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HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAM DISGUST!!

PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 12:39 am
by Levallian
OK, get this: My high school, South Walton High School, in santa rosa beach, florida is trying to CANCEL OUR MUSIC PROGRAM! and it's not jsut them, it's every school in the walton county area of florida. This includes DeFuniak Springs, Freeport, and others. The classes they're trying to take away involve everything related to music like AP music theory, jazz band, steel pan band, choir, and band. What're you're thoughts?

PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 12:57 pm
by GuitarMikeB
It sucks, but is no different than sports programs which require the parents to cough up money if they want their kids to participate. Money is short, and why should taxpayers who don't have kids participating in thes programs pay?

PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:34 pm
by gbheil
Your not going to like my thoughts.


All music, sports, and other non RRR subjects should be privatized.

Not only would they get better education due to REAL competition, but it would vastly stimulate the economy by:
1) Creating a huge number of private employment opportunities
2) Relief of the ridiculous tax burden on property owners.

Let the hate-tin begin . . .

PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 10:04 pm
by zar535135
In my area they were trying to pass a levy that would raise taxes to help fund the schools extra-carricular activeties....(Football), the team lost every game the two previouse seasons.
I agree that if students want to pacticipate in such programs, then the parents of those children should foot the bill...

PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:00 pm
by J-HALEY
sanshouheil wrote:Your not going to like my thoughts.


All music, sports, and other non RRR subjects should be privatized.

Not only would they get better education due to REAL competition, but it would vastly stimulate the economy by:
1) Creating a huge number of private employment opportunities
2) Relief of the ridiculous tax burden on property owners.

Let the hate-tin begin . . .

I don't think there is a soul on this site that hates you George!
I do disagree with one part of your statement though. Your assumption that it would do anything to lower the tax burden by not having benefit eligible school teachers teaching music programs. Children that participate in their school music program are known to have better grades in other subjects. I can't say enough about the music programs when I was in school. Those are some of the best memories of my life, and it led me to where I am now! I think that those school programs are a necessity in today's society and I wouldn't be for cutting one cent out of those budgets the children are our future and IMO those programs help keep kids out of trouble, better grades the benefits to society are immeasurable!

PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:08 pm
by J-HALEY
zar535135 wrote:In my area they were trying to pass a levy that would raise taxes to help fund the schools extra-carricular activeties....(Football), the team lost every game the two previouse seasons.
I agree that if students want to pacticipate in such programs, then the parents of those children should foot the bill...

When I was in the program my parents bought my violin and all the other necessities. Beyond that I believe poor students should have help. I know this sounds crazy coming from me the ultra conservative but I believe for every child that is able to participate in school music programs that's one child not likely to wind up in prison. We can pay a little now or a LOT later!

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 12:46 am
by MikeTalbot
I disagree as well George. I'm with you on athletics, chess club and so on - but music is a critical element of western civilization. I believe kids should have a grounding in it just as with classic literature.

Not that I believe in public schools at all...

Talbot

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 1:14 am
by Jahva
We have a pretty decent public school system here in Charlotte... two of my boys graduated here and my daughter is currently in a IB Middle School she is required to take a performing arts course.
All were/are in the arts from Mens Choral Ensemble to band/Orchestra.
And it all costs extra. Every year they take trips to NY... in the past 4 months I bought my daughter her second clarinet and a trumpet.

But also every year the Performing Arts Programs in partnership with Wachovia Bank do volunteer work (parents and students) for the Wachovia Golf tournament. It's an annual PGA event held at Quail Hollow Golf course.
It raises 10's of thousands of dollars to support these programs. Easiest volunteer work I ever done. :P
But these extra-activities need outside support these days.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 12:40 pm
by GuitarMikeB
Sports programs (and chess clubs, etc) can provide good tools for children that can be used thorughout their life, but sports, art and music (and chess!) are not for everyone. And not every family can afford for their kids to do some or any of these activiites. Is there an easy answer? Not that I can see ...

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:57 pm
by gbheil
I agree on the benefits, still I feel the benefits would be even greater privatized.

Public education should focus on those aspects that grant the largest percentage of the population to be able to compete in the jobs market.
Music, sports, cheer-leading, dance, and other stuff don't.

I also believe that a family that pays tuition for private school should not be required to pay property tax to the scrool district as long as they have minors enrolled in private school.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 5:30 pm
by GuitarMikeB
sanshouheil wrote:I also believe that a family that pays tuition for private school should not be required to pay property tax to the scrool district as long as they have minors enrolled in private school.


And how about those who don't have kids? My property taxes went up to fund a $20 million high school remodel/addition. Did it make my property values go up? No!

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 8:54 pm
by gbheil
Public education is by definition the responsibility of the public .

When only the kids being edumakated parents are paying . . . that is a private school.

My taxes have also soared as the new screwal was built within 3 miles of my homestead.
Value went up so did traffic and crime.

What do I think about all that ?


THIS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r0hNiO_nyc

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:41 pm
by Paleopete
I wouldn't dislike George if you paid me, but I will disagree with him. At least partially...

If I hadn't had the greatest band director in half the country n high school, I probably wouldn't be much more than a decent guitar player right now. Because of that guy I picked up and learned every instrument in the place, learned to read music, learned to work with anybody and not care about race, religious preference or anything else. If you can play, that's all that matters.

I do agree that sports should be done much differently. Many big league players are almost totally illiterate because schools quietly passed them for their athletic ability. If you wanna play you should also be able to make the grades. Same as a musician. Period.

And this comment he made :

I also believe that a family that pays tuition for private school should not be required to pay property tax to the scrool district as long as they have minors enrolled in private school.

Absolutely, 100%. I also think more people should be able to afford private schools, the government run "public" variety has gone way downhill. It wasn't great when I was abused by it, these days it outright sucks.

PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 12:41 am
by MikeTalbot
I just found out I can no longer direct my contribution to my grand daughter's (two of 'em) school tuition to them specifically but they'd really appreciate it if I would continue to give them money for 'the kids...' Yeah. Somebody else's kids. (I was paying tuition to the school through that phoney assed foundation)

Another nice tax deduction down the tubes. I told the guy to shove it.

My church also has a school - in fact both of these are Christian schools. Atlanta public schools costs taxpayers 13k per kid. Our schools cost much less, have much higher standards; but we also teach Christian values which they (the over-world) hate. So the freaks in control of our lives allow me to pay for both.

My stepson went to Public School by edict of his likeable but lame dad. This was a school (Snellville Middle School) that claimed that 65% of their kids were above average....I suppose that's possible in some weird, non-Euclidean universe.

Talbot

PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 1:34 am
by Jahva
Chit gets done when the parents are involved.
When my youngest son was on the wrestling team they came up with everything and anything to raise funds... bake sales where the easiest but really finding some organization or company willing to trade volunteer/ hours for support ($$) worked well. Makes the kids and parents get off their behinds and get involved if they want to keep whatever program it is.

When my daughter was in ES seemed every month they had some fund raiser.
It got to the point that we just asked how much do we need to contribute... it can get out of hand.
And that was money for supplies for the classrooms.