Well, it was only music, and it's a school, you know, so . . .

Manhattan P.S. 41 in Greenwich Village

"We are very grateful for the years we were able to have [music teacher] Eve Zanni with us and for her contribution to the cultural tenor and atmosphere of the school."

-- Michelle Farinet, parent coordinator at P.S. 41
in Greenwich Village, in an e-mail to parents

by Ken

Here are some parent comments quoted by DNAinfo New York's Danielle Tcholakian:

"Music was one of the reasons we chose 41 -- I was just really impressed."

-- Shirley Brady, a fourth-grade mother
who'd known about Eve Zanni's extracurricular
programs and unusual teaching methods

"I love P.S. 41 and I loved Eve as the music teacher. We valued and will miss her commitment to the children, fostering both their love for music and empowering them through music."

-- Mari Lazar, whose daughter is a fifth-grader

"My children frequently came home telling us about Rosa Parks, or singing 'We Shall Overcome.' When I said, 'What a great song,' they said, 'Yeah, we learned this from Ms. Eve,' and they knew all the historical context. She was all about inspiring and empowering. She made music education about learning about the fights of others who are less fortunate."

-- Lubie Alatriste, mother of twins in fourth grade

In case you hadn't gotten the message, Eve Zanni is gone from Manhattan elementary school P.S. 41. According to DNAinfo's Danielle Tcholakian, "She is currently in the Absent Teacher Reserve and has not yet been assigned to a new school, officials said." Zanni declined to comment for the article, which is headlined "Music Class Slashed at Greenwich Village's PS 41."

Tcholakian reports:

The West 11th Street elementary school was forced to cut the elective class and dismiss their longtime music teacher because of changes to the school schedule, among other issues, parent coordinator Michelle Farinet said in an email to parents. . . .

Zanni had taught at the school for nine years, incorporating social justice and civil rights lessons into her classes, and she also ran extracurricular programs including a children's chorus called Songbirds.

Zanni, Tcholakian reports, "was known for not talking down to kids, but instead teaching them about protest songs, the Latin American folk tradition and 'grown-up jazz music,' parents said," and was valued by parents both for her "approach to music education" and for "the time and energy she put in both during the school day and after hours."

So what happened?

Well, "P.S. 41 officials did not respond to requests for comment," and you would have to know way more about school planning generally and NYC public-school planning in particular, not to mention the nest of contracts by which NYC public schools function, in order to read between the lines of what Tcholakian was able to glean.

According to parent coordinator Michelle Farinet's e-mail to parents, Zanni was let go "because of changes to the school schedule, among other issues."

In the email, Farinet told parents that this year's new teachers union contract forced changes in the school's schedule, including an earlier start time, which left the school with no choice but to eliminate an elective class.

In case that's not absolutely clear, Tcholakian offers this comment from a NYC Dept. of Education spokesman, Harry Hartfield:

The total instructional time for students and teachers remains the same as in previous years and the DOE is committed to working closely with schools and principals to address any issues.

Oh. Okay, well, sure, there you go.

Tcholakian notes that P.S. 41 students "will still get exposure to music" -- via "the annual fifth-grade musical, violin lessons and dance classes." In addition, "kids can sign up for an after-school music program at P.S. 41 for $400 per year." (Violin lessons? Only violin lessons?)

Well, all right then!

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