Dear Parents and Members of the UC Community,
As some of you may know, the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) program is being hit hard due to the devastating cuts to education. Our music teachers are losing their jobs. This impact will be greatly felt by the UC schools unless action is taken. At the elementary school level, this means that students will not have an opportunity to receive music education in school. This is unfortunate as we know that for a majority of students, this is the only way they are exposed to music! At the middle and high school level, we risk losing some of our best teachers to other school districts who have decided to make music a priority for their students. In addition, one of our UC schools has a music vacancy and we could be forced to take on a teacher who will be placed at the site and who may likely not have the experience or expertise
directing a high school program.
On Tuesday, June 14th the Board of Education will hold a meeting and one of the issues to be decided will be whether to bring all of those music teachers back. Depending on how the Board Members vote, there is a chance the VAPA teachers will be reinstated. We need for this to happen now! Mr. John Lee Evans represents the UC cluster of schools. We need to put pressure on him and let him know we need to take a stand now.
If you feel strongly that we need to keep music in our public schools,
please send an email TODAY to Mr. Evans (
johnle...@sandi.net). Let him know we need him to say YES to music in our schools!
Below is a sample letter that you can copy and paste into an email to Mr. Evans. Feel free to use this or portions of it. The most important thing is to voice your concerns. Even a short message stating, "Save Music Education" will help. Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Marie Byrd
Parent and UC Community Member
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*SAMPLE LETTER**
Dear Mr. Evans,
As concerned parents and members of the University City community, we write to you to express our feelings regarding the devastating cuts to education and more specifically, the cuts to the VAPA program. We understand that many of the VAPA teachers are being excessed. This is unacceptable and certainly a decision that is not in the best interest of our kids! We are also extremely concerned that the Board has been reluctant to reinstate the VAPA teachers. If our Board members support the Arts, they are clearly sending parents mixed messages! Mr. Evans, if you are in fact a supporter of the Arts, we urgently ask that you take a stand NOW and show your support for music education in the public schools.
Cuts to the VAPA program will greatly diminish the quality of the music programs at all levels. Not only will the elementary schools lose out if the Board fails to take action. If the Board fails to vote to reinstate the VAPA teachers, the middle and high schools with openings for music teachers will be forced to accept teachers who: 1) may not want to be there in the first place; or 2) may not have the experience or expertise to perform well. We also face the risk of losing some of our most talented music teachers to other school districts because of the Board's reluctance to take immediate action!
Mr. Evans, we know you have been a supporter of the Arts in the past and thank you for that support. On behalf of the parents of the University City cluster of schools, we ask for your support and leadership NOW. We urge you to vote to reinstate the VAPA teachers. Your reluctancy to take action could
potentially hurt the UC schools.
Thank you for your time and consideration regarding this very important and pressing issue.
Sincerely,
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