At last night’s Newton School Committee meeting parents spoke up in opposition to the sudden shutting down of Newton South’s award winning Jazz Combo, announced with no warning last Friday. This is just days after the NPS budget was approved, and there was no mention of these cuts in any of the budget discussions.
Among those speaking was WBUR radio host Tiziana Dearing. She made a compelling case for both restoring the Jazz Combo as well as other staffing cuts to the music department. Listen here.
Here’s an impassioned letter from another NSHS parent:
Dear School Committee Members,
I am in shock that the Jazz Combo will not be offered next year at Newton South. Cutting any program is difficult however cutting a music specific class is like cutting the varsity lacrosse team. Not every student is a star student. Not every student is a star athlete. Not every student is a star musician. BUT when you start to cut classes that affect the students that excel in music, you should tell parents that budding musicians will not be supported at a higher level in high school. Would you tell a budding football player that there will be no varsity football in the fall? Cutting this Jazz class is telling musicians that they are not wanted at South. It is telling the music department to shut down completely.
I don’t understand how so many great things have been cut. It is obvious to me that the mayor and the budget committee do not value the great things at south. They only value the excellent students and AP classes and SAT scores. Cutting things that help students alleviate stress and move their music careers forward is terrible for the school, the student and Newton.
I am heartbroken.
Please let me know what else can be done to save this program. School is more than football and AP classes, or at least it should be.
Stephanie Weitzman
.. and here’s what we’ll be missing if the award winning Jazz Combo program is ended. Take a listen
This is heartbreaking. We hear David Fleishman discuss “breadth of the program” during many school committee meetings. But cutting this Jazz Combo class is not keeping that breadth. I won’t even discuss that the teacher of the group is one of the best female jazz conductors. Female jazz conductors are rare, and she has been the only female conductor at Essentially Ellington, an elite invitation only performance. When my child was in the band program there was an assistant or two helping teach the group of 80 plus students in that ensemble. By the time my child graduated, both part time assistant positions were cut, and this band teacher was teaching alone. Less time for individual time for the musicians. Would we have 80 kids in AP English?
There are many, many talented musicians in both high schools, and some of these musicians plan on applying to music programs and need this honors class. Just like bio majors need AP Bio to show an interest and subject knowledge.
For the past several years, even before Covid, the school has been slowly and under the radar, cutting music programs. It is a shame because Newton has a tremendous pool of talented musicians and the music program teachers are some of the best and most dedicated teachers overall that I have seen at South. To make things worse, the new schedule the high schools have this year means that classes meet fewer times each week and some of the classes that were formerly year-long programs are now only a semester.
Generally, school budgets in a cutting year do not explicitly single out specific classes to be cut (for obvious reasons, you light a fire under everyone who’s very passionate about “x” class). You make big picture cuts and then decide/announce the specific ones to be cut after.
This is a sad loss, and, at the same time, it’s entirely expected – NPS is going to have to cut a lot of what makes NPS special in terms of extra offerings and supports, and that’s going to hurt Newton students.
Are the sports teams being cut as well?
This is awful. What is the plan for reversing this decision and how can we help?
By supporting an override or putting more pressure on the school committee to use ARPA funds, although the boat has sailed for the latter
Is this really necessary?
The NSHS Jazz Combo, throughout the
decades, has featured some of the finest youth musicians throughout the state, if not country. It was always a joy to listen to this group play, and it was a great source of pride for the students who played in this combo.
The musical ensembles
and choral groups at NSHS have provided a creative outlet for high academic achievers and many other students who did not shine in the classroom. The music and arts groups at South were oftentimes the only place students who did not shine academically had an opportunity to showcase their talents and become an important part of the school community during very difficult formative years in a highly competitive environment.
I’m really pissed off, and you should be too. When the arts go, the entire community suffers..
@Martha V-
Ironically, there have been talented
athletes that have played in the combo as well..
Canceling Combo at Newton South is the tip of the iceberg and the most recent wound in a series of unfortunate and profoundly unfair events.
The NSHS music program, until a few years ago, was a coherently structured program where every musically inclined student had a class option that was an excellent match to their level of interest, effort, and commitment to the art. As a result, our kids greatly benefited from a top-quality musical experience that became a wellness oasis for all and a path to future professional development for many. Recent changes in the high school funding and schedule have turned this situation around.
The program has two of the best, most devoted, inspiring, and award-winning teachers, who are profoundly respected and loved by students and parents; but their hands are tied if Newton does not give them the resources required to maintain the outstanding program they have built in the past and are committed to nourishing in the present and the future.
At the current 2.0 FTE allocated to the NSHS music department, we have reached a point where it is impossible to maintain the program as we knew it. It is becoming a bunch of music classes instead of the coherent musical system it has been and should continue to be.
