To the Editor:
I am writing to you in regards to the OCSD budget presentation on Tuesday April 5, 2016. As outlined by Dr. Dean Goewey, the budget is one of the tightest and includes job and programing cuts like we have not seen in recent times.
As a taxpayer in this city, I have a hard time swallowing the idea that all areas of OCSD will be “deeply impacted,” as Dr. Goewey stated. Yes, athletics will be affected, yes numerous instructional and non-instructional employees will lose their jobs, but what about some individual areas, such as the Music and the theater department?
Over the past few decades, we have been lucky to have a locally renowned Music and theater department, but at what cost to taxpayers in Oswego?
At OCSD’s regular Board of Education meeting on June 2, 2015, the board approved numerous consultant positions and extra stipends for marching band, the OHS Musical, as well as winter guard. These positions totaled over $40,000. On August 18, 2015 the BOE approved a Marching Band instructor for $1,800. Looking at entire 2015-16 adopted budget, Music’s total budget, not including instructional salaries totals over a whopping $168,000, which include $18,000 for Music transportation. Music’s total budget far outpaces any other instructional department district wide.
At the budget proposal on April 5, 2016, Dr. Goewey proposed ONLY $13,800 in reductions to Music, not proposing any staff cuts to this department as he did with so many other departments. Dr. Goewey stated that many staff reductions were through attrition as is the case with numerous positions district wide. Also during the meeting on April 5th was the announcement of numerous retirements, including Cheryl Rodgers, a Music teacher at OHS.
However, Dr. Goewey did NOT include any proposed cuts to Music from the 24 total cuts, but did include 2 English positions, one social studies, one science, but again NO Music CUTS. The difference between these cuts is that Music is an elective department not required by the state.
There were also no reductions to the OHS theater staff, supplies and equipment which total over $100,000.
How can OCSD say they are building a fair and responsible, revenue based budget when they are not proposing ANY position cuts to Music or theater except for a ridiculously small dent of their $168,000 budget and remember this $168,000 does not include Music teachers salaries!
Additionally all clubs/ organizations were proposed to be cut… let’s see what stays next year, I bet marching band will make the list!
Joe Demming
Oswego
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Music is an academic subject. You get credit for band, choras etc… I applaud superintendent Goewey for his forsight in not making drastic cuts to music. It shows he is making his decision with forsight. Music contains math, science, language and is an endeavour which has been found to cause positive effects to the brain including increasing the size of the brain in piano playing. Music/band should NEVER be cut. Anyone who thinks music programs should be cut displays ignorance towards what is in the best interest of students. Superintendent Goewey made the hard decisions and I support him fully.
I agree Music is an academic subject area, but isn’t English too? OCSD has no problem cutting 2 English teachers from OHS. This comes right after OHS was removed from NY’s Need of Improvement List. The state has deemed music an elective area, one that is not considered a core subject. The problem with OCSD is that music and band for far too long have been put ahead of core subjects, and look where that has gotten us! On the state list and terrible graduation rates!
To say music and band should never be cut is completely an ignorant statement! How can anyone agree that OCSD is building a “revenue based” budget when they are cutting no music positions and a TINY fraction of their budget!
To say that not cutting music is foresight for the future by the superintendent is a ridiculous statement! At what point do we stop cutting from everything else and finally decide to look at the out of control spending on music. The allocation of per pupil costs FAR outpaces every other department district wide.
If students want to play piano to increase brain size they should pay for it themselves, not on the backs of all taxpayers!!
A NPR article states that the most in demand jobs currently are “technology, business and engineering” based.
http://www.npr.org/2016/05/06/476993961/2016-should-be-a-good-year-for-new-graduates-to-launch-a-career
OSWEGO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT- WHERE MUSIC COME 1st!!!
http://time.com/3634995/study-kids-engaged-music-class-for-benefits-northwestern/?xid=emailshare
I think the person who originally wrote this post is merely saying that budget cuts should be equitable as stated by the superintendent. He or she is not saying to cut the entire music department in its entirety. The argument that music helps students achieve academically can be made and backed by research for other areas such as foreign language, art, technology, and even sports, which all face severe reductions this year. It’s not solely music that helps the brain develop cognitively. Music is very important and makes a child well rounded, but it’s not the only elective that can provide a child those opportunities. However, most of those other opportunities have been reduced this year or in years past. Is not about personal interest, what you think is important for just your child, but the district as a whole. It’s this feeling of entitlement that has put OCSD in this position. Basically, it falls down to the fact that reductions were not “fair and equitable” as stated by the superintendent.
