Prop 28 would keep the music playing in California schools
PACIFICA -- Jared Katz is a third grade teacher at Cabrillo Elementary and has been teaching music in his classroom as part of his lesson plan for years.
"Music has a way of teaching kids where regular school fails," Katz said.
He found that it can make the biggest difference in a child's education. He teaches the basics of course, like math, english, and science, but also goes beyond books or worksheets. He gives them instruments and it's at no cost to parents.
Too often when schools make budget cuts the first thing to go is arts, theatre, dance and music programs. Prop 28 wants to change that, the goal is to make arts and music a priority for California K-12 Public schools by allocating almost 1% of the state's general fund to creative arts education.
This would not raise taxes, but some say the fund should have more flexibility when it comes to school spending.
Lance Christensen, a candidate for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, says this might not be the best use of funds, especially with a recession looming.
"I want our schools to have the best dance, theatre and music education they could possibly have," Christensen said. "What I don't want is for them to be constrained by ballot box budgeting that requires them to spend a certain threshold of money where they have no flexibility or discretion over."
No official opposition has been filed against Proposition 28.
Katz relies on a nonprofit organization for instruments, it's how he keeps the program free for students.
"Some of these instruments are Frankensteined together, with 8-year-olds there's a lot of turnover with instruments,"Katz said. "And the Bluegrass Association has been amazing with that they even have a budget for repairs,"
Getting his students excited about school and learning is the goal
"When a parent goes -- 'Oh gosh I was so excited when she brought a violin home, and now we are losing our minds because she won't stop playing' -- to me that's the best thing ever because I know that a kid that's really into it."
Katz mostly teaches his students Bluegrass music, because they tend to learn it pretty well and he's even formed a group of third and fourth graders who perform, something his students have been doing for years.
"I have a group of students who are juniors now, one of the first groups of kids who started playing music in my class, and they still play together, performing at festivals all over the place," Katz said.
Regardless of the outcome of Proposition 28 in this upcoming midterm election, Katz will continue to teach his students the universal language of music!