert's consideration the studies showing how the arts improve discipline and behavior.

Several include using relevant activities that engage learning styles not usually tapped into by rote memorization and worksheet-filling. Music, for instance, adds the crucial involvement of physically-felt rhythm, which can unlock terrific potentials for helping students with recall and attention. Visual art, both making it and learning to appreciate/analyze it, accesses important visceral memory aids such as color and shape, which again are often boiled down to mere ciphers when much teaching has to be done in an abbreviated period in any subject.

If it isn't a matter of money, but of scheduling, I assume what many people are suggesting is that individual classroom teachers, not necessarily trained in arts education, might try to incorporate arts-related activities and vehicles to get across their academic content. Trouble is, this can also have a turn off effect if students start feeling as if their arts experience is being dictated, rather than encouraging their free creative spirit. They may just tune it all out as being condescending. I have seen this before (years ago, mind you) when I substituted in middle and high schools. And don't get me started on the cookie-cutter approach of coloring books---clearly now understood in good art education programs as detrimental.

My daughters have always been involved with chorus and band in the public school system. My oldest is a musical theatre/dance major at East Carolina University. She has always excelled in the arts and hopes to make a living and "live in" the presence of the arts from now on. My youngest is a student at Mendenhall Middle School and is very involved in band as a percussionist. She also takes private lessons in drum and " lives " to get to her lesson every week. I'm also sure that she, as well, will possibly major in the arts in college. She auditioned for all-district band this past weekend at Southwest Middle School. There had to have been around 800-1000 students there from all over North Carolina. They were all there for more than the obvious of "making it" into the band, but because of their love for music and the arts. Many parents and students drove many miles and took up a whole day on a Saturday to support this cause. And the ONE thing that I noticed amid all the "chaos" was that there was not one soul, student or parent, acting out or misbehaving. Everyone was there for the common goal and was focused on achieveing it in their own way and at their highest level of personal achievement. Now if all of that energy could be directed toward reading, writing and arithmetic, just think how calm the classrooms could be and how high the test scores would reflect this. I can remember being in band, chorus and drama in school, and then went on to major in music in college, and nothing has ever made me as proud of myself and given me confidence in myself like music. And I achieved in every aspect of high school, graduating Valedictorian of my Senior class and skipping my Junior year in high school to graduate one year early, just so that I could achieve my personal goals. I don't say this to brag, I only say this to show how the arts can give students the DRIVE that other subjects cannot, BUT it will aid you in excelling in those subjects anyway, without even "thinking about it!!!" If some of Guilford County's drop-outs had this "drive" within them, they would never drop out in the first place. It's something to "think about."

My daughters have always been involved with chorus and band in the public school system. My oldest is a musical theatre/dance major at East Carolina University. She has always excelled in the arts and hopes to make a living and "live in" the presence of the arts from now on. My youngest is a student at Mendenhall Middle School and is very involved in band as a percussionist. She also takes private lessons in drum and " lives " to get to her lesson every week. I'm also sure that she, as well, will possibly major in the arts in college. She auditioned for all-district band this past weekend at Southwest Middle School. There had to have been around 800-1000 students there from all over North Carolina. They were all there for more than the obvious of "making it" into the band, but because of their love for music and the arts. Many parents and students drove many miles and took up a whole day on a Saturday to support this cause. And the ONE thing that I noticed amid all the "chaos" was that there was not one soul, student or parent, acting out or misbehaving. Everyone was there for the common goal and was focused on achieveing it in their own way and at their highest level of personal achievement. Now if all of that energy could be directed toward reading, writing and arithmetic, just think how calm the classrooms could be and how high the test scores would reflect this. I can remember being in band, chorus and drama in school, and then went on to major in music in college, and nothing has ever made me as proud of myself and given me confidence in myself like music. And I achieved in every aspect of high school, graduating Valedictorian of my Senior class and skipping my Junior year in high school to graduate one year early, just so that I could achieve my personal goals. I don't say this to brag, I only say this to show how the arts can give students the DRIVE that other subjects cannot, BUT it will aid you in excelling in those subjects anyway, without even "thinking about it!!!" If some of Guilford County's drop-outs had this "drive" within them, they would never drop out in the first place. It's something to "think about."

