Editor’s note: The following information was presented at the Morrison Community Unit District # 6 Board Meeting on Monday, August 24, 2015. It was submitted by Ryan Neumann. The drawing was created by his daughter, Molly.
The beginning of this school year has already begun to see some of the issues of the current schedule. Many students are feeling discouraged by the fact that the electives they want to be involved in are being offered in direct conflict with core classes. One example that comes to mind is incoming Freshmen, who have been placed into Basic Algebra. From what I understand, that class is only offered at the same time as Band. This affected many Freshmen this year.
They were told that they would need to take a year off of Band or take it as “unscheduled.” This is after spending a grueling week outside at Band Camp, before school started. For anyone here who has been through a week-long outdoor camp, like Band Camp or Football Camp, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be told that you could no longer be in the group.
For some of these Freshmen, Band is the only thing that gets them to school. Some of these kids are not academics. Art and Music are the only facets of their day that they get to feel successful in. It may not be your intention to eventually drop these electives entirely, however, that seems to be the Community’s perception.
The biggest issues at hand here are
- students are getting less access to the electives that make them well-rounded
- we are dealing with lowered morale across the Community.
We have already experienced the first casualty of this issue, the resignation of Nick Bonneur. Whichever way this issue pans out in the future, back to Block, or keeping a seven-period day, Mr. Bonneur will still be gone. The Number One advocate in this district for children leading full, enriched lives filled with Art and Music and all that they offer….he’ll still be gone. Who will be their advocate now?
Finally, I’d like to share a drawing. It was drawn by my daughter, Molly, when she was in 8th grade. I certainly didn’t show her how to do this. Her mother and I and absolutely not artists. But the Art Department in this school system saw something in her, and teased out of her a skill that I never knew she had, and certainly didn’t have the ability to nurture. I am eternally grateful to this school district for that. Molly has aspirations to go on to college in the Arts; she wants to be an architect. With conflicting electives, will she get the experience she needs to get into the career she wants? Colleges are becoming less concerned with ACT and SAT scores, and more with group involvement, electives, and extra-curriculars. They are looking for well-rounded students, not just the ones who ace their core classes.
I am not going to say “on behalf of the Community,” since no one in the Community elected me to represent them. But I will say this–Please reopen this issue. I understand that fixing this issue in this school year is probably not going to happen, but what about next year? Take a hard look at what lies ahead for this district. Do we want to continue to stand out as THE district in northern Illinois that produces well-rounded students, enriched by Art and Music, or do we want to become what every other district in the area has become? We are at a crossroads. We have the opportunity right now to make an important change in the lives of hundreds, if not, thousands of future students.
I understand that in the end, money talks. This is absolutely a budget issue. But is this really saving us any money? So, let’s work together to find the best solution.
Ryan Neumann