School Board Members, Dr. Messenger and BVSD Staff,
I am a parent of a BVSD graduate, a high school student and a middle school student. All of my children are, or have been, in BVSD middle and high school bands. I am also the Chair of the Boulder High School Instrumental Music Parents Association (IMPA). As a parent and an instrumental music volunteer I am very concerned about the District's proposal to implement the Music Choice Model program in fifth grade. This program requires that fifth graders choose either Instrumental Music (IM) or General Music (GM). Traditionally, both were part of the fifth-grade curriculum. My concerns about the Music Choice Model are many-faceted.
Students receive very different but equally important academic benefits from IM and GM instruction. The BVSD fifth-grade students should not be denied the benefits of either. From the BVSD website: "Individual student success is the cornerstone of BVSD's new strategic plan. From early childhood education to maximizing opportunities for students as they prepare for graduation, BVSD is focused on maximizing every student's potential to succeed." Taking away the potential to learn from, and reap the benefits of, both general music and instrumental music reduces the very opportunities that BVSD professes to want for all students.
Giving students a choice between IM and GM means that many students who choose GM may never have a chance to learn to play an instrument, thereby forever losing out on attendant educational benefits of playing an instrument. The students most at risk here are those who choose GM and whose parents cannot afford private instrumental lessons. Therefore, the Music Choice program is bound to lead to greater inequities between BVSD students. Taking away the opportunity and benefits of learning an instrument in fifth grade is at odds with the District's goal of closing the achievement gap.
Diluting the fifth-grade instrumental music program will very likely reduce the number of middle and high school instrumentalists, as well as the quality of our middle and high school bands and orchestras. In the end, our high school bands and orchestras may not remain the high quality, competitive ensembles they are today.
On a more logistical point, let's for a minute consider different scenarios if students are forced to choose between GM and IM. How will classes be organized if, for example, 2 students choose strings, 4 students choose band and the remainder (60+) of the fifth graders in a school choose GM? Will class numbers be re-arranged to equalize class sizes, thereby making the idea of choice moot? How will a band or orchestra teacher teach a class without a reasonable compliment of instrumentalists to work with? How are FTE allocated if the GM and IM class numbers are skewed and what happens if all the students choose the same class? It is evident that even simple class size logistics have not been thoroughly thought through.
Although different music education pilot programs were implemented in some schools over the past few years, no meaningful data was collected and no scientific methodology was followed to study the costs and benefits of these pilot programs. My youngest son was in one of the pilot programs and therefore he and his peers were denied GM education in fifth grade, as well as the opportunity to produce and perform a fifth-grade musical production. Given that other schools (with fewer FRL students) were not subjected to this pilot program and no meaningful data was collected during this pilot, I feel a great disservice was done to my son and his classmates.
I implore you all to reject implementation of the Music Choice Model and to reinstate the curriculum that provides both IM and GM to all fifth graders, across the district. This would clearly offer the most equitable education for all and would maximize every student's potential for academic success.
Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you regarding this important issue.
Sincerely,
Sara King
Chair, BHS Instrumental Music Parents Association
boulderimpa@gmail.com
bhs-impa.org
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