The View from Southern Maine

by Sandy Barry

In the first installment of “The View from….” we visited with our colleagues from District 7. Taking advantage of proximity and short commutes, I headed to the most southern area of Maine, District 1. What is it like to work and live here? What challenges do they face? What do the educators of District 1 want others to know about this place? We continue this series with The View From Southern Maine, a conversation from Spring 2023 with Missy Shabo, Immediate-Past District 1 Chair.

Full disclosure—I have been fortunate to work with Missy Shabo and her guest, Caitlin Ramsey, in many instances and for many years. I welcomed them to our home for a Sunday brunch and to lure them into spilling the beans on all things District 1 in this hard-hitting expose.

How would you describe your District–geography, school make-up, communities, etc.?

CR: Cape Elizabeth is socio-economically quite diverse. MS: There are significant differences in school and program size, general supports, job descriptions, and funding, from schools that are even within 10 miles of each other.

Missy described her experiences progressing from school system to school system–parents and the community hold expectations about how education/music programs “are” vs. what they can be from the teacher’s perspective. As motivated and informed educators, Missy and Caitlin have worked in multiple systems that did not have much time, funding, or support. They each have a strong vision of what it takes to create and maintain a strong music program. They shared that recruiting and advocating for the kids’ musical education experience is a constant job.

CR: PR (public relations) is a big part of the job and should not be left up to chance. You need to tell the story you want people to know. People will share their opinions about what is happening. What story do you want them to tell?

Even before the pandemic, Maine was beginning to experience significant changes in edu- cation. What particular changes affected your District the most? How did your District address these challenges?

CR: Scheduling is the biggest factor, always and forever. Many areas face challenges; population decline, smaller families, and a tight housing market create challenges in schools. Further inland in Southern Maine, there are challenges of population growth. Significant demographic changes in the bigger systems cause strains on limited resources.

MS: We are seeing more need for interventions for kids—not just academic but behavioral, functional, and emotional.

Speaking of the pandemic, describe how your District weathered this crisis. What was lost? What lessons were learned? What is it like today?

CR: The experience was so varied, even within the same District. Administrations set priorities. Music classes were outside, some fully online, and teachers were assigned to teach other subjects. Some teachers were left entirely up to themselves as to what they could do and provide. High schools are seeing the impact and will for several years. High schools need to pivot to meet the needs of the students they have now, who, in many ways, share similarities with middle schoolers. MS: No other subject suffered as much as music ensemble classes. Classes that had to work and learn together couldn’t do that for a year and a half. Now they don’t know how to be together as a group in the same room.

Missy described how she felt her whole professional life was canceled, but during that summer, she dove into professional development.

Caitlin’s administrator asked how she wanted to “do this” and included her in planning “how to do band.” She chose online classes so she could see her students regularly and was allowed to teach her subject.

During COVID, Caitlin and Missy taught in different districts but worked to collaborate with each other and other teachers in the state (Maine Middle School Band Directors Group on Facebook). There were frequent Zooms, online professional development sessions, and myriad conversations. Because of this effort, Missy brought to her administration the idea of deliberately scheduling band online. Missy could also share information and facts with school leaders that enabled her to access ESSER funding and address the learning loss experienced at the time. For Caitlin, who also taught beginners, there was an enormous amount of planning, experimentation, and effort centered around the beginning band and how to teach first-year students instruments online. This article cannot fully encompass the methods Caitlin successfully employed to start begin- ners via online learning, but you can read about some of the process here: https://cemsband.weebly.com/2022mmea-clinic-info.html

The first year back wasn’t normal, as we know. Masks, bell covers, distance, spacing, and tents, in some cases, had to be incorporated into budgets and procedures. There were vastly different schedules than previous times, and much learning to do what was once so well known before so very differently.

CR: The value of music has had to be retaught to communities. What is the importance and need for music education? For example, what is a jazz band? (hint: donuts help). Kids weren’t exposed to all they had been before the pandemic. Concerts, honors festivals, jazz groups–all of these events were “new.” Teaching in person again required addressing what had been forgotten. Skills and routines had to be rebuilt, and my teaching needed to change. Reconfiguring rehearsal and concert spaces created many layers of complication.

More was required to support student success, and communicating essential details to parents was critical. There needed to be a Plan A, B, and C for every event. We are dependent on having kids in our program to have a program. No other subject at the middle school level depends on kids signing up for their class. The pandemic tested music teachers on every level.

MS: Having a colleague to work with daily who teaches the same thing as you and can talk to and problem-solve with is a game changer. There is someone to collaborate with all the time.

CR: Sharing the common load makes the work sustainable, makes us both better educators, and allows us to do more at school and home.

MS: You can breathe. I’m a better teacher because I have someone to plan things with and through. I think everybody should have that.

