Music Cuts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The schools have had music and drama classes for years. I've never known an afternoon practice to be for credit.

Is this common?

Yes, for example, at Westfield the advanced choir is actually held before school. In order to be in it, you also have to take a different choir class during school.

This is just one example, but symphonic orchestra, jazz band, and of course marching band, are also held outside of school hours. I assume marching band isn't being cut, since it isn't a class.

At our school, all the choir classes are held during school, with the exception of the extracurricular choir classes that did not have credit. Previously, if you wanted to be in a senior choir, you had to also take Concert Choir. Most kid would take an online class in another subject to make room for both choir classes. Recently, the new teacher does not require multiple choirs, but the senior choir is still strong. Can Westfield do that?

Taking an online class to make room costs money. The reason given for canceling the existing programs is because it isn't equitable. This solutions seems even more inequitable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The schools have had music and drama classes for years. I've never known an afternoon practice to be for credit.

Is this common?

Yes, for example, at Westfield the advanced choir is actually held before school. In order to be in it, you also have to take a different choir class during school.

This is just one example, but symphonic orchestra, jazz band, and of course marching band, are also held outside of school hours. I assume marching band isn't being cut, since it isn't a class.

At our school, all the choir classes are held during school, with the exception of the extracurricular choir classes that did not have credit. Previously, if you wanted to be in a senior choir, you had to also take Concert Choir. Most kid would take an online class in another subject to make room for both choir classes. Recently, the new teacher does not require multiple choirs, but the senior choir is still strong. Can Westfield do that?

Taking an online class to make room costs money. The reason given for canceling the existing programs is because it isn't equitable. This solutions seems even more inequitable

Per my post, the current teacher no longer requires students in the advanced choir to also be in Concert choir — yet the advanced choir is still strong, which suggests that two choirs is not necessary. As more and more APs became available, the school found that fewer kids would take choir if they had to do two of them because they wanted to ensure they could get their APs in. Westfield could do the same (not require participation in two choirs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If money is tight, activities outside of 8-3 should be the first to go. If that means students have to choose 1 elective instead of 3, I think that’s okay.

Does that include sports?

Yes, absolutely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If money is tight, activities outside of 8-3 should be the first to go. If that means students have to choose 1 elective instead of 3, I think that’s okay.

Does that include sports?

Yes, absolutely.

So what sports are being cut?

[Anonymous]

To the people bemoaning the death of the fine arts... note that there's a TON of music options people have talked about (even after you make the after school offerings regular clubs instead of classes.) At least back in the 2000's in FCPS it was the same way - CRAPTONS of music offerings, but very sparse options for electives for anyone who didn't want to take music or another fine art.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think cutting all Journalism classes and the newspaper is really pathetic at a school with 2800 kids. Don't we want to encourage kids who want to research, write, think critically and learn about reliable sources of info beyond propaganda and tiktok?

Westfield has not had a newspaper for many years

They have one online right now. Westfield Watchdog. The principal has never mentioned it in any of his messages so no one knows it exists.

It's also not on their webpage : https://westfieldhs.fcps.edu/student-life-activities/student-publications-media

Wow! That is a pretty sad level of support from admin.
Does any other big fcps have such hostility to student journalism?

https://whswatchdog.net/

[Anonymous]

I personally think there are too many
Music, art, theater electives and too few other options. For kids not into music or art, there are not many electives of interest.

My kid couldn't find one thing to take he was interested in. And he's a regular kid.

[Anonymous]

I was more upset when Westfield cut its Latin curriculum. No Latin is offered at WHS anymore.

I didn’t realize the music programs received an extra .5 class credit that were before/after school. Not sure why that is necessary, maybe it was a way to finagle extra staffing? WHS music program is very good and even played in the Rose Bowl parade years ago. I support the music programs and all other student activities being able to practice before school and after school, just don’t think the .5 credit is necessary.

In comparison and using the same logic, shouldn’t sports teams should earn .5 credit for their before/after school practices? Many athletes work just as hard as the music students in their craft. Physical education is part of FCPS curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If money is tight, activities outside of 8-3 should be the first to go. If that means students have to choose 1 elective instead of 3, I think that’s okay.

You don't understand how high school clubs work.

The issue is not the before and after school music groups.

The issue is giving academic credit and GPA boosts to kids participating in after school music ensembles, which are essentially clubs and in no way academic classes.

Is attendance mandatory and participating in competetions required for these ensembles? Also, can you be in jazz ensemble if you're not in an advanced music class? Just wondering because if the answer to the first question is yes and the answer to the second question is no, that's quite different from a lot of clubs.

