Latest news with #bandprogram
CTV News
4 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Sask. Teachers' Federation says new deal not the cause of possible changes to Regina band program
Grade 11 student Rachel Zurburg has been part of Regina Public Schools band program for six years. (Sierra D'Souza Butts / CTV News) The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) says its new Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement (PCBA) with the province is not the direct cause to possible restructuring of Regina Public Schools' elementary band program. The STF's claim comes after it was revealed that Regina Public Schools may restructure its elementary band program for the 2025-26 school year. The revelation caused some students, parents and teachers to worry the program's quality would suffer as a result. 'A memo from the school division seems to imply the division's funding challenges are the result of the new 2023-2026 provincial collective bargaining agreement. This is simply not true; new class complexity clauses in the PCBA are ensuring school divisions receive more funding from the province to support student's needs,' the STF said in a news release Wednesday. According to the STF, while some school divisions will still be faced with difficult decisions in their budgets, it's important to be clear they are not a result of the PCBA. 'As a result of binding arbitration, the provincial government has provided additional funding to school divisions to fund the class complexity clauses of the PCBA. This includes fully funding approximately 515 new teaching positions and a $20-million class complexity fund,' the STF said. STF President Samantha Becotte says band and other music programs exist because they offer important opportunities for students' learning and development. On May 29, Regina Public Schools said that it is still in the process of finalizing it's approximately $300 million budget for the 2025-26 school year, adding it will be solidified on June 24. 'Therefore, nothing has been finalized with respect to the band program or anything else,' the division said, adding that no layoffs would happen if a restructuring of the program were to take place. 'The arts, including band, is important to Regina Public Schools students and their families and staff. The elementary band program complements but is not integral to the ministry's education strategy,' the division said. Regina Public said that 2025-26 is a unique budget year, as significant funding has shifted to addressing classroom complexity following the new collective bargaining agreement. 'Zero funding is provided by the provincial government for elementary band programs, so funding that program at previous levels could come at the expense other programs that support Regina Public Schools' 27,000 students.' According to the school division, it is looking to restructure how it delivers elementary band so it can more efficiently use the targeted funding it receives from the province. 'As part of the budget process, Regina Public Schools is working to align programs and services with the provincial education strategy, which is tied to funding,' it added. The division's new strategy is focused on Kindergarten to Grade 3 literacy, more space for students and classroom complexity. As part of its most recent education budget, the provincial government identified Kindergarten to Grade 3 literacy as a priority. Regina Public said that if any restructuring of its elementary band program was to take place, it would be equitable and transparent. 'Regina Public Schools will continue to offer an elementary band program; it may just look a little different in the new school year,' the school division said. 'We all need to work together to ensure that students' needs are met; teachers and parents can't do it alone,' Becotte said in the release 'If provincial funding falls short of what is needed to meet priorities within the division, trustees and division leadership share in the responsibility to advocate for improved funding.' -With files from Sierra D'Souza Butts
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Band program cutbacks in Regina public elementary schools worry parents, students, educators
Social Sharing Students, parents and educators are worried about the future of music education in Regina in light of cutbacks announced by the local public school division. Regina Public Schools (RPS) says it's undertaking a restructuring of its elementary band program for the upcoming school year, with 4.5 of its 14 elementary band teaching positions affected and those teachers being reassigned to other positions. Mark Haarmann, RPS's director of education, said it comes as his division works through a deficit of more than $2 million. He said RPS is scrambling to finalize its budget, which was delayed by the new Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation contract. With more money in the contract dedicated to classroom size and complexity, Haarmann said other budget items must be trimmed. "It'll be a question of doing a little bit more with less, but that's something we're seeing across the division," Haarmann told CBC News Monday. He said it's not just band facing changes — he pointed to the closure of an intensive support classroom as one example — but that band is offered to students "above complement" and teaching resources are needed elsewhere. "So you have daily programming and band takes students out above that in elementary," Haarmann said. "The removal of 14 teachers means larger classrooms for other teachers across the system." Willam and Alex Carlson are both in band at Sheldon Williams Collegiate in Regina. The brothers — who started in band in Grade 6 — worry what the restructuring will mean for future band students. "If they want to … be in band, then it's going to be harder for them to do that if they don't get enough attention from the teacher, because they need to teach a bunch of other kids," Alex said. "A lot of my friends in band love music so much," Willam said. "They want to be part of this wider music community we have in Regina and I feel like a starting point for all of that … was back in elementary school when they first got to pick up an instrument." Elementary band 'where the magic starts,' educator says Brent Ghiglione, director of bands for the University of Regina, taught in Regina public schools for years. He said elementary band is crucial for developing future musicians. "We teach them all the fundamentals of playing a woodwind, brass or percussion instrument," Ghiglione said. "That's where the