The articles that the Highline Times has printed over the last couple of weeks about the arts and education in the Highline School District represent concerned parents and district administration. What is missing from this conversation is the voice of music teachers, the ones doing battle on the front lines for kids and music programs. As a music educator of many years here, I want to offer some facts and a historical perspective from which the community can draw its own conclusions.

"THE ARTS" - this expression is loosely thrown around in the Sept. 24 front-page article "School Deny Arts Downplayed" and misleads readers to conclude that the arts programs in our school district are healthy when they are not. With all due respect, in her job as community relations director, Ms. Carbone-Rogers is paid to promote a positive image of the Highline School District.

"The arts" is a generic term for a spectrum of activities including music, dance, drawing, painting, drama, photography, video, technology, computer, woodshop, etc. Fine Arts as defined by our state include dance, music, theatre and visual arts. The goal/vision of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in Olympia is for all 295 school districts to provide for a comprehensive, sequential standards based K-12 arts program available to all learners in these four subject areas.

The current community uproar under our district's loose guise of "the arts" is specifically about the music programs that have been eliminated in our district: most choirs, all orchestras, and the bands that principals are now attempting to relegate to a before-school activity. It is important to note that the Auburn, Kent and Renton school districts all still offer band, choir, and orchestra in their middle and high schools.

The loss of our once-vibrant music programs is what is being brought to the community light. So let's talk about what's really happening. Following is an overview of your music department's achievements that were directly tied into having a dedicated Fine Arts Director, beginning in 1991 when I came on board and ending with the erosion of our programs when that position was eliminated in 2003.

Here is where your tax dollars were well spent and where they are going today:

1) BENCHMARKS AND STANDARDS: Before state EALR's (Essential Academic Learning Requirements) and the WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) came along, Highline's students were already receiving first-rate music educations complete with developed benchmarks and standards in the early 90's. Our dynamic Fine Arts Director and district music educator, Paula Hawkins, was among the first in our state to seriously deal with music standards and assessment issues. She spearheaded a successful effort to create HSD music benchmarks and standards and our staff helped define her vision. Ms. Hawkins also worked in concert with OSPI to pioneer current Washington state music EALR's used today in conjunction with the WASL. Today we use the state music standards that Ms. Hawkins co-authored with OSPI.

2) TEXTBOOK ADOPTION: After 30 years of playing the same scratchy vinyl records and shipping songbook collections from school to school, in 1995 Ms. Hawkins secured funding for a brand new music curriculum. We chose one well suited to the needs of Highline's diverse and multicultural populations. The MacMillan music series was cutting edge then and is still appropriate now for grades 1-8, although it's getting worn out and an updated edition is needed.

3) MULTICULTURAL MUSIC KITS: Our Fine Arts Director also enabled the creation of traveling multicultural music kits. Using district data, as a staff we decided what kits best represented the diversity in the HSD and set about gathering instruments and materials to place in big plastic tubs that would transport easily from school to school. We have kits representative of most of the ethnic groups in our district and also various instrumental kits. The keyboard and guitar kits are in terrible shape and need immediate upgrading. Many guitar cases are past falling apart at the seams and are being held together by tape so the cracked 25-year old guitars don't fall out. Thanks to our new point person at ERAC, this year we got a bit of funding to at least re-string the guitars so they can be played again. While the multicultural music kits used to be housed at ERAC (administrative headquarters on Ambaum Blvd.) they were relocated to a warehouse site due to a lack of space and were recently inventoried by music staff.

4) INCREASED ELEMENTARY MUSIC TIME: Another big step for the HSD occurred in the late 90's when we submitted to the Highline Education Association (HEA) a proposal to increase elementary student music time from 60 to 90 minutes per week, which meant a couple more music teachers were hired. Ms. Hawkins spearheaded another effort. Elementary students still receive 90 minutes of music per week.