CR: Unfortunately, in our state, many districts don’t set up their music programs with the scheduling and staffing needed to be successful. Most other subjects have a clear curriculum mapped across the grade levels. With specialty subjects like music, it’s easier for curricula to be disjointed without a cohesive district-wide approach or structure. Collaboration can be difficult, with variable job descriptions, challenging schedules, large geographic areas, and no curricular oversight.

MS: In Maine, we’re lucky to have one other person teaching music in our building.

What would you like your colleagues in the rest of Maine to know about your District that they might not know?

What are your hopes for the future of your District? For the future of music education?

MS: D1 has big challenges geographically, socio-economically and program-wise. District 1, while the biggest population-wise, does not consist of all “big programs.” There are many small schools. Common to much of Maine, many people have jobs that span many grades and varying content areas. District I saw 32 new educators in 2023, illustrating the fast pace of change. This resulted in considerable work to support all new teachers, get people involved, and re-involved with District 1 work and jobs. The work continues.

CR: I would like to see teachers using each other more as a support system rather than a comparison. Mentoring would be a great thing to see expanded. Having FACTS is the only way to talk with administrators about increasing music the view from... offerings/improving scheduling. The more we share from District to District, the better. I would also love to see a more collaborative relationship between local colleges and school music programs in our area. We can all help lift each other up to keep improving our state’s music education quality.

MS: It’s great to see new people getting involved in District activities, and some of those newer teachers are bringing their colleagues to the table. We need more of that to reflect our changing District. As of the Spring of 2023, District 1 is scheduled for the year with hosts, managers, and most board positions filled.

MS/CR both share the same goal as educators: to always try to improve as teachers–to open the door to self-improvement and to see more professional collaborative opportunities.

Each district’s music program has different strengths and obstacles. While celebrating and acknowledging what is good, there is also room for supporting others. Missy and Caitlin are working to create a network where people feel comfortable asking questions without judgment. There is growth in going to things like the Midwest Clinic and realizing, “holy cow, I don’t know anything.” A tighter community of music educators with cross-curricular experiences and goals reaps benefits for teachers and students alike.

Caitlin Ramsey and Missy Shabo encourage us all to get involved. The effort benefits students, and active involvement provides leadership experience and a greater understanding of the larger picture in our music community: making connections and forming peer networks. Get involved. Do what you can do. For example, if your school facility cannot accommodate a district event or you feel you have no specific skills to act as district treasurer, find a position or task you can perform. Be part of the solution. We all benefit in the end.

Missy Shabo is currently in her 15th year teaching. She started her career in Sacopee Valley, moved to Bonny Eagle Middle School, then Scarborough Middle School, and is now co-director of bands at Cape Elizabeth Middle School. This new position results from years of advocacy by Caitlin Ramsey. The two cross-teach 5–8 instrumental music and two jazz bands. Missy lives in Old Orchard Beach, where she was born and raised, the daughter of long-time Loranger MS band director George Shabo. Missy remembers wanting to follow in his footsteps and be the band director in Old Orchard. George, retired, now subs for his daughter. “Papa Shabo” is loved by the Cape Elizabeth kids, who frequently request him. Missy shares her home with her nine-year-old yellow lab, Papi, and a puppy, Tatum. Missy Shabo is now the Past D1 Chair, the band manager for the 7/8 Festival, and Treasurer for the 6th North Festival. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s in Music Education and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership, all from the University of Southern Maine. Missy is the Director of all USM Summer Band Camps: Youth Band Day Camp, Southern Maine Junior Music Academy, and Southern Maine Music Academy.

Caitlin Ramsey, originally of Smithfield, Maine, attended Skowhegan HS, graduated from Miami University with a BA in

Music Performance and Music Education, and earned a Master’s in Education from Kent State University. The 2022–2023 school year marked her 19th year teaching, all in Maine. She began her career in Chelsea (K–8 classroom music, chorus, band, and musical theater), followed by Sanford, Massabesic, and Cape Elizabeth. Caitlin serves in several District 1 capacities, including Secretary (now Past) and Coordinator for the 7/8 and 6th Grade North festivals. Outside of District 1, she is the NAfME Band Council Eastern Division Representative, frequent presenter/clinician, and guest conductor. During the pandemic, Caitlin created the Maine Middle School Band Directors Group, a lifeline of resources, support, and humor for educators statewide. Caitlin is married to Tim Ebersold, Scarborough HS band director. They live in Portland and have recently welcomed a new family member, Ruckus, an adorable pup.

Caitlin and Missy have known each other for years and worked together in various capacities. 2023 marked the first year working in the same school district, however. They are still figuring out how to work with each other as colleagues, taking on essential topics such as desk tidiness, salad dressing spillage, and how often one should clean their coffee mug. When not tripping over items in their shared office, they belong to the same book group, currently focusing on the Royal Family. The inaugural Maine Middle School Band Directors Fall Conference was an early success in their collaborative efforts held in October 2022 at CEMS. Missy and Caitlin welcomed 72 band directors across Maine for a full day of professional development in 2022. The conference is returning this year on October 6th. n