For Bethlehem Area Music, the Song Remains the Same

By Steve Esack, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa.

Apr. 26–The music program will not be changing in the Bethlehem Area School District, but class schedules at one high school could.

Attempting to squelch rumors that have been getting as loud as a trombone section, Superintendent Joseph Lewis said Monday that administrators are not proposing to change the district’s music programs. Contrary to circulating hearsay, he said, the band and orchestra programs will remain part of the curriculum and will not become non-credit extracurricular activities.

"First of all, there’s no committee formed to redo the music program," Lewis said at the monthly board meeting. "But we have discussed ways to help the music program."

On Tuesday Lewis said the rumors started after a March meeting of the board’s Curriculum Committee. During that meeting, Director Loretta Leeson said constituents had contacted her about band and orchestra students having trouble juggling their schedules because they practice every other day year-round. Lewis responded by saying his administration would try to find a way to help music students with their scheduling, and that is how the music rumors started.

"Moving [music] to extracurricular is simply not true," Lewis said Tuesday. "I understand people like to anticipate, but I reserve the right to have discussions with my cabinet."

Those cabinet discussions could mean an earlier or later start for some students, teachers and staff at Liberty High School.

Liberty runs classes on a four-block schedule in its fall and spring semesters, which is similar to a college setting. Each block is 85 minutes long with a lunch break in between, totalling a 7 1/4-hour day for teachers. As part of that four-block schedule, Liberty runs an "early riser" program that creates a fifth scheduling block so juniors and seniors can take gym at 6 a.m. in the spring.

Under a plan being devised with the teachers union, administrators would like to expand Liberty’s fifth block beyond gym to include other mandatory courses such as math, English and history. The extra block could be added either in the morning or afternoon to allow students and teachers to start earlier or later than normal, said Liberty Principal Dean Donaher. Students could also use the extra block time to bolster their course selection.

Craig Zieger, president of the Bethlehem Education Association, said the extra block would only be for the 2006-07 school year and only affect Liberty. He said Freedom administrators have not proposed similar changes.

Zieger said about 20 Liberty teachers are willing to work under an "early riser" schedule next year. But the change would be subject to union approval since it is a contract alteration.

"It’s not been approved yet," Zieger said. "It’s very preliminary."

Donaher said fewer than 30 students participate in the school’s one 6 a.m. gym course. So before more schedule changes could take place he would need to poll the student body because it wouldn’t make sense to alter class times if students are not willing to alter their schedules.

"We can’t force them to go earlier," Donaher said. "It would have to be something that would have to get the kids interested in. I think students will take the fifth class because it not only gives them the opportunity to start earlier, but it can bolster their classes to get in an extra class in to get a better education."

Lewis said creating the extra block could reduce class sizes of 31 or 32 students in mandatory English and math courses. He said the extra block could reduce the number of elective courses. For example, he said Liberty could reduce its photography classes from four to three and still accommodate all students.

"I’m not looking at a reduction in teachers," Lewis said. "I’m just looking to reduce the size of English and math classes."

Zieger agreed. "The union is always amenable to reducing class size," he said.

steve.esack@mcall.com

610-861-3619

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