The Adrian High School Marching Band is the biggest organization on the AHS campus. But it's smaller than it was last year. And the year before that. One of the reasons is Adrian's shrinking population. Fewer families mean fewer potential band, choir and orchestra members. But there's another reason our band is smaller: scheduling challenges. As new classes or programs are introduced, they're typically offered to students during the first three periods of the day, the same time band, choir and orchestra classes take place. Why not just move music classes to later in the day? Because that's when instructors are often teaching at different schools in the district. In recent years, between 5 and 15 AHS students have come back to school in the fall to find that they've been “scheduled out” of band, despite the fact that they still want to be in band. The counseling department has a lot to consider when scheduling classes for our high school students and, when a student's schedule begins to get tight, a counselor may need to make a judgment call. That's where you as a parent can step in. If you believe music is an important element of your child's education - and here are eight reasons it is - we're asking you to stand up for that belief. YOU have the final say as to which classes your student takes. YOU are within your rights when you let the counselors know that your child wants a concentration of music classes, or any other subject, for that matter. YOU have options if you're told that scheduling limitations won't allow your child to participate in music, as well as the other classes she wants or needs. Option 1: Online Classes. AHS is obliged to provide access to up to two online classes per year for each student. So, if an in-school class is taking the place of your child's music class, ask your child's counselor if the other class is available online. Option 2: Personal Curriculum. On the Michigan Department of Education website, the Personal Curriculum is described as a process used “to modify specific credit requirements and/or content expectations based on the individual learning needs of a student.” You can use the Personal Curriculum rules to ensure your student has the music programs he wants and needs. Find more details here. Music education is so important for so many reasons, and it's worth fighting for. If your child has been removed from a music class without his or her knowledge, please talk with your student's counselor to learn more about your options, and then exercise your rights.
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