PS 24 salvages its music program

Just two months after cutting its only two music teachers, PS 24 has rehired an instrumental instructor. 

Assistant Principal Manny Verdi said the primary school put the instrumental teacher back on staff after finding more money in the school’s budget due to an enrollment increase. 

A teacher identified by a PS 24 Parents’ Association member as Mary Ellen Scheply will work with all PS 24 students over the course of the academic year, Mr. Verdi said. Her classes will mostly be filled with kindergartners, third graders, fourth graders and fifth graders, he said, while students in other grades will get “the bulk” of their music lessons through partnerships with non-profit organizations.

PS 24 parent Eugenia Zakharov, who has twins going into the fourth grade, called the decision that she helped advocated for “great news.” 

“It would be great if we had both teachers back, but it’s half as good, and it’s certainly better than nothing,” she said. 

In mid-June, PS 24 announced it had to cut the three teachers — two of whom comprise the music department — because three educators with seniority unexpectedly decided to return this fall from long-term leaves. 

The vocal and instrumental instructors were excessed –– meaning they lost their assignments at PS 24 but continued to collect a salary from the Department of Education while they applied for jobs at other city schools. PS 24 also excessed a kindergarten teacher who was recently hired to alleviate a bump in enrollment. 

Ms. Zakharov, a school leadership team member, worked with about a dozen parents to draft a July 24 letter urging the administration to rehire the music teachers and “save the music program at PS 24.” 

Penny Prince, a Lehman College music education professor, who taught the school’s music teachers and has grandchildren enrolled at PS 24, said she hoped the roughly 70 other parents and community members who signed the letter would feel more confident raising their concerns with the administration in the future.