Equity is what we need and ask for. If Newton South gets 2.7 FTE as Newton North does, our program will be back to being the excellent, soul-nourishing, award-winning, life-changing program that embodies what education is all about. We have the human resources for it. We need the city’s support to be the air beneath their wings!
Covid has been challenging across the spectrum for academics, but particularly so for musicians, where gaps in instruction, staff turnover at the middle school, and lack of in-person experiences have resulted in significant delays. Many students entering the high school are playing at levels two years behind where they ought to be, and abilities across the classes will vary more than ever before. Helping students stay engaged and overcome these challenges will require more resources in the music department, not less.
This rings a little hollow to me because a lot of these same parents stood by and allowed school to be remote/hybrid, tolerated forced masking, and accepted no spectators at the few performances that were even allowed.
Let’s be perfectly clear that Covid didn’t do this, our response to Covid did this.
And how do you know these parents stood by? Did you poll all the parents of kids who are involved in musical programs?
@Craig I’m not seeing how parents reaction’s to Covid protocols in the school has anything to do with the Jazz Combo being shut down. Clearly you were not happy with how the schools handled Covid. That’s a totally different conversation though.
That’s right, Craig. Pandemics suck.
The Jazz program was one of the few (perhaps only) exceptional experience my three kids will have had a South. Ms. Lindy, in addition to being both a dedicated teacher (like most at South), is incredibly proficient in her job (not a dominant trait among South faculty). Moreover, with so few women in jazz, she was an important role model for my older daughter who really thrived in the program. Despite the growth and success South Jazz over the past decade or so, this is far from the first year that NSHS Jazz has been under attack. It seems that every year the students, parents, and alums are left struggling to retain resources with desperate emails to the department chair, principal, school committee, and superintendent. In the end, NPS is rather adept at punishing success, or perhaps just not understanding it, rather than rewarding it. I guess it is a good lesson for the kids to learn. Thanks Newton Public Schools for education at its best!
It is imperative that the Jazz Combo remain at Newton South High School. Music classes in the high school setting are a place where one can feel accepted and respected. It will be an embarrassment to this community and city if the funds are not allocated to make certain that this curriculum continues.
Music education is an integral part of the academic curriculum. Cutting down on music education is analogous to reducing math, history, or english classes. We should not allow this to happen.
The outstanding Music Program at Newton South has been a plus for long years.
It has certainly been a privilege for so many talented music students to grow and become musicians under the guidance of Ms. Linde, who is an inspiration for all students who want to make Music.
JAZZ COMBO IS A MUST!!
Please consider keeping Music at high standards to contribute to making a better world.
“Music is perhaps the most potent agent for making the universal appeal and inducing men to forget their differences” – Jane Addams
Newton South High School is not just a place where students learn about trigonometry and Shakespeare—Newton South is a place where young adults learn about the world around them and grow as individuals as they discover passions. Cutting Jazz Combo strips this opportunity away for many South students who desire to learn about music and explore it with others. Having my own South experience, as well as having an older brother who graduated recently and a younger brother in 10th grade, one thing I know that makes Newton South special is the wide array of communities that exist for students beyond academics—for some it may be theater, others sports, others music. It is incredibly important for Newton South to continue being a place where students can develop as human beings and not just learning robots. As such, ending Jazz Combo would be a horrible decision. Let’s show Newton South students that engaging in all passions is important. By doing so, South will not only produce more curious and engaged students but also make the school a place where everyone can find their nook.
I hate to throw another activity under the “bus.” But I will. My son was in South Band and loved it. When he started, Ms. Linde had two assistants and there were over 80 musicians. By having these assistants, each “section” had time to work with an adult to really get a piece of music. By the time my son left four years later, Ms. Linde was the only adult in the band room with band and 80 musicians. (When would we have an AP History teacher alone with 80 kids?)
My question is that the South Varsity Football team has a head coach, a defensive coach, an offensive coach, many assistant coaches and other adults that help on the field who all get paid. Why is that the varsity football team doesn’t have to cut an adult on the team, but the music program does. Why do students who excel in music get one teacher, but the students who excel in football have so many adults overseeing their program?
Just a question.
That is such a good question. I wish someone will answer it for us.
At a time where there is great concern over the mental health of our students, especially those in high pressure schools like NSHS, cutting an award-winning music program not only hurts academically but also emotionally. For many students, music performance groups are an oasis and provide desperately needed emotional and social support.
Everyone from my high school madrigal group decades ago still remembers it as the highlight of our school days, and something that provided a much needed sense of belonging to something special. Even if we didn’t have any other common interests or spend time outside that group, we had a bond with each other and the wonderful teacher who led it. I have friends from numerous settings of a variety of ages who report the same thing – music groups provided emotional ballast at a time they sorely needed it.
Getting rid of a special group like the jazz combo isn’t just an academic blow to aspiring professional musicians. It’s an emotional blow to music-loving kids for whom it can be an oasis during a very difficult time of their lives.
It is incredibly short-sighted that they would even consider axing the Jazz Combo which was the crowning jewel of the at least formerly excellent NS music program. Ms Linde is an excellent teacher and I am alarmed that she is the only one left. Exposure to non-pop music can form the basis of a lifelong passion. Playing music develops the habit of practice and perseverance and teaches team cooperation and LISTENING to others better than any sport. It is no coincidence that my medical school could field an entire orchestra from it’s faculty and students. Many doctors, scientists and engineers are accomplished musicians in their spare time. It is far more valuable than sports teams in the long run.
This music department was the center of my son’s identity during his NS years. He was a member of every band and orchestra, including the Jazz Combo. He was not interested in athletics or studies at the time but found a true supportive home and his emotional center in the music department. Most of his friendships were with “music kids”. He was proud of the many state awards that he won and the chance to play at Jordan Hall. He continued playing music at college, excelled at academics and is now an engineer. He still plays in a band on weekends and has enduring friendships with his NS band-mates. He would have been lost in his high school years without the validation and friendships he found in his NS music experience.
As a pediatrician I would like to reemphasize the importance of serving the needs of ALL children, including those with musical talents. Emotional support and development is crucial in these years and all children need to feel good at something.
This was beautiful. Would you be able to send this to Principal Stras (the new principal at South). I think having past parents email the principal would help. Thank you.
This is great, would you consider writing a letter to the editor please?
Letters should be sent exclusively to the Globe and must include the sender’s name, address, and phone number for verification. Send your letters (200 words or less) to [email protected].
These courses are communities, not classes.
Kids turn to the arts to help them process and escape the horrors of our times (there are so many).
It’s obvious this city does not value our students, their well-being, their mental health. These cuts are a Mayor-manufactured-problem in the middle of a teen mental health crisis and pandemic.
Our city is failing our youth.
And when you talk to a City Councillor they blame it on the School Committee. Or the Mayor. When you talk to SC, they say the ship has sailed. The Mayor does not reply to my emails.
This will also have a huge negative impact on diversity, social emotional learning, mental health.
THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR THESE CUTS. We have no serious enrollment loss, like other schools that are getting less cuts than the HS – on the contrary, both HS are at or near max capacity.
Why is the Mayor abandoning our kids? Why are our elected reps at City Hall allowing this? Why didn’t NSHS let us all know this?
More questions than answers and getting the royal run around when I ask.
“Why is the Mayor abandoning our kids? Why are our elected reps at City Hall allowing this? Why didn’t NSHS let us all know this?”
What did everyone think was going to happen when we slashed roles from NPS? The mayor and city hall were both on the same page and very clear that they were okay with cuts, and now we’re seeing them in action. It’s terrible policymaking, terrible leadership, and at the same time, not really a bait and switch.
PS Last year they fired the beloved teacher who was head of the national award-winning jazz department.
While the Mayor adds cultural affairs positions and funds them with ARPA. So music for the upper middle-class white folks, but not kids from every walk of life?
That’s classist and I’m ashamed of this city.
The total devotion and all the hard work and time that students and teachers put into this, and then Fuller cuts it so she can pay five football coaches!!!! BEYOND OUTRAGEOUS!!!!
Not to mention the Mayor took ARPA funds designed to help mitigate & support mental health issues for kids for
Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan $80,000
Feasibility Design for Arts & Culture Pavilion in Newton Centre Bowl $50,000
Revitalize Creative Newton $75,000
so arts for the privileged, not for teenagers, especially those of BIPOC, or lower-income.
As Tiziana Dearing said, this is a PARITY ISSUE.
These cuts are classist.
https://www.newtonma.gov/government/mayor-fuller/special-projects-and-initiatives/american-rescue-plan-act-arpa#:~:text=Initiatives%20and%20Investments,of%202021%2C%20often%20called%20ARPA.
Do you know for a fact that there are five paid football coaches at Newton South? City payroll records only indicate three paid football coaches across the whole city, with one earning about $2,000.
Given NewtonMom’s previous comment: “head coach, a defensive coach, an offensive coach, many assistant coaches and other adults that help on the field who all get paid.”, five is a reasonable guess.
Regardless of the specific number of paid football coaches, disregard for the music program is still the problem.
“A reasonable guess”. Thanks for playing.
Please post the link to the payroll records you reference. Thank you.
We shouldn’t have to choose between sports and music for our high school kids. For most people in Newton, the high school is literally the point of living here. Either you have kids or you had kids.