A word of warning to GCS: If you continue as you have been doing for the last 40+ years you can expect a lot more students who turn out like me. Just imagine a few thousand people like me running all over Guilford County.

Scary, ain't it?

Reducing arts and music has been a disaster and has been at the expense of adding more time to core classes (Language arts and math). From my children's experience (both are VSN students-one in the program at Lincoln and the other at her districted school), the added time for the core classes has NOT been used to increase instructional time. Rather the teacher still spends about 40 minutes teaching and the rest of the time is spent with kids finishing the majority of their homework (not that I'm complaining about this because I think there is too much work outside of school anyway and not enough real learning during school hours) or play games (I'm serious about this).

While I'm a strong supporter of foreign language being provided, this was also overdone at our elementary school at the expense of music and art.

It is a travesty that students are not receiving this enrichment that has time and time again proven to positively impact learning in other areas and create more well-rounded students/human beings. It also gives students a needed break (most can't sit still and "do" math for 1 1/2 hours straight without fogging, especially the ones who need it the most). The added core class time is a PUNISHMENT to students already working at or above grade level and scoring level IV.

However, I want to go on the record that I will not tolerate a solution that lengthens the school day to add back art and music. I have this feeling that's the path Grier will take so he can say he's really listening to what parents want.

When do we start working smarter and not just harder/longer?? Behavior problems are a contributing factor to this discussion. I also agree that the behavior in most classrooms is abysmal (the real benefit to VSN is the peer learning and minimal behaviorial disruptions because the academic differentiation just isn't there anymore). Teachers would be able to accomplish what is required in a traditional class length, if they didn't have to waste so much time dealing with all the other crap.

Garth, I'd LOVE to talk to you about the demise of AL and specifically VSN sometime.

to set the record straight-- I just learned that the flex program for aces comes out of the money that the parents are paying; not the taxpayers... thank goodness.

Extended time for classes will only work if the teacher can figure it out. How to challenge, do hands on and have 5 minutes for homework... not 20! I have heard that same complaint from parents in block, of course the students love having a class for 50 minutes and doing homework for 50.... it is not a good use of time.

I've heard the rhetoric that restoring classtime for the arts and the coordinator position that were eliminated this year is an either/or proposition between time and money. According to the No Child Left Behind legislation, art instruction for students is considered necessary and part of the core curriculum. Studies have demonstrated repeatedly that integration of art instruction into the core curriculum yields higher test scores in both language arts and mathmatics, builds individual confidence and ultimately produces individuals who understand and appreciate social responsibility.

Why then must we, as citizens of Guilford County, be told we have to choose between time spent in math and reading to improve test scores or asking the county commissioners for more educational funding? Are our children not entitled to the absolute best education that we can provide? The decision to dismiss the value of arts in public education is a short-sited one that will have a lasting negative impact on our children.

If we are trying to educate the leaders of tomorrow, we had better begin focusing on teaching them how to tap into their creativity and apply innovative solutions to the problems they will be faced with solving. Memorization of mathematical formulas and vocabulary words combined with spending time learning how to test, will not adequately prepare our children, or our nation, for the future.

Guilford County is working hard to promote economic development, working hard to convince companies to relocate to our area. Those considering a relocation will be looking to our public schools to be sure we are producing a highly skilled workforce that their companies will need to be competitive in the global marketplace. The question is, is our school board and our superintendent willing to take the necessary steps to stand behind their mission statement? Are they really doing their best to provide a quality education when they place little or no value on developing well rounded, creative and innovative thinkers?

If our public schools need help in figuring out how to integrate arts into the core curriculum, they need look no further than the excellent A+ Schools Program at UNCG. Surely they are aware of the resources we have available right here in our own city. Just in case, visit http://www.uncg.edu/iss/a%2Bschools.html.

Its been a long time since I have seen such energy about school issues. The last time was when the board did their High Point thing. The energy that stirred up REALLY scared the board. Seriously, it just takes a few bright energeic folks to step up and lead a revolt.

What about NO ARTS NO BOND!
What about NO DISCILPLINE NO BOND.

The people have more power than they think.

Who is going to step up!

People, Remember that this is not a funding issue. It is a scheduling issue.

I am surprised that Alan Duncan has suggested that we go to the County Commissioners on this issue. Alan usually is a fine Leader. This is a policy issue and therefore is under the School Board's jurisdiction.

Alan, do you REALLY wish for the Commission to dictate GCS Policy? If memory serves me correctly, said Commission has been hardly the School Board's best friend since the Merger. This one falls on your Board, my Friend. I have full respect for you and am grateful not to be in your position right now. Hang in there.

I say that the School Board is duty-bound to the represent the People of Guilford County since the Board is ELECTED rather than appointed.

And for the record "we" DO "bug" the Commissioners whenever School funding is being considered!

Quite frankly I see nothing whatsoever in the changes currently on the table that will have significant impact upon the time crunch facing GCS. Couple that with reducing a program that universally is recognized as Character Education while the GCS constantly implements thier annual new Character Building programs and...

THE CURRENT ARTS PROPOSAL FOR THE GCS IS OF NO VALUE WHATSOEVER!

One final pondering, for fairness' sake.
There is a genuine time problem facing our Schools Nationwide. Consider how much more our Children have to learn than did we. I graduated High School in 1971 (go Whirlies). Since then there have been elements added to the Periodic Table, the end of the Cold War, the digital revolution, 911, et. al. So the cold, hard truth is that our Children truly have a tremendous amount of knowlege which did not exist 35 years ago to absorb along with most of what has been required for generations. And it expands...

So please remember that some very difficult decisions must be made. Some sacrifices must occur.

Casey,

I could not agree more. Alan Duncan is quickly losing all the respect I had for him. He has some childish game going on with the commisioners which has nothing to do with this issue.
Mr/Mrs Change, If someone wants to call for some public meeting somewhere to start up some sort of movement I am in.
I am prepared to give this bond a no vote if something is not done. If something is not done about discipline and the arts then i am considering going elsewhere for my childs education.
I am sad even as I write that because I really believe in public education. I can afford to go private and I think that we all need to support the public school system. But, if they are not prepared to offer my children a safe school with a reasonable amount of Arts then I really have to question what I am doing....

I find it ironic that Chairman Alan "pass-the-buck" Duncan participated in the One Guilford seminar back in the fall, which was an instance in which the N&R stressed "healing rifts" and yet weeks later, is passing the buck and taking no responsibility for what the school board does.

First off, the Bond is DOA. It's toast. It's dead. So if I was on the Board right now, I would be crafting a plan B.

Secondly, the re-ignited energy here is what I've been saying all along...that this year is the year of change. There will be massive turnover on our School Board and a larger call for change at the top. The blog postings I've done on keeping arts and music in our schools to the press release I just issued discussing my six-part plan for addressing school safety and reducing school violence have been some of the most read posts on my site over the past couple of days.

The energy is there, the spirit of change is there, and I'm glad to be a part of the upcoming change this year.

When art and music were cut in my child's elelmentary school it was in no way a budget issue. Our students were forced to have art, music and PE cut in half to make room for two days of Spanish that most of them have no desire to learn. If these students aren't interested in this foreigh language, it can't make whatever difference the GCS Board thought it would. They actually ENJOY art and music. For some kids, that's the only high point of their day. There is so much research to support the benefits of these programs that I cannot understand why anyone would support cutting them. As far as PE goes, I thought it had become mandatory from the state that our students receive more instructional time each week. Most children would rather choose the foreign language that they are interested in and not be told that they have to learn a certain one. And I feel this should not happen until Middle School.

I have a great idea: Schools should have mandatory ENGLISH classes for the children that cannot even learn ANYTHING in their core classes because they can't understand what is going on!!

It makes me sick that our school board has gone the same way as so many others in thinking that because we have people living here that don't speak English that we should somehow make it easier for them and learn their language instead of the other way around. This is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH here! There is not one other place in this world that would even think of learning our language instead of expectingus to learn theirs if we were going to live there! If I went to Italy to live, I would be expected to learn Italian, right?? I would just be lucky if I found a few people that spoke my language and could maybe help me with theirs.

I've heard the rhetoric that restoring classtime for the arts and the coordinator position that were eliminated this year is an either/or proposition between time and money. According to the No Child Left Behind legislation, art instruction for students is considered necessary and part of the core curriculum. Studies have demonstrated repeatedly that integration of art instruction into the core curriculum yields higher test scores in both language arts and mathmatics, builds individual confidence and ultimately produces individuals who understand and appreciate social responsibility.

Why then must we, as citizens of Guilford County, be told we have to choose between time spent in math and reading to improve test scores or asking the county commissioners for more educational funding? Are our children not entitled to the absolute best education that we can provide? The decision to dismiss the value of arts in public education is a short-sited one that will have a lasting negative impact on our children.

If we are trying to educate the leaders of tomorrow, we had better begin focusing on teaching them how to tap into their creativity and apply innovative solutions to the problems they will be faced with solving. Memorization of mathematical formulas and vocabulary words combined with spending time learning how to test, will not adequately prepare our children, or our nation, for the future.

Guilford County is working hard to promote economic development, working hard to convince companies to relocate to our area. Those considering a relocation will be looking to our public schools to be sure we are producing a highly skilled workforce that their companies will need to be competitive in the global marketplace. The question is, is our school board and our superintendent willing to take the necessary steps to stand behind their mission statement? Are they really doing their best to provide a quality education when they place little or no value on developing well rounded, creative and innovative thinkers?

If our public schools need help in figuring out how to integrate arts into the core curriculum, they need look no further than the excellent A+ Schools Program at UNCG. Surely they are aware of the resources we have available right here in our own city. Just in case, visit http://www.uncg.edu/iss/a%2Bschools.html.

I would like to reiterate that the arts issue is with Time, not funding. I am concerned that some board members feel like the arts educators are "complaining" when they have been told by administration to speak up for their programs. We have also heard from the board that they "didn't know" art and music were cut to make room for "spanish"...well, they were-- WAKE UP and don't just sit there--DO something! BOE is responsible for over-seeing the education of ALL students in Guilford Co.--not just the drop outs, or those underachieving--when are they going to quit allowing Dr. Grier to sacrifice "the many (10,000 affected students) for the few (less than 4000)". Don't let the board rest on the fact that there are "Arts Magnets" offering a K-12 curriculum...in reality, that is a fallacy. They are not TRUE magnet programs...and again, they do not serve everyone. The arts can really be a source of improvement to the problem of drop out rates, discipline, truancy, achievement, and higher test scores...why won't any board member/or administrator believe it? I'm glad my child only has 6months left in this school system!

Yes, The board needs to wake up. I also feel very strongly about this and prepared to cast my no vote on the bonds because of it.

The last few weeks of attending board meetings has brought to light the importance and relevance of the arts education that we are providing to Guilford County students. My high school band director, Mr. Herbert Hazelman, who taught at Greensboro, then Grimsley, High School for 42 years, passed away on December 19th. Mr. Hazelman also taught my dad. The lessons in music and in life that he taught us were extremely valuable. We learned so much through hard work, discipline, dedication, teamwork, and working toward high, but attainable goals. We stayed in band from the 5th through the 12th grade. No one ever had any thought of quitting. It was tough and demanding, but very rewarding. I owe my career as a musician and a music teacher to the directors I had who invested such time and effort into me: Ken Sampson, Charles Murph, Herb Hazelman, Ed Rooker, and Forrest Munden.

