Post Pandemic Planning Guide Volume 1 - Lay the Groundwork

This first article is all about laying the groundwork. The goal is to uncover any roadblocks that might present themselves later in the spring and to ensure that music has a voice at the table as plans are made for the upcoming school year. Have you considered these items to prepare for the fall?

Touch base with your building administrator or principal to determine your teaching schedule for the coming school year as well as what needs to happen to have a successful recruiting season. Here is an email template to kick off that conversation and a checklist of items to consider to ensure you are prepared for this conversation.

Remember: When framing your conversation with your administrator, be sure to present your solutions in the context of what's best for the students. You may need to remind your administrator why music is a crucial part of the curriculum. Here is an example of a presentation successfully used by teachers in Lincoln, NE to ensure continued support of music programs.

We all know recruiting happens 24/7, but it is more important than ever to be focused, organized and proactive. Start collecting written and virtual testimonials from your parents and students about the importance of music in their lives. These can be outstanding materials to help you recruit later in the semester. Here is a sample email/letter you can use to collect these testimonials.

If you're looking for some more resources to help you with these conversations and to-do items, here are a few you might consider:

• Amro Music's Podcast on Recruiting Resources from Yamaha Featuring Disney Pixar's Soul (recorded Jan. 5th, 2021)
• NFHS summary of most recent aerosol study results

Like anything you hope to strengthen, your recruiting program can benefit from regular workouts. We've built a 16-week training plan to guide you through the rest of the school year: breaking it down into manageable to-dos and helping you finish strong, with a full program next fall.

We know that 2020 was a year like none other and effects could be felt for a while, but we CAN get our students back to making music. Let's take small steps together. You've got this!

Check out Volume 2: Is Music Safe to pick up some tips and tricks about how to talk "reducing risk" with administrators, colleagues and parents.