Petition Launched for Pay Equity in Pre-College Training

Manhattan School of Music’s pre-college program faculty are petitioning for their pay to be “in line with industry standards”

Faculty members at the Manhattan School of Music's (MSM) pre-college program have launched a petition, demanding that their pay be brought into line with the industry standard for pre-college music teaching in New York City. 

According to the petition, MSM Pre-College faculty are paid 43% less than their colleagues at Mannes Prep and 59% less than their colleagues at The Juilliard School’s MAP program. In addition, “only around 20% of MSM Precollege tuition money currently goes to faculty compensation.”

Over the last few years, MSM’s pre-college department has significantly increased its tuition rates in line with the rising cost of living. However, faculty salaries have supposedly not risen accordingly, and those teaching in the program claim to earn significantly less than their peers from other institutions.

The petition, which has since gained over 1000 signatures, also notes that MSM’s publicly available tax filings allege they are not in a position of financial difficulty, hence fairly compensating its faculty would not jeopardize the program’s operations.

Additionally, the petition adds that it is not uncommon for the faculty members to encourage their own students to audition for pre-college programs, even though they could earn more by retaining students privately. 

“MSM faculty are the lifeblood of the Precollege program,” the petition reads. “Not only are they the foundation of its reputation, but they also assume much of the responsibility for recruitment of talented students. In many cases, faculty take a pay cut by encouraging their private students to audition for MSM, setting their own financial interests aside for the sake of facilitating a more comprehensive education for their students.”

For more information and the petition, click here.