Comments

Karen, you are very patient. I suggest that you discuss the teacher issue with someone in management at the school. The individual teachers are doing their best, but none of them can address the overall problem of consistency in teacher and classroom. That is the role of management. I hope that you can get the problem fixed soon. It drives me crazy, Karen. The whole system is set up to fail: too many kids in a class, making instrumental classes pull-out classes (so kids have to miss other things), not paying enough to attract qualified teachers, changing the program so often that there's no institutional wisdom, and on and on. I had to look to see where you live because to me it seems extraordinary that so many families would show up for this program on Saturdays-- that's a great energy. But it sounds as if the program is a victim of its own success, and that they don't have the personnel or funding to support it. That's really too bad, because programs like this can be such a positive force in the community.

I guess you have two options-- to pull your daughter out (so she doesn't end up traumatized, bored, and displacing all of these feelings into a dislike of music. You could find a private program for her. Or, you could see how receptive they would be to your help (you're a decent amateur musician in your own right.) If they receptive to parental involvement, you could organize a band (pardon the pun) of supportive parents to help with the organization and also recruit teachers who have a bit more experience than the poor high school violist you describe. It sounds like the program has enormous potential, but if it isn't rescued, families will leave. Parents shore up soccer leagues. Why not music programs?

E. Smith, you're quite right about the program being a victim of its own success, in a way. This is not a pull-out program, it's a Saturday school. "Who needs sleep?" and all that. There is a pull-out program in the school too, but most of the kids take an instrument and so it's the ones who aren't "pulled out" who are missing something, not the reverse.

This is in fact the same program that produced these kids: http://www.hilaryhahn.com/students.shtml. It meets in Chenery Middle School, "near Boston," on Saturday morning, some kids from 8-10, some from 9-11. Many of the kids come to the Saturday music school wearing their soccer uniforms, because that's where they're headed next. Reading those essays from kids who went through the program, it seems they must be doing (or have been doing) something right.

There is a group called POMS, "parents of music students," which I joined last month for $20 when I went to the parent information session. I am still not exactly sure what POMS are supposed to be doing; I know that the high school POMS usher at concerts. (And they do a lot of fundraising, which I admit, I'd rather have a root canal than do myself.) Anyway, I think this is the sort of parent group you're talking about. I just haven't figured out how to plug in effectively.

I mean, to be honest, I could teach one of these classes myself. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it for the more advanced kids, but I could do it at my daughter's level. I'd do it for free, or for community service. But I have no actual credentials at all as a teacher or as a musician--and that seems to matter. I dunno. I think the high school violist would be just fine too if he had 4-5 interested kids to teach, rather than the 7 he has, two of whom really seem like they were dropped off so their parents could have cheap babysitting on Saturday mornings . . .

I don't have any constructive suggestions, but the picture of young people wandering around and crying, looking for their correct rooms to have their lesson in is so sad. Poor things! I hope things work out better next time! Hi, Karen,

I looked at the links on Hilary Hahn's website-- what a wonderful program. I wish we'd had something like this here when my kids were little.

You write,

"I mean, to be honest, I could teach one of these classes myself. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it for the more advanced kids, but I could do it at my daughter's level. I'd do it for free, or for community service. But I have no actual credentials at all as a teacher or as a musician--and that seems to matter. I dunno. I think the high school violist would be just fine too if he had 4-5 interested kids to teach, rather than the 7 he has, two of whom really seem like they were dropped off so their parents could have cheap babysitting on Saturday mornings . . ."

I agree, from what I've read on your blogs, that you could handle the younger kids. You have more credentials than the high school violist, who, no matter how talented and energetic has too many kids in his room to do an effective job. And you have more years of musical education, life exerperience, and of course parenting as well.

I also agree with what Anne wrote below you, that wandering lost in the hallways is a sad- well, traumatic. That's the kind of thing kids remember for their whole lives.

About the POMS (why is there always a cute name?) I know what you mean about fundraising. Sometimes (in my experience, anyway) schools prefer to relegate parents to this task, which is of course very important, instead of allowing them to meddle with actual hands-on teaching. But you have the skill an passion to make a difference. And your talents would be wasted if your energies were put to handing out programs or organizing car washes. Anyway, this may be presumptuous of me, but it seems as if a door is opening...

Greetings,
if I was a teache rin that situation and aparent like you offered to organize help I would kiss your feet and give you a bowl of prunes free every week. Trust your instincts and you will do -exactly- the right thing,
Cheers,
Buri