by Melissa McWhinney in City Finances, Schools and Youth, Uncategorized
Posted on June 12, 2009 at 8:30 am
Last Modified on June 12, 2009 at 3:47 pm
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The message below was sent by Richard Saunders, Director of Music for the Somerville Public Schools. He is rightfully outraged by a bill currently being considered by the House of Representatives, (Bill H111)which would require school music department to sterilize instruments. Here’s a Globe article about it. The problem is that there’s no evidence that the current system is any danger to students, and the guy who invented a system to “sterilize” instruments stands to make a killing, while driving music departments out of business because they will have to spend tons of money they don’t have, to fix a problem that isn’t a problem, while the proceeds go into the inventor’s pocket! My husband has been teaching music for 18 years and he and his colleagues have never seen a need to sterilize instruments beyond the sterilization of mouthpieces that takes place routinely before students share an instrument.
Please read the article and call your legislator to ask him/her to vote against this bill.
Thanks,
Melissa McWhinney
Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2009 2:38:46 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Instrument Sterilization Bill H111
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
The Band Instrument Sterilization Bill H111, was proposed to the Education Subcommittee of the MA House of Representatives. This bill is being pushed by Rep. Paul Donato of Medford, who is a very connected politician with some real power in the legislature. I believe that this bill would cripple many music programs. Mandatory sterilization is also unnecessary. All mouthpieces are sterilized before being used or re-used.
Please contact the politicians on the education subcommittee.
Let them know what you think.
Legislative Attorney compiling information:
Michelle.Lisio@state.ma.us
House Staff:
Room 473G
State House
Boston, MA 02133
House Staff Telephone: (617) 722-2070
Senate Staff:
Room 511B
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Senate Staff Telephone: (617) 722-1570
It shall be the duty of the committee on Education to consider all matters concerning education (through grade 12) and such other matters as may be referred
Members appointed to the committee of Education:
OLeary: Cape and Islands – Chair Robert.O’Leary@state.ma.us
Donnelly of Fourth Middlesex- Vice-Chair Kenneth.Donnelly@state.ma.us
Chang-Diaz of Second Suffolk Sonia.Chang-Diaz@state.ma.us
Galluccio of Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex Anthony.Galluccio@state.ma.us
Tucker of Second Essex and Middlesex Susan.Tucker@state.ma.us
Brown of Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex Scott.P.Brown@state.ma.us
Walz of Boston- Chair Rep.MartyWalz@Hou.State.MA.US
McCarthy of East Bridgewater – Vice-Chair Rep.AllenMcCarthy@Hou.State.MA.US
Harkins of Needham Rep.LidaHarkins@hou.state.ma.us
Rogers of Norwood Rep.JohnRogers@Hou.State.MA.US
Canessa of New Bedford Rep.StephenCanessa@Hou.State.MA.US
Alicea of Charlton Rep.GeraldoAlicea@HOU.State.MA.US
Sandlin of Agawam Rep.RosemarySandlin@Hou.State.MA.US
Clark of Melrose Rep.KatherineClark@HOU.State.MA.US
Benson of Lunenburg Rep.JenniferBenson@hou.state.ma.us
Perry of Sandwich Rep.JeffreyPerry@hou.state.ma.us
Ross of Wrentham Rep.RichardRoss@Hou.State.MA.US
Richard G Saunders
Director of Music
Somerville Public Schools
81 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143
rsaunders@k12.somerville.ma.us
617-625-6600 x6143
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Friends, Melissa is absoultely correct. This bill would be a disaster for music programs across the state. Below is a message I sent to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, a listserv for School Committee members across the state. Please join me in opposing this bill.
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Dear School Committee members,
As you may have seen in last week’s Boston Globe, the State House and Senate will soon be taking up H111, an act requiring the sterilization of all musical instruments in schools. If passed, the bill would place expensive unfunded burdens on already stretched music budgets. The bill is currently being discussed by the Joint Committee on Education. If it receives a positive vote from the Committee it will be referred to the full legislature for consideration. The members of the Joint Committee as well as individual legislators need to hear from School Committee members as soon as possible. More information is included in the Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2009/06/04/mass_legislators_debate_requiring_schools_to_sterilize_wind_instruments/
After consulting with our district’s Director of Music, the Somerville School Committee expressed its opposition to the bill at a meeting in February. We reached this conclusion because:
1) Like most districts, Somerville already sterilizes mouthpieces with an industry recognized standard.
2) Instruments are routinely cleaned after a student switches instruments or leaves the music program
3) We have regularly scheduled cleanings for all instruments
4) Students generally do not share instruments
5) The bill could require school districts to expend public funds on a profit-based patented sterilizer
In sum, like most districts, we already have in place procedures that ensure clean instruments for all students who participate in our music program. This bill attempts to address a problem that simply does not exist. Students are not becoming ill from using instruments. Forcing districts to adopt to the guidelines specified in this bill would stretch already stretched music budgets.
The Chairs of the Joint Committee on Education can be emailed directly:
Senator Robert O’Leary Robert.O’Leary@state.ma.us
Representative Martha Walz Rep.MartyWalz@House.State.MA.US
I hope you will write to them and your individual legislators as soon as possible as we simply cannot afford this bill.
Thank you,
Adam Sweeting
Somerville School Committee
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