Two Classes (Band & Strings). One Additional Teacher. How Does “Co-Teaching” Work?
What Does the Additional Teacher Actually Mean?
In the music update sent out to Loker families last month, entitled "A Balanced Path Forward: Core Curriculum, Equity, and Scheduling Updates for 4th and 5th-Grade", the Loker Principal, Brian Jones, wrote:
“To ensure this 45-minute block is as effective and impactful as possible and trying to be responsive to feedback, I am pleased to share that we are adding a second highly skilled teacher, Whitney Tandon, to our instructional team. Ms. Tandon will co-teach 4th grade band with Ms. Keenan in providing crucial support as scholars are just learning how to play a band instrument as well as 5th grade strings with Ms. Pisklo, which has traditionally been our largest instrumental music class.”
Because this announcement was presented as a response to feedback about the reduced 45-minute music block, I think it is important to look closely at what the additional staffing actually means in practice. At first glance, this sounds like 4th-grade Band and 5th-grade Strings will each have the benefit of an additional teacher. But when you look at the actual schedule, there are important questions that the announcement does not answer.
First, what additional support is being provided to 4th-grade Strings?
4th-grade Band and 4th-grade Strings take place at the exact same time in separate classrooms. So if Ms. Tandon is co-teaching 4th-grade Band with Ms. Keenan, she cannot simultaneously be providing that same support to 4th-grade Strings. Yet the announcement does not explain what additional support 4th-grade Strings receives.
(This is particularly important because 4th-grade Band students are just learning their new instruments, since there is no band in 3rd-grade. They now have to learn how to play their instruments in an ensemble setting rather than receiving the separate small-group instrumental instruction they previously received. The ensemble is intended to teach students how to play together, but students are also now expected to learn how to play their individual instruments within that same setting. Fourth-grade strings students are also still developing foundational skills as second-year musicians and could benefit from the additional instructional support. If the additional teacher is assigned to 4th-grade Band, what additional support is available to 4th-grade Strings?)
The same issue exists in 5th-grade.
5th-grade Band and 5th-grade Strings also take place at the exact same time in separate classrooms. The announcement specifically describes Ms. Tandon as co-teaching 5th-grade Strings because it has traditionally been the larger instrumental music class. However, to date, there has been only one teacher in the 5th-grade Strings classroom during these past two weeks. Is the additional teacher moving between the two classrooms based on which class has the greater need? If so, how is that being determined? This is different from having a second teacher consistently assigned to 5th-grade Strings. Who is available to support Band when the second teacher is in Strings, and vice versa? Does this arrangement constitute co-teaching?
This distinction matters because 5th-grade Strings has traditionally been the largest instrumental music class, and the announcement specifically describes Ms. Tandon as co-teaching 5th-grade Strings. It does not explain how that co-teaching works when 5th-grade Band and Strings occur simultaneously in separate classrooms, or how students in the other classroom receive additional support when Ms. Tandon is providing support to one class. It also does not address the concern about the space being used for 5th-grade Strings, despite it traditionally being the largest 5th-grade instrumental music class.
This is what I mean when I talk about transparency.
The statement may be technically accurate, but it does not give families the full picture of how the additional teacher will be distributed across the simultaneously scheduled classes. Parents should not have to reconstruct the schedule themselves to understand what “co-teach” means in practice.
That is why I continue to encourage families to look closely at the details, ask questions, and seek clarification when the information provided does not fully explain how a change will work for their children.
Looking Ahead: How Will This Scale Next Year?
Most critically, how does the district intend to address this when they attempt to roll this pilot out across all three elementary schools next year? Expanding this model will exacerbate scheduling conflicts and further overstretch staff members across the three different schools and six ensemble classes, where Band and Strings overlap at each school. Instead of solving a scheduling problem, this approach is poised to create a far larger, district-wide bottleneck. This raises another important question: how will the district ensure that students consistently receive the additional instructional support being described?
Petitions and Community Action:
Petitions matter, but they are only one part of community advocacy.
For example: Support Pulaski High School Lacrosse
That petition generated nearly 1,000 shares from players, parents, coaches, and community members after the school board voted to end the program’s eligibility without public input. Supporters were encouraged to attend school board meetings, write letters, and speak up in addition to signing the petition because the board ultimately had authority over the program’s status. The board ultimately reversed course, and Pulaski boys’ and girls’ lacrosse will continue as a WIAA-sanctioned program for the 2027 season.
Every situation is different, but the example demonstrates why continued community participation matters.
We have more than 600 signatures. We need to continue putting attention on this issue, asking questions, and making sure families have the information they need to understand what is happening.
Ask the hard questions. Look closely at the details. Look between the lines. And when something is unclear, ask for clarification.
A Note About These Updates:
Following my last update, I received feedback that naming individual district leaders and committee members directly could be seen as inflammatory. I want to address that directly: my intent has never been personal. Our movement is focused entirely on transparency, evidence-based policy, defending our children's music education, and calling out the reality that this decision started as a scheduling problem—not an academic crisis. I do my best to keep our updates focused on the decisions, data, and official actions of the School Committee and administration while continuing to hold our elected officials and district leadership fully accountable to the community. When I identify someone by name, I am doing so in connection with their documented words or actions in their official role, not to make a personal judgment about them. I have tried to be careful to distinguish between what has been said or documented and the conclusions that families may draw from those facts.
I understand that people who disagree with my position may find some of these updates frustrating. That is okay. My goal is not to make everyone agree with me. I want families to have the information, ask questions, look at the details for themselves, and reach their own conclusions. I also recognize that advocacy around a contentious issue can become uncomfortable. I have tried to keep my focus on the issue and the information rather than on individuals, and I intend to continue doing that.