administration
Opportunities DO Exist Steve Michaels, WMEA State Chair, Administration
The power of opti- mism to positively influence school/ program cul ture during these tough times cannot be un- derscored enough. Some of the chal- lenges we face as educators are so
unique that we don’t have a historical comparison to use as a guide. To be frank, I’ve heard many people talk about cuts as “opportunities” and I struggle with this euphemism. The loss of a program, for example, is devastating to the education of our children. However, there have been some challenges that have opened the door for change that has been positive for our programs and perhaps long overdue.
Opportunity Number 1
Involve ALL Stakeholders in Identifying Resources
Volunteers We have seen an upswing in the rate of volunteerism in our schools. In nearly every K-12 program in our district, par- ents, university students and community members recognize the need to support our school programming by volunteer- ing their time. We’ve had accompanists, ensemble coaches and lesson instructors volunteer time to assist our music pro- grams. The caution, of course, is not to supplant trained music educators with volunteers, but to supplement the work of our employees.
Practical Pointers Financial Partnerships
For many years, there has been a divide between school monies and funding from local businesses and donations. As fund- ing for education continues to be reduced, some districts have created very workable policies to embrace sponsorships. For ex- ample, local music stores can partner with districts in the rental of facilities to offset the expense. Likewise, in order to support artists in residence, a local business could partner with the parent teacher organiza- tion (PTO) and the district to make these valuable experiences happen.
Pooling Resources Between Districts
There have been some wonderful in- service presentations offered in our district and I have been VERY guilty of failing to advertise these opportunities to our neigh- boring districts. However, networking with other area districts when clinicians are brought in is a simple way to stretch limited resources for the greater good. This notion is also modeled well through commissioning projects in which a consor- tium of districts combine to commission new literature.
Opportunity Number 2
Clarify the Vision for the Program
Use Existing Resources Efficiently
This sounds simple enough. However, there are major budget pieces that we of- ten take as “givens” that may or may not align with the vision for the program. For
example, if making an instrumental pro- gram accessible for all students (especially a growing number of students of poverty), it makes sense to keep the repair portion of the budget strong while possibly reducing the budget in the area of large instrument purchases. This would allow for the stock of school-owned instruments to remain in playing condition. Also, this would allow shifting of funds for the purchase/rental of smaller instruments, and repairing larger instruments instead of replacing them.
Could Efforts Be Refocused to Work More Efficiently?
Have we identified one or two major goals for the year? If our goal is to improve re- cruitment and retention within programs, is this priority reflected in our use of time? If the goal is to have high functioning pro- fessional learning communities (PLCs) so that student learning is increased, have we determined how we will measure student learning? These questions are designed to determine how we are spending our most precious resource…time.
Are Students Placed Front and Center?
It happens… with so many different pres- sures and a rapidly changing educational landscape, sometimes decisions are made quickly without holding them to the stan- dard that should guide us. If student needs guide our decision-making (including day to day), we will not go wrong. I encour- age all of my colleagues to keep this in mind. In our district, our superintendent will often ask this question to refocus us when our discussions begin to shift away
~ Kevin Thays
As you are planning school events, remember to inform your local media of all important and timely news. Regularly keeping in touch with the media helps connect your school and programs with the community. Also, draw upon students to help with media relations. They can lend a hand while gaining valuable experience.
38 April 2012
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