Does anyone have information about huge cuts to the music department at Hoover MS?

[Anonymous]

I heard a rumor that next academic year, there will be huge cuts to the music program at Hoover Middle School--for instance, reducing the number of ensembles (by combining intermediate and advanced band into one) and possibly even scheduling it so that band/orchestra/choral courses don't meet every day.

It wasn't clear whether this would extend to other parts of the arts program or just music. Has anyone heard anything like this?

[Anonymous]

No, but that's pretty common at some schools.

[Anonymous]

MCPS has a budget. Changing demographics and an increase in the student population has resulted in these changes. Money needs to be re-allocated for other things, including a bloated Central Office.

Our large MCPS high school has only one instrumental music teacher and had to combine orchestras. We'll be seeing more of this in the coming years. You can thank your local politicians and Thrive 2030 will make things even worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has a budget. Changing demographics and an increase in the student population has resulted in these changes. Money needs to be re-allocated for other things, including a bloated Central Office.

Our large MCPS high school has only one instrumental music teacher and had to combine orchestras. We'll be seeing more of this in the coming years. You can thank your local politicians and Thrive 2030 will make things even worse.

They either cannot hire teachers or they don't have enough students to justify more.

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that this sort of change is based on enrollment. So if people drop band/orchestra/chorus and there are not a certain number of students, they combine.

[Anonymous]

Well, at least there's money in the budget for more central office jobs and SEL programs that nobody likes.

[Anonymous]

Apparently the pandemic resulted in less interest which disrupted the pipeline of musicians and is now decimating programs.

[Anonymous]

My kid was in Blair chorus. It was like 4 classes combined and lots of non English speaking kids filling their arts elective. A zoo. She really enjoys singing and took voice privately but never repeated chorus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that this sort of change is based on enrollment. So if people drop band/orchestra/chorus and there are not a certain number of students, they combine.

This is the correct answer. The comments about the salaries of people in central office are inaccurate. Schools receive allocations for teaching positions based on enrollment. If the school’s enrollment drops and kids are not signing up for a particular class, things like this happen. The principal decides where the teaching positions are allocated. If enrollment is low in the band class and they keep staffing the same in that area, it means other classes will have enormously large class sizes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard a rumor that next academic year, there will be huge cuts to the music program at Hoover Middle School--for instance, reducing the number of ensembles (by combining intermediate and advanced band into one) and possibly even scheduling it so that band/orchestra/choral courses don't meet every day.

It wasn't clear whether this would extend to other parts of the arts program or just music. Has anyone heard anything like this?

Looking at Hoover's staff directory: Hoover currently has 3 music teachers, who respectively teach

1. Music 6 & 7, Chorus 8
2. Band, Orchestra
3. Orchestra, Digital Music

Are the teachers full time, or do they have fractions of a position?

How many students are currently enrolled in the chorus(es), band(s), and orchestra(s)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that this sort of change is based on enrollment. So if people drop band/orchestra/chorus and there are not a certain number of students, they combine.

But the music classes can be VERY large. Like the other PP said, it can be a zoo.

So you can have solid enrollment numbers, but they will still cut the staff for music if they need to allocate money in the budget for other things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the pandemic resulted in less interest which disrupted the pipeline of musicians and is now decimating programs.

This. There is also a decline in some of the advanced arts programs in HS. Schools have choices about how to use their staffing allocations. If enrollment in one elective is down, that means enrollment in another elective is up and staffing will need to be shifted around.

[Anonymous]

Westland MS has one instrumental music teacher, and two orchestras: one beginner, one advanced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Westland MS has one instrumental music teacher, and two orchestras: one beginner, one advanced.

Hoover has one instrumental music teacher and one non-instrumental music teacher. From what I understand the instrumental music teacher is being moved to a half-time slot.

I don't know about the size of sixth grade band, but I can't imagine how they could combine the current 7th and 8th grade bands into one and have them fit into the music room.

It seems like this is a chicken and egg problem. I heard information about the cut from an elementary school parent who is thinking twice about enrolling their kid in 6th grade band because of lack of commitment to the program. Huge classes pose problems with simple classroom management, let alone the attention kids need to learn their instruments. If 8th graders who excel are placed in the same class with 7th graders who aren't strong on their instrument, it sounds like a boring and almost useless class. So they will be causing the problem they are ostensibly responding to-- a weak program will deter students from joining in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Westland MS has one instrumental music teacher, and two orchestras: one beginner, one advanced.

Hoover has one instrumental music teacher and one non-instrumental music teacher. From what I understand the instrumental music teacher is being moved to a half-time slot.

I don't know about the size of sixth grade band, but I can't imagine how they could combine the current 7th and 8th grade bands into one and have them fit into the music room.

It seems like this is a chicken and egg problem. I heard information about the cut from an elementary school parent who is thinking twice about enrolling their kid in 6th grade band because of lack of commitment to the program. Huge classes pose problems with simple classroom management, let alone the attention kids need to learn their instruments. If 8th graders who excel are placed in the same class with 7th graders who aren't strong on their instrument, it sounds like a boring and almost useless class. So they will be causing the problem they are ostensibly responding to-- a weak program will deter students from joining in the first place.

Westland parent you replied to. Oh, DD is only in advanced orchestra to play music with her school friends. The class is abysmally bad. Not the teacher's fault at all, but when you combine music levels you have to teach to the lowest common denominator otherwise it sounds even more hideous than it does now. We never expected anything much, so we're not disappointed. Let's put it like that. It's public school, after all. DD takes private lessons and is in a youth orchestra outside of school, and that's where the music really happens.