As you all know, the State of Texas has submitted a bill cutting school funding by 23% and attempting to remove all extra curricular and co-curricular activities from schools. Monday, there is going to be a rally with an estimated 200,000 teachers, administrators, superintendents and school board members at the State Capitol. HISD School Board is sending Stephen F. Austin "Sonic Boom" Marching Band to be showcased in front of the State Capitol as an ambassador for programs in the city of Houston and/or other programs across the state of Texas that may be cut.
I urge anyone available to take this trip out to the State Capitol if you value the activities you participate in to come out to Austin, TX on Monday. It would be a nice road trip plus you are representing something worthwhile.
Word is that some schools in Central Texas have already shut down their programs..
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Be careful of your repertoire of music. Tone down the dancing. You are carrying the banner for all music programs in the state of Texas. Make sure you bring a picture of the band when you first started. Tell them of your accomplishments. Have the students speak.of where their life would be without band. In your speech, state that the next time the University of Texas scores a touchdown, maybe the band should not play. Just imagine celebrating a momentous occasion with no live music. No music means no programs with music. Let's have a Spanish Independence Day, Black History Program, or a parade with no live music. Mardi Gras will never be the same.
I will be there, my wife works with the Teachers Union in Alief ISD, and this is real-the talks about cuts and programs. It is coming down to the "haves" and "have nots." We really all should be working together to save any band program.
Son of a legend said:
Fantastic, Good luck to ya'll Mr. Runnels and the Stephen F Austin "Sonic Boom"! Represent our state's music programs well!
I understand a budget cut but not one that large! I see not just music programs going away but entire schools! Praying it is not that tremendous of a budget cut. But this budget cut also means TAKS test will stay for a while longer before the state switches back to End of Course Testing! I'll keep SFA in my prayers throughout this and hopfully nothing will happen!
Well when faced with the cuts, their bands will be forced to run like we run ours. For example, some of their schools have 4-6 directors total. Im sure those numbers will be cut to like 2. Also their funding is usually like $20-30K for their UIL shows because its customized and the company even sends out people to teach it. Now the directors will have to pull out a pencil and paper like we do and do their own shows. I doubt if they lose their programs though. They will just have to work hard like we do in the hood. (A lot of them Im sure will quit) So those doors will open up within a few years. Hey Id love to take Katy. I will show them how to balance a dam budget. Instead of $300,000 on one season, I will show them how to work with 2 staff members and $20K. Hell here at Austin, my budget in August was $500. So guess how the instruments got repaired and uniforms cleaned? And that UIL show, paper ad pencil. And not a complaint
oldwise2 said:
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