But not different at all from sports and theater, where attendance is mandatory, even if you are sitting on the bench or standing on the stage for 2 minutes as Tree #5.

After school activities and clubs are not academic classes.

Westfield music is wrong on this one, and the administration is correct.

Are you allowed to be in these ensembles if you don't play or sing as much as everyone else or don't participate in the competitions while the rest of the group does? Again, if the answer is no, that's different from sports or theater and a lot of other clubs.

No - at WHS not everyone can be on a sports team. There are tryouts and cuts made. Generally those with the most skill make the team. Sounds similar to the fancy ensembles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was more upset when Westfield cut its Latin curriculum. No Latin is offered at WHS anymore.

I didn’t realize the music programs received an extra .5 class credit that were before/after school. Not sure why that is necessary, maybe it was a way to finagle extra staffing? WHS music program is very good and even played in the Rose Bowl parade years ago. I support the music programs and all other student activities being able to practice before school and after school, just don’t think the .5 credit is necessary.

In comparison and using the same logic, shouldn’t sports teams should earn .5 credit for their before/after school practices? Many athletes work just as hard as the music students in their craft. Physical education is part of FCPS curriculum.

It is nearly impossible to find qualified Latin teachers. Our school lost the latin program after they had to fire the teacher for impropriety. There was no one qualified to replace him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was more upset when Westfield cut its Latin curriculum. No Latin is offered at WHS anymore.

I didn’t realize the music programs received an extra .5 class credit that were before/after school. Not sure why that is necessary, maybe it was a way to finagle extra staffing?

Music performance groups in FCPS that meet after school do not receive 0.5 additional credts.


That is what the issue is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If money is tight, activities outside of 8-3 should be the first to go. If that means students have to choose 1 elective instead of 3, I think that’s okay.

Does that include sports?

Yes, absolutely.

So what sports are being cut?

The entire athletics budget for FCPS is around 30 million dollars. There is not one thing offered in FCPS that does more for students with less cost to the public. If FCPS's other endeavors were as efficient and self supporting as athletics we'd cut 2 billion from the budget.

[Anonymous]

My kid trained two hours a day six days a week for basketball, worked three weeks of fundraise camp for free and didn't even get extra credit for PE class lol. Also they fundraised thousands of dollars....

Why does the music dept need so many different versions of the same thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those who are saying that offering classes outside of the school day for credit is unique to Westfield are 100% wrong.

My DD has been taking a choir class for credit at another FCPS school for 3 years and there are definitely plenty of others who offer before or after school courses for credit.

When it comes to the fine arts, its the only way many students can take the classes that they want with the few electives that they have at their disposal. It also allows kids to go more in depth with their fine arts education - for instance, taking both choir and show choir, marching band and jazz band, etc.

Those are not supposed to be for credit.

How do you know? Seems like you're just mad because you don't have the opportunity.

Because the 0.5 advanced coursework honors bump was created to give a boost to the top level audition ensemble at each FCPS high school.

It was not created to reward club participation in after school activities, and was only for the in achool advanced music classes taken during the day, with tests and written requirements in a set curriculum, such as music theory, and which participates in the yearly state assessment each spring with pre approved music selections and sight reading evalution.

The 0.5 bump is an honors curriculum bump for the advanced coursework of the most advanced music classes. One choir class, one orchestra class and one band class per high school.

It is not for show choir, jazz ensemble or marching band, just like math students don't get a GPA bump for matheletes and student council kids don't get a 0.5 GPA boost in their history classes and theater kids don't get an academic boost for performing in the musical.

That 0.5 boost was hard fought by the music teachers and approved to specifically recognize the advanced music curriculum, not to give a bonus for club participation or prrformances.

If Westfield was using that academic bimp to boost after school club participation, then they were not following policy and should be reigned back.

Where do you get the idea that the before school/after school music classes in question receive a .5 GPA boost??? They don't. Just a regular old 4.0 class. And at our FCPS high school, that class is held to exactly the same standards as other performing classes for credit that meet during the day. There is attendance taken, in-class assessments, grading, and mandatory participation in county-wide assessment performances and school concerts. Why shouldn't they get credit for it - it's not an elective club where you can choose to show up or not and no option to quit half way through the school year or take some time off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually don't understand what's being described. What is being eliminated, and why, and what is being retained?

The “why” is spelled out clearly:

- they are eliminating these music classes due to racial equity reasons.

FCPS has repeatedly stated their number one priority is: equity (the “E” in DEI).