Returning to school this week, my classes have been focusing on Martin Luther King's legacy, and the connections between the Civil Rights Movement and music. Music has such a power to motivate students to do their best in school and to stay in school. I remember participating in the joint musical production put on between Dudley and Grimsley in the fourth year of the Greensboro City Schools' integration. The lessons learned between the students of both schools increased their appreciation of each other and their talents.
We owe it to our students to restore the arts cuts.

Misha...that's why we NEED change on the Board. Real change is coming this year to Guilford Co. Schools. Support change this year when you cast your ballot.

Mr. Huey, you are right. The cut in GCS Arts Education is a mismanagement issue not a funding issue. Why would taxpayers want to give an inept Board of Education more money (the bond) to misuse? As the daughter of two NC Educators, I would normally champion the School Bond, but GCS leadership is so bad that I feel I have no choice but to oppose the bond until new leadership is in place or until the Arts and AL programs are completely restored.

In contrast to the Superintendent and the Board of Education, our teachers and principals as a whole are doing a fabulous job! Any success awarded to GCS is entirely due to their efforts.

The only way to affect change from my experience in GCS is 3-fold:
1. Pester the school board members and administrators continually - the squeaky wheel really does get oiled
2. Control the purse strings - withhold bonds until there is the desired change.
3. Vote in leaders who support your own policy beliefs and then HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
GCS BOE has no real accountability to anything except NCLB and ABC metrics.

All of this takes a lot of time and effort.

There is so little time in music and art this year that my daughter hardly enjoys going anymore, two classes which she dearly loved. She is really missing learning recorder this year as she had looked forward to as a rising 4th grader. The art projects now are so simplistic and things most kids can do at home (I haven't had any art projects come yet this year). Art classes should be about getting exposure to techniques that couldn't be replicated by most at home (especially those of us who do not possess this wonderful talent).

Again, all of the changes under consideration by the school board and administration do nothing to benefit students performing at or above grade level. In fact, most are detrimental to these kids. Whatever happened to "first do no harm" (I know wrong profession, but shouldn't this be something BOE/Administrators consider before implementing these ill-conceived ideas)? I have watched the love of learning being sapped from my kids' participation in GCS. Most learning is now focused on teaching to the test even in AL classes. There is VERY little creative thinking and constructive discussions taking place. It is very sad to witness.

Let's face it different kids NEED different learning environments, but GCS will never spend the time and money on the kids at the top. Academically homogeneous environments, which would benefit both students and teachers, are quickly labeled elitist and racist. So we'll continue asking our teachers to be all things to all students.

Even how GCS will determine how best solve the discipline problems will be detrimental to the kids who are well-behaved because their movement and opportunities to use sound judgment will be severly limited.

Sorry "effect" not "affect"...

If they didn't mean to make the cuts, I have two questions:

1. How did it happen?
2. Why haven't you fixed it?

Maybe the dog ate their homework?

Thank you, Cathy. Simple equation for everyone:

No arts=no bonds
No discipline=no bonds
No choice (busing?)=no bonds
Deena Hayes doing her usual=no bonds

Remember, a 'no' vote doesn't mean you're anti-schools, because GCS will spin this bond 9 ways to Sunday. A 'no' vote means you're actually voting yes for a different direction for GCS.

E.C. Bond is not toast and is so badly needed that even a cynic like myself supported a bloated bond proposal. I could argue the inflation factor blue, but the underlying need is critical. Taxpayers can say no, but overcrowding is big issue to discipline as well. We do need some new blood on the Board- or at least different. Loosing Anita hurts terribly both personally and educationally.

This Board worships Terry and deciding to go against his killing the arts is almost like pushing a wet noodle up hill. I draw the line at extending school year until I can see a year of improved moral and classroom discipline. When we begin to use our time efficiently and cannot do it, then and only then can we suggest time is the factor.

Last and equal, arts and music must take preeminence over a second language. Looking at Canadian and other education systems, they manage both more arts than we do and more language skills, but we kill arts, rather than integrating them and PE into curriculum.

