Dear music advocates,
Many parents who wrote to BSD Teaching & Learning in mid-March received a response from Executive Assistant Mishelle Padbury on March 20th. A copy of the letter is included below for reference. We believe the time is right for a follow-up letter, and we encourage you to use the language below in writing to the same group again. To access the portal, go to this link and copy-paste your note into the form. The first sentence is in brackets for those who already engaged and received a note back from the district. The rest can be used by those folks and anyone else who may be chiming in for the first time.
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To: Teaching & Learning Department: Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment
[I received your reply to my letter about before-school Jazz. I appreciate knowing that no decision has yet been made, and that principals will engage with their school community this spring.]
I am part of a group of parents in Beaverton who are concerned about the process that is underway for a decision about middle school Jazz / Zero Period, and the potential outcomes. We can appreciate the values of expanding access, staffing transparency, and program sustainability, but we need more information to be convinced that the decisions about what happens next have been well-considered.
First, it is unclear who is on the committee that is making these decisions. Which staff are on the middle school leadership team, and is this the group that will make the final decision? If not, who will make the final decision and when? We would also like to know which subject-matter experts are being consulted in this process. Have you asked the teachers of before school and after school classes (and potential teachers of such classes) what is at stake for them in this decision (for example: their availability before / after school, and the minimum or maximum days per week they are interested in extracurricular teaching)?
It is very important to us that when decisions are made, they are sensitive to the needs of the staff who would be running the class. If a music director is not available after school due to family obligations or other reasons, then eliminating before-school activities would essentially eliminate access to Jazz for all students at that school. In addition, the amount of preparation required to offer a high quality Jazz program (whether it be band or choir) is such that a director may need it to be part of their course load to make it worthwhile. We know you have good intentions in these considerations, and we hope to avoid unintended consequences.
We would like to know more about the community engagement being planned for spring. Is it going to be a survey of families? If so, will the survey include families of all current 6th-8th graders, and will it have a place for families to list their preference for before-school or after-school offerings? It seems to us that these questions would be a necessary part of any valid community engagement on this topic, as would a significant time window for completing the survey. We suggest a minimum of two weeks, and that the survey be delivered to parents to discuss with their child before completing the survey, not just given to students during the school day. We also suggest the results of the survey be made available to the community after it is complete. We are happy to join a work party to design the survey, if that is helpful.
We are aware that a transparent system for paying staff who take on duties outside the regular bell schedule has value, but we are concerned about a reductive approach that excludes options for Zero Period to be part of a teacher’s FTE. Why do all before-school and after-school courses need to be paid only as a club or activity stipend? Why couldn’t there be two options: one as a Zero Period class for those educators who are interested, and another as a stipend-funded activity for those who find a better fit with that option? We encourage you to keep decisions about the method of compensation at the building level. As long as both methods are clearly defined, transparency will be maintained.
Our main goal is to make sure our children can still access Jazz at school. Before-school has been wonderful in that both 7th and 8th graders can participate. If it were moved to the school day, we are concerned that one or the other grade level might be excluded due to scheduling conflicts. If it were moved to after school, we are concerned that our director would not be available, and that many of the students who’d like to participate would not be available due to afternoon scheduling conflicts. As you know, some students are obligated with childcare, work, or other activities after school. As you look to be inclusive, please consider these factors. Transportation is not the only key to a student’s availability.
Is there a scenario where extracurricular activities could take place either before or after school, allowing the best of both worlds? Or perhaps a phase-in process could happen where before-school activities continue without dedicated transportation while developing the after-school courses that have supportive transportation, and later work on adding transportation before school? Considering the fact that teacher availability and interest varies significantly from school to school, this would seem to increase the likelihood that a robust menu of opportunities could be offered and maintained at each school.
I appreciate your effort to support robust extracurricular activities for middle schoolers in the BSD. My child _____ has benefitted _____ from _____ class at _____ school and looks forward to continuing / starting next year.
Sincerely,
[parent name]
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From: Mishelle Padbury, Executive Assistant
Beaverton School District
March 20, 2026
Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the future of before-school programs in our middle schools. We appreciate your advocacy and the perspective you’ve provided on how these programs impact student engagement and belonging.
Before-school programs have been an ongoing conversation within our middle school leadership team; no decisions have been made. The reason this is being discussed is not about the budget, but rather an interest in addressing access and opportunity to middle school clubs and activities that meet outside of school time. Since before-school activities don’t provide transportation, participation is often limited to families who can provide their own early morning transit. These opportunities also are currently dependent on teacher availability and interest, which vary significantly from school to school.
We want to share some of the considerations the district is exploring:
Expanding Access: Over the last couple of years, our middle school after-school programming has become more robust, and the district provides transportation for after-school activities.
Staffing Transparency: We want to be transparent that staffing these offerings outside of school time comes through stipend roles, which teachers voluntarily take on when facilitating a club or program.
Program Sustainability: Principals are considering how out-of-school time activities meet the needs of students in a sustainable and inclusive way.
School principals will engage with their school communities this spring about program offerings. Your feedback also has been shared with our district leadership and the Teaching & Learning department.
Thank you again for your commitment to our school community.
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Link to first call to action with further background information: