Chesapeake, VA band can play at Disney, but not on the rides

The superintendent has now completely rejected the trip...

http://hamptonroads.com/node/479557

Gee I wonder why the principal and band director would stop supporting the trip? Could it be some behnd the scenes pressure form the Superintendant? They probably like and need their jobs and want to keep them. This school board and Superindentant are out of control. Hope the voters remember this next time at the polls.

Let the parental backlash hit full stride. It's possible the kids who have been stripped of this great chance. They could study physics (rides), fluid dynamics (fountains), horticulter (the gardens), psycology & sociolgy (studying the crowds).

Total bullsnot.

My letter to the school board members, administrators and a local newspaper:

Is it too much to ask that our kids be allowed to be kids anymore? Has the absolute need for every minor decision to be guided by a policy, procedure, rule, or law taken the place of common sense?

Well, it was quite a bit longer but apparently too long to post. Let's just say I was direct.

Honestly, who cares if a bunch of over-privileged kids get to take a band trip to Disney World or not? I mean, I know that we're supposed to be all pro-theme-parks and stuff, but this is a tempest in a teapot.

I think it's more of the reason of why they aren't allowed to go more than if they go or not.

Why are they "over-privileged"? Both my wife and I took amusement park trips with our respective bands (she went to WDW with her's) and neither one of us went to privileged schools.

In fact, we worked our butts off doing all sorts of ridiculous fundraisers to earn enough money to go. We even had to raise money for our uniforms because, even though the football team got new uniforms every year...the band did not.

This is about adults, organizations, entities, etc who continue to suck the fun out of childhood.

Where was it stated these kids were over-privileged? And are we obliged to feel differently whether the kids are over or under privileged?

My take is that they had a successful ongoing program, until some administrator wrote some kind of policy, probably dealing with something unrelated to this. But now as a result screws up this program.

Instead of admitting a mistake, or rewriting parts of the policy, the school board and superintendent come down with an iron fist. Funny, with the education establishment in this country, when it comes to their rulebooks and policies, they're more unyielding and literal than any creationist.

I'd like to see the band say no to football games, local parades, etc. No, I take that back. I'd like to see them make a float in the shape of a cake that says "Eat Me," then... well you know the rest.

Brian Noble said:
Honestly, who cares if a bunch of over-privileged kids get to take a band trip to Disney World or not?

I like your ideas RGB!

wahoo skipper said:
Why are they "over-privileged"? Both my wife and I took amusement park trips with our respective bands (she went to WDW with her's) and neither one of us went to privileged schools.

In fact, we worked our butts off doing all sorts of ridiculous fundraisers to earn enough money to go. We even had to raise money for our uniforms because, even though the football team got new uniforms every year...the band did not.

This is about adults, organizations, entities, etc who continue to suck the fun out of childhood.

How true my friend. My HS music director took the band and chorus on a trip up to CW, Ottawa, and Niagra Falls in 2001. Our school was middle-class from a small town (Bow, NH, population 7,000).

There was an educational aspect to the trip. Each one of us was assigned or chose a project relating to our norther neighbor, such as pop culture (music, movies, literature, ect.), food (it's not just moose!), a particular city, or goverment.

Every band & chorus member (125 of us, many in both) worked our tails off to raise the $$$ for the trip. We all behaved (with some minor, yet harmless fun). All of us who went signed a contract expressing EXACTLY how we were to behave and what the consiquences were (being sent home on our own dime, for example). The worst thing we did was took over the pool, hot tub, and sauna at the hotel one night.

I know things have changed, but I wonder if any of this is somehow related to the two knumbskuls who got hurt at the SF parks this year?

Brian Noble said:
Honestly, who cares if a bunch of over-privileged kids get to take a band trip to Disney World or not? I mean, I know that we're supposed to be all pro-theme-parks and stuff, but this is a tempest in a teapot.