Just a Taxpayer
It’s hard for me as a taxpayer to try to make sense of what the past sins of the OCSD has done to the future of this community. There’s never going to be a easy cut to the the sports or activities that we had been accustomed to. But regardless we have to do the most prudent thing possible to bring the budget under control and make sure we can provide the best education to our children that our money will buy. The well is dry folks, time for reasonable people to do reasonable things, think about the next school board elections and choice wisely, it only gets tougher in the years ahead.
The root of the problem are the salaries paid to all involved, whether it be teaching, sports, music, or administration.
I am voting no because the more they take in taxes means the more that they can give away during the next round of negotiations.
Cutting sports and potentially cutting music would be a bandaid. Unfortunately, the bandaid needs to be ripped off and the kids will need to suffer to give the district a year or two to negotiate a reasonable contract with the unions.
As one candidate for school board rightfully put it, Greed is the biggest problem faced by this school district. It will need to be addressed. Please vote NO. Don’t give them the tax revenue. Force the school system to address its real problem with a real solution.
The Importance of Music Study
Edward S. Lisk, Conductor, Clinician, Author
The solution for our school district budget problems are based on understanding the depth of music study and looking beyond the trivial statements and arguments we so often read. The implications and significance of music study in the total educational process are critical to academic success for each and every student.
One must consider the impact music makes on the student as they pursue academic excellence. Through music performance, we expand academic achievement and create a productive, successful life only attainable through the fine detail of artistic production and performance. Through music study, students experience the beauty of musical expression……. Beauty, compassion, feeling, appreciation, sensitivity, love, peace, tolerance, sympathy, warmth, empathy, self-esteem, cooperation, and respect…… These are but a few “living or life priorities” hidden in music study. No other discipline addresses these “living or life priorities” in the manner which music does. Once a school district denies the opportunity for music study, a student is lost to the whims of life’s desensitizing environment.
Music is vital to education. It is a powerful force in human learning and a language that cannot be denied. A child searches for expression and creative opportunities to share with others to satisfy their need for communication. The foundation for comprehension is enhanced significantly through the fine art of music by developing a child’s critical listening and thinking skills through the nuance, inflection, and subtleties of rhythmic and lyrical expression (comprehension). Becoming sensitized and being able to recognize and respond to music’s fine art of detail provides a depth of understanding and a value appreciation that enhances the development of the total individual. This is not found in any other school learning experience.
The decline of music education has been going on for many years. It began in the early 1990’s. It was at this time when the school day schedules (block, alternate day, etc.) were being tampered with and redesigned to emphasize math, science, reading, and testing. Our music profession responded to such massive changes with a position of “reaction” rather than “pro-action.” Losing the status of our music programs and in school scheduling are the results of a reactive response.
Music has long been a target for budget reductions. Our music programs are curtailed with the loss of instructional time, staff, and budget deficits because we are perceived as “activities” or entertainment programs. Music programs are too often separated from the rigors of academic study.
It is interesting to read the letters to the editor regarding cutting music programs and theater costs from the 2016 budget. It is quite obvious that those individuals never experienced the greatness of the Oswego City School District Music Program. It is sad that they missed the “living or life priorities” hidden in music study.
Edward S. Lisk, former K-12 Music Supervisor
Oswego City School District (1970 – 1991)
Oswego, NY 13126
http://creativedirectorseries.org
Hmm. I wonder why the music cuts haven’t been drastic. Music is already down to its bare bones. There used to be 3 music teachers in the middle school now there is one, there used to be 2 band directors at the middle school, now there is only one. Music lost 50% of their budget and winter guard was cut. There are only 32 outside of school music programs: the musical, and the marching band. So how about educating yourself.