Sign This Petition: Fair Music Education For All Students

 

Email Dr. Rouse: trouse@joliet86.org

 

Attend the Board Meeting: May 13, 7:00 PM at Sanchez Elementary School

As of April 29, 2026, administration has introduced a new plan to address overcrowding: the large orchestra group will be divided into two ensembles, with one meeting Monday/Wednesday/Friday and the other meeting Tuesday/Thursday. While this reduces the number of students in the room at one time, it cuts instructional access for orchestra students, who will no longer receive daily instruction.

 

Meanwhile, band students will continue to receive daily instruction in three separate grade-level ensembles.

 

Band students rehearse 5 hours a week in daily grade-level classes.

Orchestra students rehearse only 2–3 hours a week in combined grade-level groups.

 

This solution is not equitable.

This is an educational quality issue, a student equity issue, and a safety issue.

 

Why This Matters

 

Band and orchestra are not lecture classes. Students need consistent time to rehearse, build skills, receive feedback, and grow as musicians.

 

Both band and orchestra students should meet daily in grade-level ensembles for a full class period every day. That is the model students need in order to make meaningful musical progress.

 

Under the current plan:

 

Orchestra students receive significantly less instructional time than band students

Orchestra classes are split in a way that disrupts continuity of learning

Band students benefit from daily, grade-level instruction while orchestra students do not

Teachers are still faced with large groups and limited space

Students receive less individualized feedback and support

Program quality and student retention are at risk

 

How We Got Here

Music teachers warned district leadership that three dedicated music classrooms were needed in the new buildings. Original plans included three rooms, but one was removed and replaced with a performance/flex space. Both buildings are now short a classroom, and students and staff are paying the price.

 

Rather than addressing the root issue of insufficient instructional space, the district has shifted to a model that reduces access for orchestra students. Teachers have raised concerns and proposed practical solutions, yet those concerns appear to have gone unaddressed.

 

The current approach is not aligned with best practices or what comparable districts provide for their students.

 

A Real Solution Exists

 

Teachers need to be allowed to use the performance space as an instructional classroom. This would:

 

-Provide adequate space for safe, effective rehearsals

-Allow both band and orchestra to meet daily for a full class period

-Maintain appropriate group sizes and grade-level ensembles

-Restore equitable access to instruction for all students

-Improve continuity, achievement, and student success

 

District music educators have also proposed a Flexible Scheduling model that maximizes existing space without requiring unrealistic costs.

 

We Urge District 86 To:

 

Ensure equitable daily full-period instruction for both band and orchestra students

Ensure both programs meet in grade-level ensembles every day

Allow the performance/flex space to be used as a classroom for music instruction

Work collaboratively with music teachers to implement practical, research-based solutions

Support Our Students

 

Students deserve a music program built around learning — not overcrowding or unequal access.

 

Sign this petition and urge District 86 leadership to act now.

Email Dr. Rouse: trouse@joliet86.org

 

Attend the Board Meeting: May 13, 7:00 PM at Sanchez Elementary School