Keep On Keeping On

For a while now, I have known about the possibility that my job will likely be cut after this school year.  Such has been the precarious nature of being a music teacher in California for the past ten years.  But it's not just California, is it?  Too often I hear stories from friends about how their jobs are changing.  One friend went from teaching at 5 schools to 9, general music only to GM and band.  Another's position was cut back to 60%.  I read on music education blogs about middle and high school band directors who now have to teach elementary general music to "round out" their positions.  In my own school district, not too long ago each child K-6 had general music plus the opportunity join band or strings in 4th grade.  I saw that get cut back to just 4th and 5th grade general music with instrumental on a pull out basis.  And now all that is left is pull out instrumental music for 4th and 5th graders. 

I always thought, by working at a charter school that has K-6 music twice a week written in the charter, that I would have some job security.  But last summer, while meeting with my principal, I was told flat out that there would be some budget cuts and my position might be eliminated.  While the rest of the staff rallied to make the best of it and get the charter passed again, I wrote a section about the music program just in case.  But it was not to be.  You see, part of any charter is the goal of fiscal responsibility.  So the decision to cut music was made and the work I had done outlining the wonderful music program was null and void.  Was I angry?  You better believe it.  But there is really no one to blame.  Only the budget.

So, knowing that I will not be back next year, how do I keep going?  Keep in mind, I have known this as fact since February.  I still have nearly half of the school year left with lessons to teach, concerts to prepare and projects to complete.  It would have been really easy to simply throw up my arms, think I quit and just start showing videos.  But that's not me.  I'm not doing this to impress my colleagues or receive accolades from my principal.  I am doing this for my students.  They still deserve my best, even I won't be around next year to keep them moving forward in their musical development.  And a few weeks later, the 2nd and 3rd graders performed a charming concert about a bakery.  The 2nd year violin players are getting pretty good at Cripple Creek.  Beginning Band is finally starting to make musical sounds.  Next week, 1st grade and Kindergarten will begin learning songs for their spring concert.  Teaching and Learning will carry on.

And, if it is true that I am doing this for the kids, then I have achieved that goal.  Today I heard a story that gave me the warm fuzzies! 

As part of the public hearing for my school's charter renewal, community members, students and teachers have been invited to speak before the school board.  Lisbeth, the student representative, is being coached by her teacher and another staff member and, when asked to choose a topic she would like to speak about that truly represents what makes our school special, she chose to talk about a music project she worked on last fall.  As a student leader, she could have chosen any number of other things:  student council, Renzulli projects, yearbook club, Girls On the Run, world cup soccer during fitness classes, class field trips or parties, but no, she chose a music project because it incorporated everything she has learned in project based group learning:  teamwork, problem solving, delegating responsibilities, creativity, planning, editing, practicing and presenting a project that was student driven.

That, my friends, is why I keep doing what I do.