May 06, 2009 Meeting Notes

YVMEA Meeting minutes - May 06, 2009
at El Porton, Yakima


YVMEA Spring meeting May 6, 2009 El Porton, Yakima Minutes and Attendance What is going on at your schools? Ellensburg: Riffing is starting, not exactly sure how many. . . still waiting. . . (Don May) West Valley: No cuts as of yet, possibly building budgets will be affected . . . . (Meagan Gorenson) East Valley: No change as of yet, administrators are meeting to figure out FTE’s . . . .possibly loosing a music position… (Ed Cunnington) Toppenish: High School director is a retire/rehire and district will be cutting all of these teachers, talk about disbanding the entire band program at the high school and maybe middle school, either way programs are in total jeopardy. (David Stiner) Cle Elum: worst case scenario Elementary teacher riffed position maybe filled from within, which means will not be a HQ music teacher and no budget for next year. (Dan Ray) Sunnyside: stipends cut, budgets cut, travel cut. (Yoko Kan and Greg Kirk) Questions: What do we do as a collective group when things are cut so much? What is fair to our colleagues and our profession? Things to do: find out exactly where all money comes from, be patient, find out what other districts, schools, teachers are doing. Send emails out to all YVMEA teachers about the things that your district is doing during this economic crisis situation. Communication will support your colleagues. Solo and Ensemble: CWU is a good location b/c facilities are cheap, good pianos that are tuned, etc. But there were 864 entries this year and things were really crowded and busy. Should we add another date? Should we add another building? Decided b/c of cost efficiency in buses, teachers, adding another building ($1,000) we would keep everything the same for one more year and look at this again after next years event. Teachers that have multiple students participating want to see their students perform. We made a rule that no one is allowed to go in or out of the rooms until all critique is finished. But sometimes directors and accompanists need to get out of the room to go see another student. Should we do name badges for directors and accompanists only so that they have special permission to leave a room early? (Don May) Signs would have to be posted everywhere and possibly notes sent home to parents so that there are no problems during the day of the event (Kari Giorgi and Anne Chapman) Also, Make the cut off for posting entries on-line in December b/c it takes a lot of time for scheduling and processing materials. (Anne Chapman) TAKE CARE OF PAYMENTS EARLY! If you know on September that you will be attending an event turn in a PO/ check request to your district in the fall (if they will let you) so that payment will happen early and on time. (Maegan Ley and Don May) Fall Meeting: September 9, 2009 Solo and Ensemble: February 6th, 2010 @ CWU High School Instrumental: February 25th, 2010 @ West Valley High School Choir: March 2nd, 2010 @ West Valley Small Schools: March 9th, 2010 @ Toppenish Middle School Choir: March 10th, 2010 @ TBA Middle School Instrumental: March 16th, 2010 @ TBA Other: Should we have individual teaching areas meet separately once or twice a year? (Roger Stansbury) Can smaller schools in the YVMEA attend the High School Instrumental Contest and feel safe about having a good experience? (Yoko Kan) Should smaller schools just get together on their own and do their own thing? Or can they be included in the YVMEA events? PAY YOUR MONEY ON TIME SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE (YOUR COLLEGUES) CAN GET PAID ON TIME

YVMEA Spring meeting May 6, 2009 El Porton, Yakima
Minutes and Attendance

What is going on at your schools?

Ellensburg: Riffing is starting, not exactly sure how many. . . still waiting. . . (Don May)

West Valley: No cuts as of yet, possibly building budgets will be affected . . . . (Meagan Gorenson)

East Valley: No change as of yet, administrators are meeting to figure out FTE’s . . . .possibly loosing a music position… (Ed Cunnington)

Toppenish: High School director is a retire/rehire and district will be cutting all of these teachers, talk about disbanding the entire band program at the high school and maybe middle school, either way programs are in total jeopardy. (David Stiner)

Cle Elum: worst case scenario Elementary teacher riffed position maybe filled from within, which means will not be a HQ music teacher and no budget for next year. (Dan Ray)

Sunnyside: stipends cut, budgets cut, travel cut. (Yoko Kan and Greg Kirk)

Questions: What do we do as a collective group when things are cut so much? What is fair to our colleagues and our profession?

Things to do: find out exactly where all money comes from, be patient, find out what other districts, schools, teachers are doing. Send emails out to all YVMEA teachers about the things that your district is doing during this economic crisis situation. Communication will support your colleagues.

Solo and Ensemble:
CWU is a good location b/c facilities are cheap, good pianos that are tuned, etc. But there were 864 entries this year and things were really crowded and busy. Should we add another date? Should we add another building? Decided b/c of cost efficiency in buses, teachers, adding another building ($1,000) we would keep everything the same for one more year and look at this again after next years event.
Teachers that have multiple students participating want to see their students perform. We made a rule that no one is allowed to go in or out of the rooms until all critique is finished. But sometimes directors and accompanists need to get out of the room to go see another student. Should we do name badges for directors and accompanists only so that they have special permission to leave a room early? (Don May)
Signs would have to be posted everywhere and possibly notes sent home to parents so that there are no problems during the day of the event (Kari Giorgi and Anne Chapman)
Also, Make the cut off for posting entries on-line in December b/c it takes a lot of time for scheduling and processing materials. (Anne Chapman)
TAKE CARE OF PAYMENTS EARLY! If you know on September that you will be attending an event turn in a PO/ check request to your district in the fall (if they will let you) so that payment will happen early and on time. (Maegan Ley and Don May)

Fall Meeting: September 9, 2009
Solo and Ensemble: February 6th, 2010 @ CWU
High School Instrumental: February 25th, 2010 @ West Valley
High School Choir: March 2nd, 2010 @ West Valley
Small Schools: March 9th, 2010 @ Toppenish
Middle School Choir: March 10th, 2010 @ TBA
Middle School Instrumental: March 16th, 2010 @ TBA

Other:
Should we have individual teaching areas meet separately once or twice a year? (Roger Stansbury)
Can smaller schools in the YVMEA attend the High School Instrumental Contest and feel safe about having a good experience? (Yoko Kan)
Should smaller schools just get together on their own and do their own thing? Or can they be included in the YVMEA events?
PAY YOUR MONEY ON TIME SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE (YOUR COLLEGUES) CAN GET PAID ON TIME