As voters head to the polls for school elections today, parents in the Onteora Central School District are still upset over the district's abrupt about-face on a plan to move the elementary music program from the school day to the early morning hours before school begins.
After months of sustained protests, and with an already controversial school board election looming, district administrators recently decided to back away from the plan. Many parents say the changes would have significantly undermined the school's music program.
The proposal to move music to the early mornings was based on a concern over the loss of instructional time during the school day, superintendent Phyllis McGill said. She said parents expressed a desire for both meaningful instruction with challenging content, and music. The plan was “certainly a hot issue for the parents in the shared decision-making meeting, but they understood what we were trying to do and how hard it is to do,” McGill said.
Rebecca Balzac, a candidate seeking a seat on the Onteora Board of Education and a parent in the district, said the district had not listened to parents when crafting the now-abandoned plan to take the music program out of the school day.
“I have absolutely no idea what she’s basing that statement on,” said Balzac. “Not one parent who voiced their opinion agreed with the idea of putting music before school.”
Balzac was a member of the shared decision-making group established by McGill, but said the name was misleading. “It was more of a focus group. She [McGill] definitely made the statement it was a consulting group. Dr. McGill did not want us to be part of the actual decision making,” Balzac said.
The plan was intended in part to combat a trend of poor elementary test scores in the district, McGill said. Phoenicia Elementary has been designated under the state’s accountability measures as a School in Need of Improvement, as has the middle school. “We looked at the data for Bennett and Woodstock and saw similar trends,” she said. “We realized this was not a middle school or high school issuem and that we needed to do a better job at catching the problems earlier.”
Balzac conceded that McGill’s academic concerns are valid, but said the music program should not have been singled out. “Our music program is really great. We are known for it,” she said. “No one said let’s see what we can do without moving the music program.”
Balzac said there was no serious consideration of alternatives to the early morning idea. It was a matter of “let’s just move the program out of the way.”
The proposal came under harsh criticism from parents and from the music faculty, in particular. “The music teachers were concerned the early morning hours would be an issue for young students and they might drop out,” McGill said.
Bennett principal Gabriel Buono worked with the music faculty on a compromise plan to restore the program to a time during the school day. However, a decision to suspend the grade 3 instrumental program still stands. Third graders will be able to participate in chorus.
Parent Becky Konjas said she was “relieved” the music program was restored.
“I’m glad they worked it out,” Konjas said. “The great collaboration between the music department and the principal made the compromise possible.”
“I hope the program is secure for next year,” said Karen Wemple-Estes. Wemple-Estes is the parent of three Onteora students, one of whom intends to make music his life's work. “If he didn’t have this in his life I don’t know what he would do,” she said.
It is ironic this would happen in a place as steeped in music as Woodstock, Wemple-Estes said.
“They spent a lot of money rehabbing the auditorium. Levon Helm came and raised money to buy instruments,” she said. “I am hoping the program stays the same.”
Balzac is glad the program was restored, but some has some reservations about how things will work come September.
“They are now on a rotation schedule and that requires planning. I need to hear more details,” Balzac said.
McGill said music, and the arts in general, will figure prominently in the district's new project-based elementary learning curriculum, which will be introduced along with the new elementary grade reconfiguration this fall.
“How do you discuss culture without the arts? The arts tell us a lot, and by using music it makes social studies or history more meaningful and developmentally appropriate,” McGill said. “We are going to be delivering a much stronger curriculum that is more motivating for kids and teachers. It is going to be exciting.”
Balzac remains skeptical.
“This was the second time the administration came out with this plan, and the second time they pulled back from the plan. I thought it was final the last time,” said Balzac. “I hope it doesn’t happen again.”
