Comments on: An Open Letter to the Gilbert Public Schools Board – UPDATED http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/an-open-letter-to-the-gilbert-public-schools-board/ Phoenix Real Estate - Anything & Everything About It. Plus Random Musings... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:19:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jay Thompson http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/an-open-letter-to-the-gilbert-public-schools-board/#comment-61576 Jay Thompson Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:47:10 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/?p=3519#comment-61576 For those following this, I received an email from the Governing Board President Thad Stump. It has been appended to the bottom of the original article. I appreciate Mr. Stump responding. For those following this, I received an email from the Governing Board President Thad Stump. It has been appended to the bottom of the original article. I appreciate Mr. Stump responding.

]]> By: Jay Thompson http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/an-open-letter-to-the-gilbert-public-schools-board/#comment-61554 Jay Thompson Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:01:10 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/?p=3519#comment-61554 Scott - yes, I'll be going to the board meeting. I hope to be able to address the board. I think it's GREAT that the HHS students are mobilizing. I hope they can pull in their parents as well. Gilbert High School students and parents seem to be planning to attend as well! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Scott – yes, I'll be going to the board meeting. I hope to be able to address the board. I think it's GREAT that the HHS students are mobilizing. I hope they can pull in their parents as well. Gilbert High School students and parents seem to be planning to attend as well!

Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

]]> By: Scott Watkins http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/an-open-letter-to-the-gilbert-public-schools-board/#comment-61552 Scott Watkins Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:16:23 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/?p=3519#comment-61552 Are you going to the Board meeting? If so, you should seriusly consider reading off some of your main points In your letter...it is very powerful and will surely help the cause. A ton of Highland High students are forming, and are going to attend the board meeting. We are even going to have a student speaker address the board. If enough of us go, maybe it will drive into their heads that no one likes this idea, and hopefully bring an end to it. Are you going to the Board meeting? If so, you should seriusly consider reading off some of your main points In your letter…it is very powerful and will surely help the cause. A ton of Highland High students are forming, and are going to attend the board meeting. We are even going to have a student speaker address the board. If enough of us go, maybe it will drive into their heads that no one likes this idea, and hopefully bring an end to it.

]]> By: Rich Bailey http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/an-open-letter-to-the-gilbert-public-schools-board/#comment-61539 Rich Bailey Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:04:22 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/?p=3519#comment-61539 Growing up, band was considered a sport, and a year-round sport. Since no instrumental music classes were offered at my school (North Shore, Houston, TX) aside from Marching Band, a defacto segregation between athletes, musicians and those who did neither evolved, along with all corresponding peer pressure. The final hour of the school day was reserved for extracurricular activity practice, which extended beyond school hours during your "season". So if you were an athlete and wanted to play music, you had to choose between your preferred sport and band. I chose soccer over saxophone; no regrets, but I wish I could have continued to pursue both. I am not saying kids are entitled to do it all. I think making tough choices from limited resources is a good life lesson. But to relegate one of the fine arts to extracurricular status to save money sends the wrong message to the students and the community. Growing up, band was considered a sport, and a year-round sport. Since no instrumental music classes were offered at my school (North Shore, Houston, TX) aside from Marching Band, a defacto segregation between athletes, musicians and those who did neither evolved, along with all corresponding peer pressure. The final hour of the school day was reserved for extracurricular activity practice, which extended beyond school hours during your "season". So if you were an athlete and wanted to play music, you had to choose between your preferred sport and band. I chose soccer over saxophone; no regrets, but I wish I could have continued to pursue both.

I am not saying kids are entitled to do it all. I think making tough choices from limited resources is a good life lesson. But to relegate one of the fine arts to extracurricular status to save money sends the wrong message to the students and the community.

]]> By: Alan Dayley http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/an-open-letter-to-the-gilbert-public-schools-board/#comment-61502 Alan Dayley Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:25:51 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/?p=3519#comment-61502 Music education is more than learning to play notes. Appreciation of physical exertion in artistic expression cannot be learned by reading or writing. Learning how to bond bond and understand other individuals is not possible without joint effort on a difficult task. Relegating jazz and marching band to extracurricular status will significantly damage the currently outstanding music programs in the Gilbert district. Even worse, it will remove one of the best environments for youth to learn the above life-lessons. They will be less prepared for excellence in all challenges of their life. Mr. Stump and Board, what do you propose should be done to make up for this critical loss to the curriculum offered by Gilbert, should you choose this path? Music education is more than learning to play notes. Appreciation of physical exertion in artistic expression cannot be learned by reading or writing. Learning how to bond bond and understand other individuals is not possible without joint effort on a difficult task.

Relegating jazz and marching band to extracurricular status will significantly damage the currently outstanding music programs in the Gilbert district. Even worse, it will remove one of the best environments for youth to learn the above life-lessons. They will be less prepared for excellence in all challenges of their life. Mr. Stump and Board, what do you propose should be done to make up for this critical loss to the curriculum offered by Gilbert, should you choose this path?

]]> By: Jay Thompson http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/an-open-letter-to-the-gilbert-public-schools-board/#comment-61501 Jay Thompson Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:41:55 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/?p=3519#comment-61501 Linda - thanks for your "inside" knowledge. The weird thing about this is the budget has already been hacked to pieces (though it's certainly possible further cuts need to be made). What I struggle with is it always seems to be the arts that get considered for elimination or cutbacks. Heaven knows we can't touch a boys sports program... And this equating marching band to football is just silly. Linda – thanks for your "inside" knowledge. The weird thing about this is the budget has already been hacked to pieces (though it's certainly possible further cuts need to be made). What I struggle with is it always seems to be the arts that get considered for elimination or cutbacks. Heaven knows we can't touch a boys sports program… And this equating marching band to football is just silly.

]]> By: Linda Davis http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/an-open-letter-to-the-gilbert-public-schools-board/#comment-61489 Linda Davis Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:56:43 +0000 http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/?p=3519#comment-61489 If you are going to object to a specific cut, and if cuts are inevitable, be sure to make other suggestions about where to cut. Do your homework. Trust me that there are probably other places to look like administration, teacher turnover, supplies. Look for areas to reorganize or areas to share resources. I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night but I did serve as Chairman of the Board of Education for a few years. If you are going to object to a specific cut, and if cuts are inevitable, be sure to make other suggestions about where to cut. Do your homework. Trust me that there are probably other places to look like administration, teacher turnover, supplies. Look for areas to reorganize or areas to share resources.

I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night but I did serve as Chairman of the Board of Education for a few years.

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