Reading the Mayor’s weekly letter is like entering the Twilight Zone. This week they cooked up $2m in funds for an “economic mobility” program. Who is coming up with these things, why aren’t we able to vote on them, and what kind of person endeavors to “create” anything whilst we are defunding our high school kids?
The Mayor has consistently said the SC runs the schools and she’s one vote of 9. I’ve disagreed with that philosophy before, but in this case I see her point. If the Mayor needs to intervene to reallocate 0.7 FTE to avert a crisis at NSHS, then that’s telling about the NPS governance. For the next 18 months NPS will have either a lame duck or interim superintendent. The NSHS principal is less than a year on the job. Where is the School Committee on this issue? The system needs leadership.
On the bright side…at least the teachers aren’t on strike.
@Bruce C: Are you referring to this: https://whdh.com/news/brookline-schools-closed-monday-as-teachers-plan-to-strike/?
That is correct.
We have a School Committee. I don’t know why so many people seem to be piling all the blame on the Mayor when there are 8 elected School Committee members who don’t seem to be doing anything about this. Supposedly we elect School Committee members in order for them to do things, not just go along with whatever the superintendent decides.
Everyone should be emailing and calling your School Committee representatives as well as the Superintendent’s office. Contact the NSHS principal and push them to fight this cut. These are the people who are supposed to be making these kinds of decisions. I can assure you that the mayors of other cities aren’t deciding which individual positions to cut at individual schools – those are decisions made at the school and district level.
People are piling on Mayor Fuller because she guides the direction of what the school committee does. It was her initial budget that made even more cuts than finally approved, and it was her who was the loudest on not using more ARPA funds even when many of the school councilors and city councilors were warm on the idea.
The school committee is to blame for the cuts as well for sure, but Mayor Fuller has used her bully pulpit to promote and push for these decisions.
As a side note, I agree on contacting the mayor/school committee, but the NSHS principal’s hands are severely tied here. At the end of the day, the cuts will happen somewhere in NSHS, and if even if they build up enough of a case to convince the central office, they’re also going to have to come up with cuts elsewhere at NSHS. Pushing for more funding rather than a redirection of cuts is the best path forward.
The Jazz program at Newton South, under the direction of Lisa Linde is a crown jewel of the high school. Students in the jazz program have opportunities to learn and excel in an array of large and small group ensembles. The program attracts hundreds of students every year who want to be part of these excellent performance groups that routinely win state and national competitions. Many of the musicians from South found their passion for music and jazz at South and have gone on to pursue music studies in college, conservatories and professionally.
Most importantly, these students found a community of like-minded students at South, excellent instructors and the ability to excel in something that they loved. In a school known for its academic stress, music, and the arts are a life-saver for so many students.
At a time when the school district is focused on social and emotional learning, and in the midst of a mental health crisis among adolescents, music, theatre and arts offerings should be increased, not cut! We urge you to reconsider cuts to the jazz program.
I am bowled over by the passionate and intelligent postings on this topic.
If you’re writing on Village 14, it stays on Village 14.
If everyone who posted here, cut and pasted their comments and sent them to
[email protected] it would be overwhelming for our elected officials.
Even if there isn’t a chance to reverse the cuts, elected officials don’t like being
bombarded with written (or emailed) messages. (phone calls too)
I would encourage many of the posters here to cut and paste and send it to [email protected]
I’ve heard from SC members and City Councilors that if they don’t hear from their
constituents in droves, they assume no one has a problem with the topic.
It seems pathetic that our elected officials don’t know about the hard cuts and how it will cause a spiraling effect in our community. Our children are our future.
I believe you do have to hold the Mayor accountable, more so than the School Committee. Guess what, the SC doesn’t create the budget. It’s the Superintendent who puts out his budget goals, and it’s the Assistant to the Superintendent for finance and the finance analysts who work so many late nights to create the budget down to every last penny.
The SC usually votes in lock step. In a few rare instances, there have been 1 – 2 voices who dare to rock the boat and vote no on the budget.
It doesn’t seem to matter what the SC says, the Mayor holds the purse strings and she is responsible for the bottom line. I saw for the first time in over 30 years that the City Council rejected the City FY 23 budget by a vote of 13 – 10, but Mayor Fuller gets the last say, and the council does not have any checks and balances in place.
Thank you so much to everyone who spoke up here.
The next SC meeting is June 6th, in 3 days. It would be a statement if a good percentage of the posters on Village 14 could forward their thoughts to the entire SC.
You can believe or disbelieve this saying “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” Please start squeaking clearly and boldly.
FYI – The department head of the Fine Arts Department is resigning.
The Fine Arts Department of NSHS or the Citywide K-8 Fine Arts department head?
NSHS
thanks. Any idea who will be taking the job?