Leadership Matters - October 2014

“Your letter to parents dated August 20 was shared with me yesterday by one of our principals. What an outstanding letter! Thank you for voicing so well the concerns we all share and the priorities you intend to keep! It was inspiring!” Rob Glass, Superintendent, Bloomfield Hills Schools, Bloomfield, Michigan “I applaud the letter that you sent to your parents about the real priorities in education. I am a music educator, and I have watched every subject take a back seat to ELA and Math, children reduced to their test scores, and teachers forced into a preset teacher mold with no room for innovation. I actually attended a professional development session that referred to all non-ELA and -Math subjects as ‘feeder subjects’ for ELA and Math. I could not agree more with you!!! Thank you for your courage, clarity, and eloquence in a time that is so muddled and needlessly complex!” --Buster Harris, Mississippi “I believe that your email inbox may be filling quickly as your parent letter is being shared throughout our nation. Since I am also an educator, I know that we don’t work with children for the purposes of extrinsic rewards, much less the simple ‘thank you’ that actually do make a difference. Since we are all taught to insure that our students receive praise for any great deed, I wanted to pay it forward to you as well…Your parent letter is deeply appreciated, as it speaks to what most arts teachers have been saying all along. As budgets dwindle, and researchers continuously try to find ‘efficient’ ways to close the perceived gaps, it has been common knowledge that priorities have shifted away from your (and our) viewpoint of the complete learner. I often say to parents ‘as a teacher, I am charged with seeking new ways to reach students – to learn better techniques when I can; however, I find it quite ironic that the great inventors, the great thinkers, and the great businessmen of our nation were taught by a system of education that emphasized basics, arts, and community learning, yet we as a nation are moving further and further away from that model. And – many of the directors of this movement ARE products of that same system.’ I apologize for the diatribe. I did, however, want to thank you for acknowledging the vital components of a true education. While you may obviously receive conflicting viewpoints for your stance, I sincerely hope that there will be overwhelming support. You have mine, at least. My bigger wish is that other leaders in education may heed your words.” --Richard A. Bacz, Director of Bands/IB Music, Alexandria, VA

“Great letter sent to your parents and community regarding what matters most in your school district. Thank you for having the courage and disposition for doing so.” --Dr. Ken Jerich, Professor Emeritus, Urbana

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