save the lausd honors programs! (final revision)

October 11, 2007

Dear Music Families and Friends,

We hope that this letter finds you all well! The year is off to a wonderful start as all of our kids have been working extremely hard already. Mr. Miyoshi, Ms. Jacques and Ms. Ling are back for what promises to be another wonderful year for music at Paul Revere Middle School. We do appreciate your generous support of the music department through the years, and we truly hope that you will stand behind us as we fight to save an important and unique part of the instructional year.

In 2003, the Arts Education Branch of the Los Angeles Unified School District launched the LAUSD Middle School Honors Program, a high-quality, rigorous program that has since been an important pillar of instruction in many ways. The Honors Program allows instrumental and choral students from the entire district to audition for several performance groups: a string orchestra, a symphonic band and a chorus. It is a true honor for students to be selected to represent their school as they have to spend extra time working on this set of music as well as their own repertoire. The selected students then gather for two full, school day rehearsals where they work with outstanding conductors/music educators (high school and university level) that are experts in their various fields. Music coaches are also hired to provide students with extra instruction. The program culminates with a concert at the prestigious Kodak Theater in Hollywood where family and friends may gather to behold the fruits of the students’ labor, again, at no cost to them. The music standards-based program is open to all middle schools district-wide. Overall, it's a chance to unite teachers, students and communities from the entire district in an educational experience that crescendos to a final concert which represents the very heart and soul of how music thrives through the students in the Los Angeles area. With the success of the middle school program which took about four years to hone to a functional level, an elementary program was introduced two years ago. That, too, has been extremely successful. Hopes were high for the addition of a high school program this coming year, but things came to a crashing halt with the Arts Education Branch’s decision to eradicate both existing programs, thus eliminating the dream (and logical next step) of taking it to the next level.

This year, the Arts Education Branch received a 20% budget cut ($964,000), which resulted in the decision to “suspend” funding for both the elementary and middle school honors programs for this year. Both of these programs have been seen as merely a “showcase” of only a few hundred students by a handful of people, while many others have seen and understood timeless value and integrity of the entire process and product. Actually, hundreds of students audition and several thousand people attend the free Kodak Theater concert. The LAUSD Middle School Honors Program is another tool in the music teacher’s belt to encourage the student to develop his/her skills evermore – they practice this music in addition to those required by their own music programs, work on technique, intonation, bowing and all other aspects of musical performance pedagogy to be able to audition and take part in this experience. The program is also run by teachers who act as managers for the various performance groups. Our own Ms. Ling and two other teachers from Palms Middle School and Sherman Oaks CES have managed the respective groups for the past two years. They dedicated extra time and effort into making this the best learning experience for the students involved as possible. One proposed solution from the Arts Education Branch is for the creation of four regional festivals in the place of the “suspended” one. Would it not be easier for them to eliminate the program completely after suspending it for one year? This projected “solution” would only increase expenses by four (four times everything – costs and rehearsal spaces, concert venues, conductors, managers, music, etc) and would subdivide music programs and teachers against each other.

The programs had to be eliminated because the Arts Education Branch has to provide financial support to the schools. They have more money now than ever before, but they are doing less for secondary students and teachers than before. Secondary teachers are not seeing any more money than they have in the past, and they all have to jump through millions of hoops to “justify” receiving money from the governor that is rightfully theirs to have and use to improve the quality of their music programs. Music teachers in other districts outside of LA have easily obtained and many have already spent their governor’s money while LAUSD music teachers are still trying to figure out what other papers they have to fill out so that they can purchase items that will probably not arrive until the end of the school year if even then. Within the past few years, elementary schools arts programs have been expanding and those teachers have and are receiving their per pupil money from the district. Secondary teachers had their yearly professional development meeting (where all local district arts teacher gather together in their various areas to collaborate) taken away three years ago and no per pupil money (a supposed $43 per pupil this year or SB1131), which involves an even larger quantity of smaller hoops, has been going to the schools. All that being said, secondary music programs basically survive on no money from the district. Without the generous support of PRIDE/PTSA here at Revere, our music department would not be able to function and thrive as it has been. The bottom line is that, yes, the Arts Education Branch received close to a $1 million dollar budget cut this year, but they are also receiving $28.4 million from the governor. Where is the money going? Why are they adamant about not seeking outside funding for programs? Schools, teachers and the districts they function under should exist solely for the betterment of every maturing young adult that they service. And finally, what is the cost to run an honors program? It is a mere $65,000 for one.

Finally, because the honors programs are suspended, there are no programs at all this year provided or funded by the Arts Education Branch that directly affect our students.

Those of you that have had your sons and/or daughters participate in the process definitely do know how valuable and rewarding this program is. We implore that you please help the programs be reinstated for this year by contacting by phone as well as in writing ALL of the following people ASAP:

Board of Education
District 1: Marguerite Poindexter Lamotte
Marguerite.lamotte@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6382, Fax: 213-241-8441

District 2: Monica Garcia
Monica.Garcia@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6180, Fax: 213-241-8459

District 3: Tamar Galatzan
Tamar.galatzan@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6386, Fax 213-241-8979

District 4: Marlene Canter
Marlene.canter@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6387, Fax: 213-241-8453

District 5: Yolie Flores Aguilar
Yolie.flores.aguilar@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6383, Fax: 213-241-8467

District 6: Julie Korenstein
Julie.dorenstein@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6388, Fax: 213-241-8451

District 7: Dr. Richard Vladovic
Richard.vladovic@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-6385, Fax: 213-241-8452

Board Director of Education Policy: Randy Ross
Randy.ross@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-2021, Fax: 213-241-8443

Executive Officer of the Board: Jefferson Crain
Jefferson.crain@lausd.net
Phone: 213-241-7002, Fax: 213-241-8443

Local Superintendents
Local District 1
Jean Brown, Superintendent
6621 Balboa Blvd,
Lake Balboa, CA 91406
Phone: (818) 654-3600, Fax: (818) 881-6728

Local District 2
James Morris, Superintendent
5200 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Phone: (818) 755-5300, Fax: (818) 755-2810

Local District 3
Susan Allen, Superintendent (interim)
3000 S. Robertson Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Phone: (310) 253-7100, Fax: (310) 842-9491

Local District 4
Richard Alonzo, Superintendent
4201 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Phone: (323) 932-2266, Fax: (323) 932-2115

Local District 5
Carmen N. Schroeder, Superintendent
2151 North Soto Street
Los Angeles, CA 90032
Phone: (323) 224-3100, Fax: (323) 222-5702

Local District 6
Martin Galindo, Superintendent
5800 S. Eastern Ave.
Commerce, CA 90040
Phone: (323) 278-3900, Fax: (323) 720-9366

Local District 7
Carol Truscott, Superintendent
10616 S. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90047
Phone: (323) 242-1300, Fax: (323) 242-1390

Local District 8
Linda Del Cueto, Superintendent
1208 Magnolia Ave.
Gardena, CA 90247
Phone: (310) 354-3400, Fax: (310) 532-4674