Roosevelt Vocal Music Supporters Protest District Changes

Supporters show school district what it needs to keep.

Des Moines, Iowa – Roosevelt High School parents, students and supporters protested the Des Moines School Board’s staffing changes this afternoon outside of Des Moines Public School headquarters on Walnut Street at 1:30 p.m.

Members of Roosevelt’s orchestra group got the protest kicked off by warming up the crowd with early harmonizations between different musical instruments and several classical songs. The protest atmosphere was kept light by several song and dance performances by the Roosevelt show choir team.

With the crowd warmed up to classical tunes and show-stopping dance numbers, event organizer and Roosevelt vocal music parent Karen Schaeffer got serious by telling the crowd of about 50 onlookers what is at stake if programs such as orchestra fade away.

Schaeffer said that it is not enough to simply replace the teacher and keep the program. The district needs to take more pointed action and retain the original teachers who are qualified to fill the position because that will benefit students instead of becoming a detriment that leads to students abandoning good programs she said.

Part of the then proposed budget cuts for DMPS included cutting music and art programs across the board in the city of Des Moines. School board officials later met and revised the proposed cuts to restore more than half of the originally planned 346 full-time positions that were going to be reduced.

Board members also decided to restore class time for music, art and physical education classes. The restoration board members implemented is now 30 minutes in those classes two days a week instead of the proposed 30 minutes once a week reductions.

Officially, the restored budget cuts by the school board will now bring back some 170 full-time teaching positions. The district will still experience a budget shortfall of even after state lawmakers approved new school funding earlier this month.

This afternoon’s protest by members of the Roosevelt community was sparked by the knowledge that Roosevelt orchestra director Sandy Tatge and vocal instructor Eric Shepard would not be retaining their current positions in the fall when school resumes for the 2010-2011 school year.

Instead, those teachers are going to be replaced by individuals who Roosevelt music education supporters say don’t have the qualifications to fill the positions and benefit the students.

“These programs have and require unique qualifications,” said Schaeffer.

Schaeffer addressed the crowd and told them that the naysayers are wrong when they claim that this is about saving popular teachers. Schaeffer explained this is about saving the integrity and fabric of a school’s music program while providing students a place to thrive and experience the arts.

Kevin Brown a junior at Roosevelt and vocal music student said that if the program was not in place his grades would not be as high as they are now. Brown attributes his academic and life success to the vocal music program. Most students would not know what to do or how to react if these programs went away he said.

“I want this program to stay because it’s changed me. I’m a better student for it. Plus I like the snazzy blue suits that we get to wear at some competitions,” said Brown.

Schaeffer said that the process of exchanging teachers at one school and exchanging them with other teachers from within the district baffles her because it does not make sense. She said that it is not possible to simply pick and choose teachers to come in and inherit a vibrant program and maintain its excellence if the qualifications are not there in the first place.

“We ask the superintendent, administration, school board members, and union leaders to work together to find a positive solution which will positively impact the staffing situation at Roosevelt and across the district so that qualified teachers are placed in fine arts positions,” said Schaeffer.