The Impact of the Proposed Four Day Cycle on Elementary Music and Art

The Fine Arts Booster Group supports quality instruction of music and art in our schools. A proposal is being considered to put art and music and physical education on a four-day cycle in the elementary schools. We urge you to contact your PTA, Principals, and Site Council and art/music staff to ask how the schedule would work in your building.

This change is being considered to look at budget reductions and standardize the number of minutes of instruction in each school. We support the need to look for efficiencies and minutes of instruction, but the four day cycle schedule as drafted reduces art and music instruction, wastes the allotted teaching time with materials set up and increases the number of travelling teachers. This is not an efficient use of our teaching resources.

Points related to the 4 Day Cycle Proposal:

• Art and vocal music teachers would no longer be collaborators with the general classroom teachers for curriculum connections, concerts, bulletin boards, etc.
• 45 minutes periods with no transition time would mean approximately 30 minutes in each period are left for instruction.
• Instruction time overall decreases from 2,160 minutes in a year to 2,081, not counting interruptions that would occur due to building wide events, testing, etc.
• In music, frequent repetition is needed for skill development. One class every four days does not give repetition.
• In art, time is need to teach skills and then discipline and time to apply them. One class every four days does not build continuity.
• Traveling teachers face challenges to become part of their building community and teams.
• Each building has such different space and class sections that this schedule needs longer study to see if would work from building to building.

Input on the budget proposal is still being received via the budget@icsd.k12.ny.us email and, though, the budget is already defined, a final hearing is set for May 11 for additional feedback.