By Keith Hejna | Communications Officer
Strike a Chord
Imagine that you have the unenviable task of deciding which program to cut from your child’s school. Which do you choose?
More often than not, to the dismay of parents and teacher, the answer is music and/or arts programs.
“83% of teachers and 73% of parents say budget cuts in music education are detrimental to students?” On May 19, 2015, the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation (NAMM) and Grunwald Associates LLC, released a new report surrounding the hopes and beliefs parents and teachers have about music education.
One of their key findings shows that parents and teachers want to cut virtually every other program more than music and arts. But what does that really mean?
In a survey, teachers and parents were asked: Assuming a limited budget and the need for cuts, which program would you be most willing to cut from your child’s school? Please rank the following items from 1-15 with “1” being the one you’re most willing to cut and “15” being the one you’re least will to cut.
The results put music and arts education in the top 3 of programs they are LEAST willing to cut with an average score of 10.35 out of 15 by teachers and 9.78 out of 15 by parents. From the group of teachers and parents polled 76% of teachers and 64% of parents say the funding for their music and arts programs is adequate or worse, which can be detrimental to students.
After learning about these statistics, we took a look at how Little Kids Rock’s Modern Band program affected the students at PS 103 in Bronx, NY. Music teacher Amy Giangrasso says, “Opportunities like Little Kids Rock are life altering for these kids. It gives them a sense of pride, belonging to a social group and awakens a part of them that would never have been explored.”
Another teacher, Curtis Johnson from Paul Cuffe MST Academy in Chicago said, “Since [partnering with] Little Kids Rock, the Principal has learned that the students and parents want to see more funding and support for music in our school.”
So what can you do to help?
Donate Now! A gift of just $25 creates a new spot in a music class that will benefit a new child each year.
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