Schools

Letter to the Editor: Proposed Curriculum Bad for Kids

A retired educator is discouraged by the new elementary school curriculum, recently proposed by the Centennial School Board.

The following letter was submitted regarding the proposed changes to the elementary school curriculum within the Centennial School District:

I was in the audience Wednesday morning and heard the explanation of the upcoming Centennial School District curriculum. I have no personal involvement in the elementary area since my grandchildren are both in the high school.

I am a retired educator who taught in Bucks County. Over my three and a half decades of teaching, and service as a music department chairman,  I saw many curriculum proposals, so I was able to comprehend the outline that was presented.

Based on my experience in my home district as well as multiple Middle States Evaluations in three states, I can sadly assure you that the program that was presented will have serious detrimental effects on the music program.

Given the reduced meeting times and ultimately the need for huge group instruction, it will be detrimental to an effective instrumental program.

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I saw a curriculum very similar to the one presented Wednesday in an evaluation in Delaware that reinforced my opinion that this scenario will have negative consequences to the music program.

It should not be too long before the result of the reduced meeting time will be noticed. The Fine Arts Celebration, long a source of pride for the district, will show the effects not next year, but the following year.

Hyperbole is not the intent of this note. It is really meant to offer a realistic appraisal based on experience and observation.

I can provide studies that show the positive academic influence that playing an instrument has on children.  One would hope that the esthetic and emotional brain is not neglected in our public schools, for they help make a child whole.

In this relatively small community, the arts are prominent. We have the Centennial Singers, the Warminster Symphony and the Southampton Band. Surely our schools should reflect the area in which they function.

The district's mission statement shows a huge A with three equal areas of Academics, Athletics, and Arts. Sadly, my conclusion is the the arts will be diminished.

Submitted by: Marvin Feld

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