Response to the Last Assignment of the Course

(28 points)  The paper by yours truly ("Houston, We've Got A Problem") discusses an important social/educational problem.  Music teachers can probably make their contributions as opportunities with students arise, rather than through formal curricular efforts such as a course or unit in a course.  They can also exercise their ideas as interested citizens.

Read the article, and then do these two things.  First, think of two actions that schools, and especially music teachers, might do to improve the situation.

Second, think of and describe two actions that local government or community groups can do to deal with the situation.  If you prefer tackling the matter at the state or national level, you may do so instead of confining your thoughts to your community.

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Dr. Hoffer, you are correct in stating in your personal essay that issues of racism (more accurately referred to as bigotry) are tender topics and as such, are generally avoided in ‘civilized’ conversation, much less scholarly writing. I think that the issue is rooted deeply into each race’s culture at this point in history in much of our country. But this is an issue of culture.

Because this is an issue of culture, politics, and bigotry, I do not believe it to be appropriate topic for a music education course. The absentee father and young unwed mothers, to which you refer in your personal essay, is simply a symptom of a far deeper problem. For music teachers, certainly we encounter situations such as you described every day with our students. However, it is the purview of the guidance counselor, school administration, and IEP personnel (if applicable) who are responsible for managing these types of situations – IF management is even warranted. Yes, the effects of such situations spill over into our classes, but it is quite clear the delineation of what is and what is not for we as music teachers to address with our students. Today’s public school classroom is not the same as the environment 30 years ago; it is no longer acceptable for a teacher to discuss or manage such things.

Your instructions for this assignment ask for our thoughts on actions that schools might do to improve the ‘situation’ and to describe actions that government or community organizations might take to address such, I am respectfully electing to decline to suggest ‘solutions,’ even if that means I receive no points. Again, I believe this to be entirely inappropriate for our course.

***Remaining paper deleted***