Loudonville-Perrysville Ex Village School District (Ohio) is proposing to change their existing "block" schedule at the high school to a seven period day. This change will cause DETRIMENTAL damage to all of the electives at the schools. Problems the schedule change will cause: *Band will be moved from the end of the day to the middle. The board thinks this is a good idea because they are giving the band an hour instead of 42 minutes. -Many other people who have regular day jobs work with the band all year round. This will make it difficult for them to give their time. -Jr. high students will not be able to join in with the hs band. - 6th grade band (5th grade has already been (years ago) eliminated due to scheduling problems) will have to moved or eliminated. Jazz band will be eliminated. *Students will not be able to pick more than one elective. So if you are a musician going into music in college you will not be able to take choir and band. You will have to choose, which will put you at a huge disadvantage to other properly music educated students. Some students will not be able to take an elective at all. Most likely honors students. *IB students will not be able to leave their program in another town, in the middle of the day to attend band or choir. *Most of the band is in choir and vice versa. *The band is around 70 members (which is big for the amount of kids enrolled) that will be cut in half the first year and then dwindle after that if the feeder programs are eliminated. "This is the beginning of the end" I have heard some important people say. *Many other programs (Holocaust, etc.) will be effected or eliminated because they are seen in the eyes of the board as classes students "like" to take. To teach to the "whole" student, students also need courses that speak to their humanity and their creativity. The reasons behind the schedule change are: * "This year's eighth grade class will be the first to undergo the very rigorous Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career system of next-generation assessments. This new system will evaluate our school and teachers in 10 to 12 core academic subject areas. " ... " * Switching to a 7 period day will add 30 additional hours of instruction a year in the core courses. * Common schedule for the Jr/senior high. *Efficient staffing (use same teachers at both Jr/senior high) These are all very valid reasons for the schedule change but we feel that it can be done in a more efficient and inclusive way. We are asking the board to reconsider this schedule change and look for other possible options that can include electives. Many other schools are eliminating the arts and humanities...what is that going to look like in 20 years? Privatization? Maybe. Do we really want to go the direction of "everyone else" or do we want to take a stand for the things that REALLY make us human? Do we want to get lost in a digital age of computers and no interaction ...or do we want to keep our community alive with music and arts and things that make people FEEL and WORSHIP and GIVE and have HOPE? Where ever you are in the world... sign this petition. Take a stand for what is right! A small group of high school students from a small, beautiful town in the hills started this movement. Let's make it go VIRAL!  PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH NON-CORE CLASSES!!!  SHARE SHARE SHARE!!!  

Links