We need people to run for office that know management. We need retired principals! We need parents to stand up and repeat the High Point rally of 4 years ago. We must demand safe, effective schools. Yes, there are real issues with educating kids from minority and economically challenged backgrounds, but the answer is better management of classrooms and the system, it is not being managed and the message is out that we will not suspend minority males except under the most egregious conditions. They know it, the teachers know it and every other student knows it.

We must begin the love and discipline of our kids from the beginning so they know their boundaries early. Too many lives are being wasted at the hands of an over tolerant system that prepares these kids for failure, not success. No employer will stand for what our schools allow. Last year a young man, new to the Unites States from another Continent noticed a young man had dropped what he thought was a handkerchief so he went to pick it up, accidentally stepped on a small corner of it and had his arm broken for defiling a gang flag. The young man doing it got 10 days vacation and came back and threatened the boy’s life if he testified. Welcome to Guilford County Schools!

We have problems, real problems, now we must have people willing to address those problems, time to step up, run for election, February is the time.

February IS time, and while I have philosophical disagreements over the bond, we do agree that discipline and having safe schools MUST take a priority.

See my six-point plan for safe schools I unveiled last week at
http://erikhuey.wordpress.com/2008/01/09/press-release-hueys-six-part-plan-for-addressing-school-violence/

also, see
http://erikhuey.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/school-violence-is-the-well-defined-issue-in-decision-2008/

We need people to run who will openly challenge the status quo and demand change. Change will be the overarching theme this year.

Garth:

Thank you for supporting the reinstatement of art/music in the schools. I am a fan of the Aycock drumline. Although you tried to remain anonymous, someone leaked the fact that you donated a LARGE sum of money so they could buy instruments several years ago (before you were even on the school board.) We appreciate your continued commitment to these important programs.

My question is this: Does the board actually know which elementary schools are currently on the reduced art/music schedules? I have a feeling that the board members think it is only affecting one or two schools. This is untrue. Nineteen schools received lower allotments in art/music/pe this year. In the GCS Arts Report they are listed this way:
“Schools Feeding into Four High Schools - Archer, Cone, Fairview, Foust, Gillespie Park, General Greene, Hunter, Irving Park, Jesse Wharton, Joyner, Lindley, Oak Hill, Oak View, Peck, Sedgefield, Shadybrook, Sternberger, Vandalia, Wiley”

Four of those 19 schools were able to “pay out of pocket” to get their full art/music/pe time back (by eliminating some TA’s & tutors, by cutting instructional supply money, etc.) But that leaves 15 schools that can only offer art & music for one semester or else offer it once every two or three weeks. The majority of these schools are high poverty/high minority schools. Will those parents come to a BOE meeting to speak?
If they don’t work at night…
If they own a car…
If the drive to downtown Greensboro isn’t too far on a school night…
If they have a spouse/babysitter to watch the kids…
If they’re comfortable with public speaking….
If they have a computer and read this blog enough to know what’s been going on in the arts….
Do they even feel like their opinion matters enough to make a difference? Maybe they put up with getting less than the other schools just because it’s always been that way.
Who’s going to advocate for the students in those schools?

My students are not at all happy about the upcoming "switch" in arts instruction. They have enjoyed music immensely this first semester! I feel certain that they will also enjoy art, but what happened to both!! GCS has always prided itself in being a leader in education. Now, with the drastic arts cuts, we have taken a giant step backward!!! Restore to the children of Guilford County what is rightfully theirs - a well-rounded education - complete with art AND music weekly for the entire year. No one will ever know the learning that we have deprived them of this year. FIX IT PLEASE!!

My son is a Junior and has already completed all his language at school mainly because he did two years of Spanish in middle school. My son also did band in middle school.
His sister has no such luck. She only has one elective in the 7th grade and this will be the same in the 8th.

She does not need the extra minutes for Language Arts and Math.

This one size fits all is holding back the education for many of Guilford County children.