5) MUSIC RESOURCE LIBRARY: Ms. Hawkins ensured that music staff could access teaching and music resources by securing dedicated shelving space at ERAC. Our marvelous world-music video library was housed at another site managed by the HSD video librarian. In 2004 we were suddenly informed, with no recourse, that all our books, CD's and vinyl records were being ousted from ERAC and scattered who knows where? (Many of the vinyl records were rare indigenous Folkway recordings from the Library of Congress.) Next, the video librarian position was cut and all our music videos were dispersed. To this day no list has been compiled as to where anything is because it is time-consuming to inventory a collection scattered over many libraries and schools. Someone should be paid to do the job, as we lost a collection of valuable resources indeed.

6) MONTHLY MEETINGS: Our Fine Arts Director was insistent upon regular monthly meetings with her elementary and secondary music staff. To honor this precedent we still meet on a monthly basis.

7) STRING/VIOLIN PROGRAMS: Ms. Hawkins connected with VH1 and secured a huge number of violins in an effort to revitalize our lost string programs (cutbacks again). The rest is history. As Barbara McMichael explained in her Letter "Arts Administrator Needed" in your Oct. 1 edition, a lack of administrative oversight, site based decision making and burdensome hiring rules ("highly qualified") has hampered the potential for blossoming orchestras all over the district.

8) CHORAL and BAND PROGRAMS: This is the area that has our hard-working taxpaying parents most upset up right now. For along with her efforts to revitalize the lost orchestras in our district, Ms. Hawkins ensured that every secondary school had a choir and band program. As it now stands, out of 4 middle schools and 3 high schools, only 1 middle school (Pacific) and 1 high school (Mt. Rainier) have choirs.

To say that "all of the high schools offers arts programs" is misleading because it avoids the important question: which of the Fine Arts? Are choir and band available to students at all middle and high schools during the regular school day? If not, why not? What are kids supposed to do for a singing class to fulfill their 1.0 credit in the Fine Arts if they don't play an instrument or choose not to take a mini-course in hip-hop dancing?

Some families can't afford instruments for their child and that's why many kids choose choir over band. They come from the strong music programs in our feeder elementary schools and want to keep singing after the 6th grade. School choirs and bands are a part of the fabric of American public education. They're a source of pride and used to be an integral part of HSD's elective offerings at every secondary school in the district.

The struggle to retain band as a regular part of the school day - not before or after - is a battle that has been waged at all of our high schools and one which Evergreen lost. Regarding keeping Tyee's band as a regular part of the school day, this victory can be attributed more to a vocal contingency of parents and music teachers that were once again forced to make the case for music, not necessarily to the goodwill of our administration, as our district attempts to paint the picture.

At the time, I wrote an e-letter and sent it to every middle and high school principal, school board member and to Terry Bergeson's office (OSPI) entitled "Re: A Call to Action - Adopt A Policy to Permanently Embed Secondary Music Programs into the Regular School Day." I challenged the HSD school board to adopt a policy ensuring that all secondary band/choir programs become a permanent part of the regular school day, thus rendering them immune to educational fads or to the whims of principals. Elementary music programs are safe so far, as they provide planning time for teachers.

OSPI responded to all my recipients by sending current state arts laws (see below) and other helpful information. As one of the eight learning intelligences (Gardner) the research has been out for a long time that music enhances higher brain function and development and that it positively enhances learning all across the board.

Why are Highline's students penalized by limited music electives when their counterparts in surrounding south-end school districts are still able to choose from choir, band and orchestra? Please don't tell me it's because we have so many "failing schools" in the eyes of the federal government that we must cut the arts to boost academic performance for standardized testing, especially when decades-long education research proves otherwise. Or that there aren't any music teachers out there for hire or that a teacher wasn't "highly qualified" as the reason for a "failed" cut music program!

