Education Crumbling?

Today I was watching TV, as I usually do in the morning, and happened upon one of my favorite movies, Mr. Holland's Opus. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of seeing this movie, it follows the life of Mr. Holland, a musician who is forced to teach music at a high school rather than become a famous composer. However, he becomes a life altering teacher who helps several different students find their purpose in life. By the end of the movie, Mr. Holland is fired from his teaching position not because of a decline in his teaching ability but because of a decrease in funding for the music and arts departments.

This got me thinking. I know Texas is currently going through difficulties in financing the education system statewide. This is a product of multiple things like the Robin Hood plan and the economic crisis experienced nationwide. For this reason, school districts are being forced to reappropriate funds so that their budgets can be decreased. What I find interesting is that every time districts are forced to reallocate funds the first departments to be cut are the music, arts, and advanced placement programs. One example I can think of is the Southlake Carroll District. One of my friends who works within this district told me that when the Southlake was going through the process described above a few years ago, they cut the music, band, and arts departments from their budget. Now the only way that these organizations still exist within the school is from the fundraising money collected and kids/parents paying to participate. This deeply disturbs me. When I was in high school I participated in the choral program for all four years. It was where I found my identity. However, with current trends, the existence of a music department in Texas public schools is slim.

Here is where we connect back to Mr. Holland. In the movie, when he was fired from his musical teaching position Mr. Holland cited that if the school districts continued to cut the music and art departments, the students will have no reason to come. There will no longer be anything to creatively write about or exciting aspects of the day to anticipate. It will just be long division and science. There must continue to be something left for the people with creative minds and musical hearts.

My mother teaches at a local elementary school. She teaches the gifted and talented class. This is a class aimed specifically at kids with a high IQ who require a more interactive curriculum. In this class there are exercises aimed at expanding a students creativity, problem solving, and abstract thinking. I was a part of this class when I was in elementary school. I loved the logic problems and the abstract drawings we were given to complete. Well this year, the school district considered cancelling this class, not offering it next year. However, when the parents became privy to this information, they petitioned for it to be continued. The school district decided to continue the GT program, but it will be considered for pruning again next year.

It amazes me how the school district thinks its okay to punish the intellectually gifted, the singers, and the artists for their budget screw ups, but NEVER even think about taking a penny away from the sports departments. Southlake Carroll, for instance, would never take money away from their State Champion football team. I've heard it said that sports are emphasized because of the opportunity they offer students in the future. However, this same argument can be used for the music and art departments. There could be a Mozart or Picasso at any of these high schools, but will never realize their true potential because of the fact that the district will not adequately fund their programs. The real problem I guess, is that I have no solution for this problem. The only solution I have is if your school doesn't have a choir but you feel the need to sing, then bust out and sing to your favorite song on the radio. You can also try to find a community choir to join. If you feel the need to paint, find some paint or watercolors and paint the picture you see in your mind. Same for if you need to play an instrument. Play the song you hear in your heart. Play, Sing, Paint what your heart is saying.