magic starts." Ghiglione met with Haarmann recently to discuss the band program changes. Ghiglione said he doesn't see a viable plan for the program once the restructuring is done. "I know once we cut, it'll never come back," he said. "It's going to hurt our community for years and years and years." Suzanne Gorman, CEO of the Saskatchewan Band Association, said the changes could impact not just musicians, but also community music groups and people who attend music events. Gorman said band has benefits for kids that go beyond the classroom. "It strengthens their results in English, math, some other sciences," she said. "They have higher attendance rates and they have a higher rate of continuing on into post-secondary education." Gorman said band teachers work hard to be as inclusive as possible for all students — from those with complex needs to new Canadians finding a way to fit in. "Band is a really great encompassing environment for that." Petition, school board meeting among advocacy efforts Willam and Alex Carlson's mother, Christina Carlson, has also seen the impact band has had on her boys. "My kids actually thrive in other academics because they have these outlets of these program," Christina said. "It allows them to have a safe space to experiment and to fail and to try things new." Carlson, president of Sheldon Williams Area Music Parents, is rallying with other elementary band parents across Regina to present their case at the Regina Public Schools board meeting on June 10. "There seems to be a lot of confusion around how this has been communicated, so we would really like some clear messaging," Carlson said. Taryn Luterbach started an online petition calling for the changes to be reversed. As a bassoon player who was in the U of R's wind ensemble for more than 10 years, she said music helped her start her own artist management agency. "Over the past year, I've had the amazing opportunity to travel all over North America and meet influential people from some of the best orchestras," Luterbach said. "I never would have been able to be in this position if I wouldn't have participated in band." As of Tuesday afternoon, her petition had nearly 4,500 signatures. Luterbach said the situation is starting to garner international attention, including from artists she represents through her agency. "If it's OK for music education to be cut here, then everyone's at risk," she said. Haarmann said some consultation was done with principals and other division staff about the changes, but that it's impossible to speak with every band teacher ahead of time. He said work is now underway to support the remaining elementary band teachers. He also said it's worth reviewing the program to see what larger changes might need to happen. "We have somewhere around 40 per cent of Grade 6s that are in the band program," Haarmann said. "By the start of Grade 8, that's about 17 per cent.
CTV News
29-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Families speak out on proposed changes to Regina Public School's band program
Rachel Zurburg is the third student from her family to go through the Regina Public Schools elementary band program. She and her father, Dean, share their experience of the program as it faces a potential change. (Sierra D' Souza Butts / CTV News) Parents are speaking out on proposed changes to the Regina Public School division's elementary band program, stating it will negatively impact the quality of music education students receive. Led by band teachers, the current co-curricular instrumental education program provides two hours per week of band class to students from Grade 6 to 12, in addition to workshops and festivals outside of regular school hours However, with plans to 'restructure' the program under the division's 2025-26 budget, parents are worried the value of the program will decline. 'Currently [students] are taught by 14 very talented and engaged music program teachers,' said Dean Zurburg, parent and president of Campbell Area Music Parents Association (CAMPA). 'With these cuts, they are talking about removing one third of those resources and reallocating them to something that is not band. [This is] something that we feel would be very detrimental to the program itself.' Since elementary school, Rachel Zurburg's passion for music education has grown. 'It's a place to relax, be my most authentic self, and just have a good time,' she shared. Rachel Zurburg Grade 11 student Rachel Zurburg has been part of Regina Public Schools band program for six years. (Sierra D'Souza Butts / CTV News) Starting with the French Horn back in Grade 6 then moving onto percussion, Zurburg said her interest in music was first discovered through her school's band program. 'You're learning all these important things in math and English, but you really learn the emotional parts and your emotional capabilities when you are in an art form, whether that be visual art or that be a physical art, like theatre, band or choir,' she said. With 1,600 students currently participating in the division's program, the Saskatchewan Band Association said the program has provided an opportunity for students from all demographics. 'One of the big goals of the Saskatchewan Band Association is to ensure the band is accessible to all and certainly having programs in schools really increases that accessibility for families all around the province,' said CEO Suzanne Gorman. 'Certainly, there's financial barriers, rental of instruments, finding instructors, that sort of thing if we didn't have it in schools, but I think we also need to look at the equity and the accessibility of the program when it's in a school.' In a statement to CTV News, Regina Public Schools' said the arts, including band, is important to families within the division but, 'is not integral to the Ministry's education strategy.' 'In addition, this is a unique budget year. Following the new collective bargaining agreement between the Provincial government and the STF, significant funding has shifted to address classroom complexity,' read the statement. 'Zero funding is provided by the provincial government for elementary band programs, so funding that program at previous levels could come at the expense other programs that support Regina Public Schools' 27,000 students.' The division added there will be no layoffs as a result of restructuring the elementary band program. Final plans to approve the budget by the Board of Education are set for June 24. In the meantime, parents like Dean are encouraging families to share their stories on the program has impacted students positively.
