January 19, 2005
In my experience, a primary detriment to effective music advocacy is the inability to communicate in the language of the professional educator. The willing advocate may come prepared to present the case for music only to discover, to their embarrassment, that everyone on the board and administration appears to use a completely different vocabulary. I call this the language of "educese." Once you learn a few terms and concepts you will find the process of advocacy much less intimidating, and with practice quite rewarding. Developing the skill of "edu-speak" is also key to Understanding School Budgets.
Average: A term of mathematical or economic convenience. It literally means "no time to figure how it effects individual programs and the students, just the budget". You must demonstrate that your program is not financially or otherwise average.
Curricular: Any way they try to get you to look at it, curricular means a class which is held during the normal school day that is funded out of the curricular budget.
Co-curricular: Normal educational outcomes of a curricular class, which may be held outside the school day, e.g., drama productions, art shows, concerts. These are an outgrowth of the arts curriculum and should be considered part of the music teacher's regular salary. This is the equivalent to the final exam for a music performance class.
Extra-curricular: Activities or classes held outside the school day. Most commonly marching or pep bands, or any music activities that would be considered primarily public service or public relations in nature even though they may be a secondary curricular outcome. (NOTE: State guidelines or administrators may have a different legal definition for curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular. However, when one considers the educational or financial impact, the above definitions are appropriate and should be used in developing your proposals.)
Frill: Do NOT use this term. Some music educators have been known to mention it in defense. It implies tacit agreement with the administrative philosophy. Administrators may use this term as synonymous with the phrase "back to basics," while not recognizing the arts as one of them.
FTE: Full time equivalent. Used in reference to students, teachers, or positions. One full time teacher or student is a computational equivalent to (1.0).
PSR: Pupil/Staff Ratio. Board-established ratios assigned to each building principal to determine staffing, including teachers, counselors, clerks, aides and other staff as determined by the administration and approved by the board.
PU: Pupil Unit. It equals (1.0) student. See FTE.
Ratio Point: See PSR.
SFR: Student/Faculty Ratio. Class size as determined by dividing the number of full time students by the number of full time teachers. This figure will nearly always be larger than the PSR.
Until next time,
John Benham