What makes you think these kids are over-privledged? I guess most of them must be on their way to U of M or something!!! LOL

RatherGoodBear said:

My take is that they had a successful ongoing program, until some administrator wrote some kind of policy, probably dealing with something unrelated to this. But now as a result screws up this program.

Well, at the risk of splitting hairs, this decision really didn't do anything to harm the program itself. The kids were still granted the opportunity to go and perform. That's what the main purpose of the program was supposed to be about, right?

^ But every other group from this school that went in previous years was able to go to the parks. I'd be surprised to hear of any school band that ever performed at Disney without enjoying the parks.

I was with a performing group (non-school) that went to WDW several years ago. Of the funds that were raised, more went toward on-site lodging and park passes than to the actual travel expenses. I'm not sure whether Disney is interested in having groups perform at their parks only to turn around and leave without spending money there.

Well I guess it depends on what the main purpose was for Disney to bring those groups in to begin with. I would never argue that they want everyone possible to spend money in their parks, of course.

But I'm more inclined to think they are most interested in having the groups there to provide entertainment to their other paying guests. If they make money on the groups themselves, then that's bonus, but I doubt they would turn away their free entertainment just because they aren't staying around to enjoy the attractions.

Brian Noble said:
Honestly, who cares if a bunch of over-privileged kids get to take a band trip to Disney World or not? I mean, I know that we're supposed to be all pro-theme-parks and stuff, but this is a tempest in a teapot.

wahoo skipper said:
Why are they "over-privileged"?

RatherGoodBear said:
Where was it stated these kids were over-privileged?

depotrat said:
What makes you think these kids are over-privledged?

How can I not love somthing that gets such a reaction? I have no choice but to pay attention - expecially as Brian is one of the people around here with an opinion I generally value and trust.

Shouldn't be too hard to dig up some info, right.

Great Birdge High School is in Chesapeake, VA 23322 - all we have to do is look up the info and we'll find that:

It's a city of 61,000+ where the median income is almost $75,000 (29% of the households make six figures or more annually) and the median home cost is $450,000.

I'll leave it up to the individuals reading this to decide if that qualifies as 'over-privledged' or not.

But the real question is whether it matters that they are over-privileged.

^^Sorry Gonch that type of reasoning doesn't fly. Average income doesn't equate because it just becomes the person who drowned in a lake with an average depth of three feet.

For example, I live in Fairfield County CT. It is reported as the richest county in the USA. Me, like many others are far from rich and my family is certainly not over-privledged. There is extreme wealth in some areas and it skews the averages.

You may respect Brian, but in this case he over generalized about people and families he had little or no knowledge of and got called on it.

Might I direct you to this page:

Link to CPS statistics page

The enrollment there is around 40,000 with about 4,500 on basic aid (free/reduced lunch). Which places the ratio at about 1/10. Which is basically the same ratio where I am from.

Link to ASAP page.
Many consider my school district "over-privileged".

That said, a Gary, IN high school that is not considered "over-privileged" with 28% of the students receiving free and reduced lunch.
Link to ASAP page

Edited to give a better example and to point out that Gary teacher's average salary of $58,739. While Chesapeake's is $47,121 and Jasper's is $47,538.

But again, why does it matter?

Well, median income of the area notwithstanding, lots of bands from lots of diverse economic backgrounds play at Disney and many other amusement parks. The issue is one of the assinine rationale the "leaders" of this community are making this decision.

If they are worried about the "safety" of the kids while at the park then they might as well cancel all extracurricular sports programs at the school. I guarantee you that there are more injuries in their sports programs than there are at Disney. In fact, it likely isn't even close. So, no more football at Chesapeake. Everyone ok with that?

My high school's band was/is a big deal, but they work their asses off on fund-raisers so they can do things like play Disney, the Rose Parade, etc. Even a well-to-do community doesn't get 100% of kids paying for this stuff out of pocket.

I was not fond of the professor's silly generalization either.