Back to Basics…Unfortunately
I’ve never claimed to be a lover of the arts or music—and definitely not physical education. Words are my outlet. But I’m always amazed at the passion my peers have for these things. And they’re great at them. Many people learned or gained an appreciation for these subjects in school via vibrant music and arts classes, even though they are largely under funded compared to core curriculum classes. Unfortunately, last week Des Moines schools announced that 300 teaching positions will be eliminated next year to help cut $33 million from the budget in response to Gov. Chet Culver’s goal of cutting the overall state budget by 10 percent.
Not only will class sizes increase, but many of the to-be-cut teaching positions are in music, art, and physical education. While core classes are certainly important, music and arts help create well-rounded students. Physical education is also more critical than ever, as many young people prefer watching TV or playing video games to joining extracurricular sports teams or even just playing outside. This massive layoff is a true tragedy.
And the district has been less than transparent about the layoffs. An entire week after the district announced the cuts on February 26, many parents had no idea which positions would be cut at their kids’ schools. It wasn’t until March 6 that the district released a list of which positions will be cut. This was likely not an easy decision for the district, but it is even more difficult for the parents to swallow and consider the resulting changes in their kids’ education. Even though budget cuts were anticipated for the next fiscal year, no one—especially parents—expected to be left in the dark. The district, as a result, will lose many qualified teachers and the ever important trust of parents.
– Mallory George, Managing Editor
It’s a shame that the school district is deciding to cut the art, music, and phy ed programs to compensate for the $33 million shortfall. Even though I’m not from the state of Iowa, those three things were the main classes I would look forward to when I was younger. To see kids not get that opportunity anymore to explore their creative output, as well as burn a little steam, is just sad.
I’m happy that parents are taking up the fight and sounding off that this isn’t such a good idea. I honestly hope the school district rethinks what they are doing.
I just came across this story from the Des Moines Register about a group of middle school students protesting the budget cuts: http://bit.ly/bMMbSS. It’s inspiring to see them standing up for the education they deserve!