CounterPoint

President Bush on February 5 submitted to Congress his $2.9 trillion budget to fund the federal government in FY 2008. The Congress, of course, will weigh in significantly on all areas of the President's budget and, with the Democrats now running the House and Senate, we can expect the final budget to reflect their priorities. The President's budget includes $56 billion for the US Department of Education to fund all of its programs: kindergarten-12th grade (K-12), higher education, vocational, and services for students with disabilities. Sounds like a lot of money, and it is.

As a parent of two elementary-aged children, I don’t have to think twice about what engages my kids, both for fun and learning: computers and music! When we get home from work and school, my fifth-grader shoots straight for the computer in our recreation room.

If you look at your school district’s approach to study hall scheduling, you may find an easy and very telling way to see if your administration has a student-focused or adult-focused approach to music education. What follows is a real-life example from one school district to alert you about some common issues that may arise in your school.

When school music programs face cuts or financial crisis, the Music Administrator is often the first faculty position to be eliminated. Never heard of this position? It may have already been eliminated, with overall responsibility for the music curriculum now loosely spread among a number of music faculty members. Survival of the music curriculum may then depend solely on the public relations skill of each individual teacher or the voice of the public.