Recently, several parents shared their heartfelt concerns about changes to our elementary instrumental music program in a letter to the editor. Their passion for music education is admirable and reflects our community’s deep commitment to the arts.
After reviewing the district’s plan, I’d like to share an alternative viewpoint. I believe these changes represent an exciting opportunity to strengthen our performing arts program. The district is thoughtfully reimagining elementary performing arts to provide more diverse opportunities for our students beyond instrumental music. They’ll be evaluating this new approach alongside existing programs in visual arts, technology, and library, with the goal of also introducing world language in 5th grade the following year.
Here’s what’s actually happening next year:
4th graders will receive 60 minutes of theater arts weekly (replacing the current 40-minute instrumental music class), while 5th graders receive a full 60 minutes of dedicated instrumental music instruction. Previously, students received 40 minutes of instrumental music in both 4th and 5th grades (80 minutes total). Now they’ll receive 60 minutes in each grade—120 minutes total across their elementary years. That’s a 50% increase in performing arts instruction!
Additionally, instrumental music class sizes will be cut in half with increased staffing, allowing for more individualized attention and meaningful instruction time. As the parent of a recent 4th grade instrumental music student most of the instructional period was spent on logistics rather than actual playing and learning.
Theater arts will provide tremendous benefits, including building confidence, empathy, creativity, and collaboration skills — all backed by extensive research which was cited by the district in their evaluation. By introducing theater in 4th grade while strengthening instrumental music in 5th grade, we’re helping more children discover their unique talents and passions in the performing arts.
The district spent months developing this proposal through a collaborative process involving teachers, administrators, and performing arts staff. While change can feel uncomfortable, our administration has demonstrated remarkable success in improving programs, increasing enrollment, and enhancing communication across the district. They’ve found a way to consistently give parents and students more of what they want and need while communicating about it transparently.
I encourage our community to embrace a new approach that seeks to expand opportunities for all our students. Let’s support our district as they work to create a more comprehensive and inclusive performing arts education for every child.