Editors note: This email has no political intent or agenda. It is just a useful
analogy for discussing a pathway forward.
Wife's friendly tip: Brevity is not Scott's strong suit. There is a lot to digest here. Don't be overwhelmed by it. Just process through it and use what is doable and useful. Or, do we do at home, just pretend you are interested while you think about other things, like when was the last time you flossed the dog's teeth or are your car's tires inflated to the correct pressure?
As we speak, a second stimulus bill is being debated in the halls of Congress. "CARES 2" is designed to blunt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, support those businesses and individuals who have been adversely impacted, and bolster our nation's economy at a critical time.
The concept of substantive federal intervention during a crisis is not new and stems from lessons learned during the Great Depression nearly one hundred years ago.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) was the first implementation of the concept to respond to an unparalleled economic meltdown. The intervention by the federal government expenditures aimed at countering the job losses associated with the 2008 recession.
While the bill's final price tag of $787 billion pales in comparison to the $2.2 trillion spent on the 2020 CARES Act, the underlying purpose was fundamentally the same: take bold, decisive actions to dull the impact and minimize the damage.
Leading outside analysts, and a broad spectrum of politicians, agree that in times of crisis, inaction is not an option and will further the disaster's impact.
This is as true for music education as it is for our economy.
So today, in response to the current pandemic, I am announcing my stimulus bill, the Music Education Recover, Recruit, and Reinvestment Act of 2021.
Like its 2.2 trillion dollar federal counterpart, the 2021 MERRR Act (I needed a cooler name) is designed to lessen the impact and provide relief where needed. My bill contains three distinct, sequential, and equal parts.
Recover: (December-January)
Create a detailed list of the entirety of the impact on your program's musical, financial, and instructional operations.
Include important data such as number of missed experiences/performances, lost instructional minutes (per student and cumulative), impacted facilities, enrollment changes, missed honor band/all-state qualifiers, staffing, parent volunteer hours, appearances at athletic & community events, community service hours, leadership opportunities, etc.
Create a summative document/spreadsheet which quantifies and formalizes your loss comprehensively and understandably.
You can't begin the recovery until you know what is lost!
Recruit: (January-February)
Students are the currency of the educational process, for you and your school. Simply put, fewer students means fewer dollars,, but it also has a musical impact. More students making music can also have a very real and quantifiable impact on your school's bottom line, academic achievement, and school culture. Therefore, recruiting and retaining students should be your and your school's number one priority moving into the new year.
Create an Office of Recruitment and Retention and appoint an R&R (student) Czar. Sure, it's a little over the top, but have some fun with titles and give them a practice room as an office. Have them build a team and contact every parent, student, and friend on multiple occasions using multiple platforms about being a part of your group.
Blanket social media, target non-musical best friends, re-connect with students who left years ago, stop by the study hall, visit with the counseling staff, cross-recruit with your sister music programs, start a rock band, and ask for a list of students with release periods.
Have your Czar create a centralized spreadsheet where you can track and monitor every student in real-time. They will get a huge kick out of watching your group grow, literally!
Don't forget to re-recruit your current students. They need some love too.
AND DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.
You are doing this for more than self-interest. There are "lost" students who need to be "found," and it is in your and your school's best interest to find them. Be sure to have your R&R team, meet with your administration and guidance department, to share what they are doing.
Reinvestment: (February-March)
Basic economics says that a down market represents a buying opportunity. Now is the time to create a list of needed assets and make a concerted effort to address both long-term and short-term instructional and instrumentational (yes, I made that word up) needs.
Designate a Development Officer (parent) who is savvy and dependable, put together a needs assessment, and have it ready for the February-April budgeting cycle.
Set a meeting with your administration team to discuss the impact and remediation steps at the campus and district levels.
Communicate and collaborate with your colleagues/peers to share ideas and workload.
Research local, county, state, federal, and philanthropic resources. These types of funds are readily available and easily accessible with not a lot of effort.
Finally, consider that you have a section of parents who likely have not spent much money on music or education this year and would gladly step up to fill a void.
The dollars may be tight, but the funds are there for those who can make a compelling needs-based case, present a plan, and show return on investment. With just a little effort, you now have all of the resources necessary to share with anyone who can help you Recover, Recruit, and Reinvest in your program.
Now that you have relevant data, schedule a sit down with your parents, administrators, and or student leaders to digest and decide what steps you would like to take moving forward. If nothing else, than consider this a thought exercise that will impress your administration. Heck, you could event make it a class project or leadership activity as it can all be done in person or remotely.
I don't want you to feel overwhelmed. You have enough on your plate right now. I just want to provide you with an actionable and sequential plan should you choose to use it. More than anything, know that you are not alone. You have colleagues and a vast professional network to assist you. And you have us. Got a question? Something not clear? Want to scream at someone? Call me at (480) 577-5264. I will pick up, as long as it's not too early.
You should also know that my team and I are working on a solutions-based project to help you with all of this. It will likely be a multi-stage process, but our goal is to have a beta version available to share with you in January. In the meantime, gather your team and get to work creating your Recovery, Recruitment, and Reinvestment Act!
Have a great week.
-Scott
p.s. If you have not already nominated a colleague for our At Your Best When Put to the Test Award, do it now. Three lucky winners will receive a $500.00 Music & Arts gift card, with ten additional winners receiving a $50 Amazon Gift Card.