March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

EHS guidance counselors respond to criticism

ELLSWORTH — Guidance counselors and the principal at Ellsworth High School responded Thursday to criticism that they were discouraging students from enrolling in the high school band program.

Dr. Janice Webster, the high school principal, said the criticism concerned them particularly because they had worked hard to make band more accessible to students and had been frustrated because the number of band students had not increased.

“We’ve done a lot of things so it will be possible for kids to take band,” Webster said.

Critics charged that scheduling had been a problem in the past and Webster said that was one of the areas where they had focused their attentions. She said the schedule had been arranged so that most of the courses offered during the same period as band also were offered during other periods during the day.

Also, she said, the school has lowered the number of required courses that freshmen have to take in the first semester. Freshmen now are required to take only English, math and science, Webster said, leaving four periods in which they can choose electives courses such as shop, home economics and band.

“With four courses, we hoped one of their choices would be band,” she said, “but that didn’t work either.”

She added that the computer scheduling had been programmed with band as one of the high priority classes so students would be scheduled for band before any other subject.

Deta Pearce and Michael Halmo, the guidance counselors at the high school, denied charges that they had discouraged students from signing up for band.

“That’s just not true,” Pearce said. “I can see where the whole process can be discouraging, but no one is specifically discouraging students from taking music courses.

She said that often, the guidance counselor was blamed because he or she was the bearer of bad news.

“Sometimes the courses within the schedule conflict and the students are faced with a difficult decision,” she said. “We explain all the options, but they have to make the decision. And when it comes to that decision, sometimes it translates to `you’re telling me I can’t take band.”‘

Hamol said that part of their job as counselors — particularly when meeting with eighth grade students who will be coming to high school the next year — was to “market” each department and its programs.

He said he was concerned by comments that eighth grade pupils were being discouraged from taking band even before they had a chance to sign up for it.

“I don’t know where that’s coming from,” he said. “I’m concerned about that. If it’s true, then there’s a problem .”

Pearce said the guidance counselors this year made an extra effort on behalf of the music program when discussing course options with eighth graders. “We’re not brokers for any one course,” she said, “but what we did do was to encourage them to continue with their music.”

The problem, she said, seemed to be a lack of interest.

Hamol pointed out that although some of the required courses for freshmen had been decreased to make it easier to take band, many students were choosing to take those courses anyway. One such course was civics, which, although a requirement for graduation, is not required in the freshman year as it had been.

“About 85 percent of the freshmen have opted to take civics, just to get it out of the way,” he said.

Webster noted that Ellsworth is an academically oriented area where a high percentage of parents have more than high school education. She said that emphasis on academics might have an effect on the course choices that students are making.

Pearce said they agreed with students who had criticized the school system for considering dropping other music courses because the estimated enrollment for those classes were low. Some of those courses may be cut as a result of the school board’s decision to cut one music position from the high school.

“Enrollment should not be a factor,” she said. “The school has an obligation to meet individual needs as often as possible.”

Webster, Hamol and Pearce are attempting to determine what factors are stopping students from signing up for band. As requested by the school board, they have prepared a short survey questionnaire to find out how many students have dropped out of the music program and to learn some of the reasons why they dropped out. They said they also would look at other options for the band program and the possibility of an activity period in which band rehearsals could be scheduled.


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