9) FINE ARTS GRADUATION CREDIT: Regarding Carbone-Rogers mention of the "new" 1.0 credit arts graduation mandate, our Fine Arts Director was instrumental in producing this change. Ms. Hawkins actively worked with OSPI in the development of Washington State Music Frameworks and Classroom-Based Assessments beginning in1994. Their work finally came to fruition when the State Board of Education passed House Bill 2195 on March 8, 2004, stating that there will be 1.0 credit requirement for the Arts starting with the graduating class of 2008 without the possibility of a waiver. There are eight mandates to this law, among which is, ensuring that arts education in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts will occur. You can read the full text of the law at www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/Arts.

10) SUMMER ARTS ACADEMY: Ms. Hawkins had a stake in ensuring the continuity of our district's annual Summer Arts Academy. After her position was cut, in 2004 the HSD cancelled the Academy because, as management explained, not enough students applied. What really happened is that student applications were not dispersed to schools until the last week of May, and they were due on June 1. Consequently, at the middle school where I was teaching, students learned via the bulletin that applications were available on May 27 and due in 4 days in order to be considered for the program. Four days to retrieve and return an application? The district was also late in screening teachers for the program that year. When I brought these issues forth to Dr. McGeehan, our superintendent at the time, he reimbursed the teachers that were promised jobs teaching in the Arts Academy that summer. The program has since been reinstated.

11) FINE ARTS DIRECTOR POSITION: Let's be clear. Your tax dollars used to fund the position of a Fine Arts Director in our district, who maintained and ensured equity among all arts programs. That is no longer the case. In 2003 many people from our community rallied on behalf of Ms. Hawkins at a school board meeting. We knew that along with other cuts, her job was being eliminated under looming educational trends: the WASL and Small Schools implementation frenzy that, as a parent, I felt was being forcefully shoved my way without time for thoughtful input either from me or my community. Most parents I talked to were equally confused or clueless as to the shifting baseline. There were things to be done or federal and Bill Gates Small Schools grant monies would be lost; timelines were of the essence. Our voices were ignored. The position of Fine Arts Director was slated to be cut and there was nothing to be done about it.

What then? A "Highline District Coordinator" whose job title also included "Activities, Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Fine Arts, and Title IX" replaced the Fine Arts Director. Without dedicated leadership at the helm, it's no surprise that our achievements unraveled. In September 2008 this Coordinator position was eliminated and we now have a point person for music staff under the "Teaching and Learning" department, whatever that is.

RE: SMALL SCHOOLS: From what I have experienced, the transition from comprehensive high schools to smaller learning communities (Small Schools) created a fine mess generally and affected the Fine Arts specifically. Principals are attempting to oust band programs from the regular school day and course offerings had to find a home. For example, take Highline High School's band program, which is aligned with TERRA (Technology & Environment) and not the Renaissance (Fine Arts) school. Go figure. And the principal who did the district's bidding by essentially pushing change upon the staff, many of whom fled, is no longer there. My daughter's PE teacher was brought in at the eleventh hour to teach Honors English. Although they do tend to personalize a student's education, Small Schools do not solve the fundamental problems of public education of overcrowded classrooms and a lack of funding to hire teachers to reduce class size.

In 2006, when my daughter was in the eighth grade about to enter Highline High School, I tracked all the sporadic communications coming from central administration and Sylvester and Highline HS about its transition to Small Schools. I finally obtained a copy of Highline's Small School proposal and read it from cover to cover. It was tedious comparing and the 4 Small Schools because of inconsistencies in content and structure of the separate proposals. I encountered cutting-edge education buzzwords in each proposal (22 in one of them) - most of which were acronyms, rendering an average parent clueless. Only one proposal contained a glossary, only two contained schedules, and teachers were not listed on all of the proposals. Did the superintendent and HSD school board consider these proposals to be well thought-out? Were there no minimum presentation standards and why was this acceptable? Even our own students are guided by rubrics.

CURRENT PROBLEM DEFINED: When I asked our replacement coordinator of six departments last year why there aren't choirs any more, I was told that "choirs are a site-based decision due to Small Schools." Translation: HSD central administration no longer has a hand in what schools do or don't do elective-wise. It is now school principals who have the power to make or break music and elective programs, principals who are pressured to conform to the status quo. Within the current educational parameters of Small Schools, WASL testing and No Child Left Behind, each principal decides what electives to offer, cut or keep. Is it any wonder you hear stories about parents and teachers battling principals?

