Traditional holiday concerts have been canceled at all Superior school district elementary schools this year, according to Superintendent Janna Stevens. Similar concerts at Superior middle and high schools will not be affected.
"We knew it would be controversial," Stevens said of the decision. Winter concerts have been part of the school year as far back as anyone can remember.
Ideas for other winter events to replace the concerts - such as after school sing-alongs - have been discussed, but no decision has been reached.
A meeting is slated for next week to give elementary music teachers and parent involvement coordinators from each school a chance to discuss the issue.
The decision to take away the holiday concert was made after music teachers approached administrators in July with concerns about time.
ADVERTISEMENT
"They felt they were spending so much time preparing children for concerts they weren't getting at major parts of their content," said Mary Anne Korsch, director of curriculum and instruction for the district.
The state recommends 90 minutes of music education per week in elementary school. The School District of Superior provides only 30 minutes a week to children in kindergarten through second grade and 60 minutes a week to children in third through fifth grades, according to Jori Walt, music teacher at Great Lakes Elementary School. As music teachers have refined curriculum and prioritized the standards to teach, they found they were losing ground.
"... our students are not meeting these standards at an adequate level," Walt said in an e-mail interview, and they had to omit some standards because "there simply is not enough contact time to teach them."
It takes a minimum of six weeks to prepare for each of the two annual concerts at each school - the winter and spring concerts. That means one-third of the school year is spent on concert preparation. Music teachers asked for only one concert a year, opening up six extra weeks for teaching standards - which range from knowledge of the different musical notes and terms and singing expressively to identifying what culture or historical period a musical piece comes from.
"We are hoping parents and community members will understand that our decision was made based on what would be the best learning opportunity for the students of Superior," Walt said.
Parents at Cooper Elementary School have reacted to the news with concern and two petitions - one asking for the return of winter music concerts, another requesting that students to be allowed to sing traditional Christmas music.
"It's not just the fact that kids look forward to it," said Leah Raboin, who has two daughters at Cooper. The winter concert is a time when staff, parents and students raise funds for the needy through the sale of crafts and baked goods.
"Last year we raised over $3,000," Raboin said, which was used to purchase Christmas gifts for 20 families in need.
ADVERTISEMENT
The concert brings with it the chance to teach children about giving, she said.
At Northern Lights Elementary School, parent involvement coordinators have also expressed concern. Their goal is to promote involvement within schools.
"A lot of our parents, that's one of the only opportunities they take to be in the building," said Kim Kiel, who also serves as president of the Northern Lights PTA. "I feel we're missing an opportunity."
Stevens said she understood parent concern over the decision.
"It's a big change," she said. But a compromise may be possible.
"Is there an opportunity to do something on a smaller scale?" Stevens asked.
A Wednesday meeting will give teachers, administrators and parents a chance to search for that middle ground. Any parent with concerns is asked to contact the parent involvement coordinator at their elementary school.
When asked about the request for traditional music, Walt said teachers avoid programming sacred music to honor a variety of traditions and religious practices.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Our concerts are a blend of 'winter songs' and secular holiday songs that are developmentally appropriate for students," she said.
