Initial Data Review Thoughts

Alabama's Persistent Challenges

1. In Alabama, Arts teachers are not funded by the state. They are not considered as part of required teaching units. 

2. This means schools/systems must find funding to support arts teachers. 

3. Areas with smaller tax bases may have a HS band director, and no one else. 

4. Areas with more affluent (larger) tax bases may have a full gamut of arts educators. 

5. The irony is that these two schools are 10 and 25 minutes away from very affluent areas and their funding struggles are persistent. 

Looking for Possibilities, Creative Solutions for Continued Financial Challenges

1. Both administrators we interviewed looked beyond the financial constraints of being rural, low SES schools into what possibilities exist to provide what their kids need, what they feel is vital for their kids. Both agreed that music is essential.

2. They want, and feel their students need programs like LTT to help overcome some of the difficult financial choices they have to make.

3. Initial content review from these interviews suggest that focusing on possibilities versus problems can lead to creative solutions like LTT. 

Music's Value from the Administrative Point of View

1. Martha (school 1's administrator) is convinced that music plays a vital role in her students' mental health and overall well being. 

   • She noted that both behavioral and mental health referrals decreased when students had weekly music. 

   • She shared that there were more behavioral incidences and mental health referrals when they had less or no music due to state-mandated highly consequential testing (these take WEEKS of time). 

2. Ava (school 2 administrator) mentioned that we talk about "well-rounded education" and she says that music education plays a large part in that. It's a creative outlet, but also exposes students to new experiences, things they may not otherwise experience. 

3. Both noticed that their students wanted music instruction and would ask "why aren't the music teachers here?" when AU students had to miss.

4. These administrators highly value music and know their students need it. 

5. They want to provide music and voiced that they value the LTT because their students get music. 

What Can We Do Better?

1. Both AU Faculty/GTAs and AU Students

   • Get to know the classroom teachers better - have AU students spend more time getting to know the classroom routines (through observation and talking with the teachers).

2. Perhaps match introverted with extroverted personalities to see the strengths of both teacher types and teaching styles.

3. Work better on co-planning and curricular integration of music.

   • Teaching music for music's sake, but also helping support classroom teachers' music integration throughout the day. 

Administrators CARE about Their Students

1. We hear quite a bit of talk among educators focused on vilifying administrators. 

2. We noticed that these particular administrators clearly care about their students, their teachers, and care about providing as much as they can for both teachers and students. 

3. Perhaps, as educators we should “watch our speech,” especially around pre-service educators, who may be influenced by negative-focused comments and ideology.