Up until 2003 the HSD backed the Fine Arts by providing a desk and funding for leadership and programs. Now choir and other elective rooms (like the woodshop at Pacific and popular electronics program over at OSC that sadly folded this year) are being used for "double-dosing" students in math and reading so kids can pass the WASL exam, when in many cases some good old-fashioned turning off the TV at home might help. As one HSD band teacher put it, "It is disheartening to have to tell a student they can't be in music because they are not passing the WASL. There have been no results to show that double dosing is working to get students to pass the WASL but they are still pulling those students away from instruction in music." This is what our district calls "supporting the arts?"

Finally, just like classroom teachers now "teach to the (WASL) test," music teachers are now being evaluated by principals on how well we incorporate literacy teaching techniques into our programs, like portfolios, listening logs, course organizers, read-alouds, shared reading, think-pair-share-write, etc. Funny thing is, we've been doing this all along, because we understand the overlap between reading and music and teach to this every day.

The bottom line is, that if we don't provide adequate opportunities for our children to learn and participate in band, choir and orchestra during the regular school day, we are depriving them of a great lifelong resource. As one HSD music educator put it, "I sent several 6th graders to Sylvester last year that were some of the best vocalists I have ever worked with. They were very interested in continuing their vocal studies and come to find out that Sylvester has no choir program! I was shocked into silence. These students could very easily go on to professional careers and now they will miss the training they need to perform at the high school level and beyond. I am still very angry about this loss for their and other student's lives!"

The truth of Carbone-Rogers claim that "the district has made it a priority to meet its budget without cutting arts programs" speaks for itself based upon the evidence. We've been five years now without a Fine Arts Director and music programs have indeed eroded.

Now it is the time for the HSD school board to step up to the plate. It should strive to bring our district into the 21st century and do the right thing concerning secondary music programs: adopt a permanent policy that places music squarely within the regular school day, whether in a Small School or comprehensive high school; reinstate all choirs and orchestras and do a national search to hire the right teachers to do the job; give us back our Fine Arts Director; centralize the budget instead of Fine Arts monies being put in specific school budgets; fund the upgrade of our traveling multicultural kits; replace our worn curriculum.

HSD's music education staff acknowledges and appreciates our district's commitment to music education thus far and wants to see it continue on all fronts. We want the HSD to appropriately support us and stop diverting our precious teaching energy by making us fight year after year to save music programs! And a community we should not underestimate nor devalue the effect of music programs in our district. For the musical arts offer a legitimate life pathway for many students.

Please put the arts issue to rest so people can focus on other things. The HSD should become a model and strive to be truly progressive in all aspects, not just new buildings or educational trends. Our beautiful new schools and the ones yet to built ought to be filled with the sounds of music. For we all know that if federal monies had been directed to embed music programs instead of Small Schools, that's exactly what would have happened.

Mrs. Joe McGeehan once said at a fundraiser, "... the academics are the brain of education while the arts are the heart." We human beings have souls that cry for expressive release. Will stripping students of their creative birthright produce better readers? No, says the research - the opposite is true. The HSD has a unique and dedicated cadre of music teachers in its ranks. We who are out there everyday creating magic through music know what music brings to students' lives. And what a source of pride and joy it is to families.

Help stop the cultural erosion of the arts, truly the canary in the coalmine that determines the quality of life for any society. The Highline Arts Advocacy Coalition welcomes community support. To be added to its e-mail distribution list contact Laurie Heckel at heckelcsr@aol.com. Readers can go to www.menc.org (Music Educator's National Conference) for further Fine Arts advocacy information. Please make a difference in whatever way you can to save our music programs in the HSD!

(Sandra Locklear is a Highline School District music educator and a jazz artist. She can be reached at www.sandralocklear.com.)