Thank you and next steps

Hello supporters,

Thank you not just for your support, but for your dedication to sharing this petition and getting the word out. In just over two weeks, we have gotten over 4,000 signatures! Whether the Sound of Pride has directly impacted you or you were compelled to sign this petition through a friend or loved one, your support means the world and shows the relevant parties (i.e. the school district) the strong support that this program and the performing arts in Florida have.

I am no longer involved with the CCHS band program--I have been an alumnus of the program for around ten years, and just like all of you I was shocked to learn about this news. This petition was my way of getting involved.

Since all of you support this cause, I wanted to suggest potential next steps to you:

This Tuesday, June 17, at 8:45am, there is a school board meeting downtown: Kathleen C. Wright Building, 600 SE 3rd Avenue, Board Room, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301. You can learn more about the meeting and find the agenda and the livestream link (when it is posted, presumably sometime Tuesday morning) here. Unfortunately, the five day deadline to submit a request to speak before the board as a general speaker has passed. However, you can still submit a comment on the agenda by clicking on the previous link, scrolling down to "Upcoming Events," clicking on "eComment" next to the June 17 meeting, and clicking "Comment" on the lower right hand side of each agenda item. I went through the agenda and although none of the items specifically mention Mr. C as going from full-time to part-time, I believe the most relevant item to comment under is "H-1.) Appointments, Reappointments, Leaves, and Separations of Employment REVISED".

The official word from the district is that the position is being cut to part-time because of low student enrollment. This is corroborated by this WPLG article, and I also received an email response from the South Regional Superintendent Office stating in part that "[t]he position of the band director is currently part-time due to the enrollment levels within the program and budgetary concerns that needed to be addressed by the principal." The takeaway from this should not be to just express outrage, but to substantiate with facts and explain the danger of making the only music faculty at the school part-time: if the only band director and music teacher realistically has to find a second job to make end's meet, how can the marching band continue? Band classes will occur during the school day, but how can the marching band exist when the single person responsible for almost 100 students, over 10 staff, and dozens of parent volunteers cannot stay after school? How can the concert bands have after school rehearsals? How can the winter guard attend weekend competitions?

This past school year, 15 of the 29 marching bands at the district music performance assessment were smaller than the Sound of Pride, and the band received the highest rating of superior. During the concert band season, the top ensemble was only one of 15 bands out of 49 that performed in District 15 (Broward County) that received a superior rating, which you can verify here and here. The top ensemble then received a superior at the state assessment, which is a huge achievement that cannot be understated. The varsity and JV winter guards won their divisions multiple times in the highly competitive and truly world-class South Florida competition circuit, including at the championship. The point of highlighting these achievements is not to toot the horn (pun intended) of the program, but to show that the program is excelling in all aspects, regardless of program size. There are world-class marching bands in this country, even in Florida, with 15 or fewer students. Pointing at a seemingly random metric of "student interest in music electives" in order to justify what is probably only a $15,000-$20,000 savings in one of the largest school districts in the country is simply not prudent. The district says publicly that it cares about performing arts in its schools, but its action of potentially ruining a long-established program for the next years or even decades is counterintuitive to that supposed dedication.

Even if you cannot leave a comment on the school board agenda or show your support in person, I heavily encourage you to continue to call and message district administration, as well as make as much noise as you can. The more eyes that are on this situation, the more pressure that will be placed on the district.

I am keeping a close eye on the situation and hope to report back soon with a positive update.