Sadly we are in a maelstrom of constraints, time needed for math/language arts/science vs arts. We have taken recess and lunch time to an intolerable minimum, arts has all but disappeared and now we (the Board and Super) want more time at school. What we also keep forgetting is that forcing kids (boys predominantly) to sit still in desks and pay attention to materials that are often taught in a manner that is un stimulating and often they feel irrelevant to their world. Our greatest discipline problem also grows out of this and while a lot of other factors are involved, our very attempts to fix the system conspire to its very demise.

Kids need physical and social activities (one of the most important aspects of a college education). Guilford county kids are seeking other outlets for this and we adults are not realizing the social costs of this and it is not just poor and minority kids. Quality must be the emphasis, not quantity. It will require some retraining of many teachers, some innovative thinking and must be done professionally and on an experimental basis. Leadership is key component to a major shift such as is now required.

It is patently unfair to kids to pack them in a bus at 7:00, sit on a bus for an hour or longer, spend 6 hours being still except for a couple bathroom breaks and 25 minutes of lunch and a 15 minute break, then another hour sitting still on bus home. For a 5 year old active growing boy it is almost torture, especially with a diet of primarily carbs. (yes, I know there is a bit more room for tolerance in this picture, but it dissolves quickly as grade 2 approaches)

Courage is needed to approach this problem innovatively, discipline is a key factor, but by itself it could become torture, it must include a realm of new approaches (maybe even old solutions) and more creative applications of time management. We look for a magic bullet, there is none! Why, because we have societal problems we do not address and throughout history we cycle through peaks and valleys of civilization we fail to learn from our ancestors mistakes and will repeat them as lemmings.

The negative being said, there are fixes better than what we are currently doing. Boys and Girls clubs, social centers, neighborhood groups all can help provide positive outlets and enhancements to learning and societal growth. Middle class and wealthier families have gymnastics, baseball, basketball, swimming, ballet, music lessons etc., what we fail to see is the value of these activities to the educational system and we do not build upon this. The summer achievement gap phenomena may be nothing less than simple positive mental stimulation.

This, may also be the same stimulation arts, music and social time can provide during the educational day to allow time for lessons to sink in. Much of the success in higher learning can be attributed to sleep and meditation time. We often take this down time as useless, but more and more studies show it as required for learning. In other words, more alternative learning and social time may increase quality of normal classroom learning.

Anonymous: thank you for posting which schools were affected. As you may (or may not) know, Deena Hayes made another crazed comment two meetings ago as to whether there was support for the arts/music in the black community (see http://erikhuey.wordpress.com/2007/12/24/deena-hayes-is-obsessed-with-race/). Obviously, if she did her homework, she could see that arts/music transcends color. But she didn't...and she won't. Another proving of my point that on this issue and others, there must be change on our Board this year. I'm happy to help lead this revolution of change.

Garth said:

"It is not the money, it's the time. There are ways to keep up the arts without an infusion of cash! Terry and others want more time in the classroom for other things than art."

Now, with the San Diego offer accepted, perhaps, we can find a leader who will support the arts! Hopefully this will be something that is carefully looked at during the search process.

I am just thinking out loud here. I may contradict myself, so forgive me.

I have been in the college environment for close to 20 years. As a student, social life was not hard to come by and there was no need to have my college administration orchestrate it. I have to believe children socialize one way or the other, and forcing them to follow a schedule for it and mandate its content is ludicrous. I agree we need to integrate physical activity as much as possible into the curriculum, to not just grab boy's energies and minds, but to keep girls from assuming docility. Happily, THE ARTS are a GREAT WAY to do this!!

Recess could be then spent doing whatever the child wished, except harmful acts. They could sit and meditate or chat...since the whole day would be more active generally. This is closer to the elementary school model of many Asian countries.

Granted, this is a nightmare for teachers with 25 or 30 never-expected-to-behave-properly students. We need smaller class sizes. More eyes on less students. Don't know if that opens the door to vast numbers of "helicopters", though.