Music Education

Dear Mayor Bloomberg:
I am concerned that our school system (elementary) does not have any music programs. Education in New York is not equal. If you can afford to live in an affluent area, children are exposed to all the arts — otherwise they are not.
Harriet Guralnick
Bayside
Dear Harriet,
I share your belief in the importance of music education, and every New York City student is expected to study music as an ongoing part of his or her learning experience. Every school receives an allocation from Project ARTS, which promotes music education as well as other artistic endeavors. Elementary schools may use their ARTS funding toward the cost of a new arts teacher. This allocation should give PS 169 the ability to hire a new music teacher, and I encourage you to speak with your principal on this issue.
Your region has an arts supervisor who can help your principal identify qualified candidates for such positions, both full- and part-time. For information, go online to www.nycenet.edu/projectarts. I applaud your dedication to promoting music education for New York’s schoolchildren.
Sincerely,
Mike Bloomberg
editrich@queenscourier.com