Perspectives on the Music Program: Opening Doors to the School Community

study. Music educators understand the importance of the arts in schools. Other members of the school community-teachers, administrators, and parents-may share this view yet be unaware of all that transpires in the classroom once the door is shut. Music educators should consider how they can open their doors to help the community understand how education contributes to broad educational goals. Developing effective strategies to do so necessitates understanding the views and perspectives of others. Perceptions about education shape and are shaped by people's values. The values held by decision makers, at both the local and national levels, have a significant impact on teaching and learning. For example, recent studies conducted by the Music for All Foundation1 and the Council for Basic Education2 noted declines in instructional time for and other arts, as well as decreases in the number of teachers as a result of budgetary and legislative factors. School principals throughout the United States reported that standardized tests, budgets, and the No Child Left Behind Act were all factors that hurt programs.3 These are a few examples of the ways that the pervasive values in our society and in education can have a negative effect on and arts programs. Most educators and administrators value education;4 however, in the school curriculum, it sometimes takes a backseat to other subjects.5 The view that is less important than some other subjects reflects the value placed on the arts in schools and society, where the emphasis is often on being pragmatic.6 However, if school communities can recognize as something more significant than a pleasant diversion, it might retain or improve its status as a vital facet of school culture. The Housewright Declaration, as expressed in Vision 2020, states that music educators must join with others in providing opportunities for meaningful instruction for all people ... and identify barriers that impede the full actualization.7 Arts advocate Charles Fowler asserted that education has the potential not only to preserve the values of a community but also to change them.8 Music educators are well situated at the grassroots level to shape community perceptions of education. Some successful teachers are already meeting these challenges, serving as agents of change for the betterment of students and the greater educational enterprise.9 Doing so requires extending our reach beyond the confines of the classroom. Music educators can reach out to the many constituencies that make up the cultural fabric of a school. Before doing so, they should understand the perceptions of education held by the school community to determine effective ways to make the goals, objectives, and learning outcomes of the education program more salient within the school.