At 73, He Wants to Keep Groovin’

This was not the fitting coda Chuck Wackerman had imagined.

In the Los Alamitos Unified School District, Wackerman is revered as a jazz education legend, having led his middle and high school band programs to critical acclaim for nearly half a century.

But in March, district officials told him that his contract would not be renewed. Wackerman, 73, teaches two jazz classes on a part-time basis, and school officials wanted one director to oversee the instrumental music department.

Wackerman’s impending departure triggered a groundswell of support from parents and students, who say he’s earned the right to teach as long as he wishes.

Wackerman would like to stick around until 2006, his 50th anniversary in teaching.

For the most part, Wackerman has avoided the fray, letting parents and students speak out at school board meetings and in local newspapers. “I really didn’t want to retire, and I still don’t want to retire,” he said. “My heart’s still in it.”

Under Wackerman’s tutelage, Los Alamitos High was once named one of the five most successful jazz programs in the country. And last week, Wackerman was presented the Educator’s Lifetime Achievement Award by the Orange County Music and Arts Administrators.

Which is why on April 26, scores of parents and students spoke out at a school board meeting, urging officials to reconsider their plan.

“My daughter is the recipient of Mr. Wackerman’s teaching, a potent blend of half a century of jazz experience, exacting standards and love of kids,” parent Lisa Chattler told the board. “Keep the magic going as long as the magician is willing to work.”

Wackerman was stunned by the level of community support.

“I had no idea parents were that concerned,” he said, his wispy ashen hair bookending thick-rimmed glasses. “I appreciate that they’ve taken the time to support me.”

But the outpouring has a flip side: Wackerman is worried that efforts to save his job have caused a backlash against his successor, John Rush.

Parents have directed scathing letters at the 39-year-old Rush. They said his teaching style is “militaristic” and vowed to transfer their children to another school if Wackerman is not rehired.

Even though Rush has been teaching instrumental music groups at Los Alamitos High for two years, he bears the brunt of the anger because some parents see him as the usurper of Wackerman’s position.

“It’s really unfair to John,” said Wackerman, who was on Rush’s hiring committee. “He’s definitely qualified. He sets high standards and demands a lot from his students.”

Like Wackerman, Rush is watching the situation from afar, but he acknowledges that the comments from parents have been hurtful.

“It’s been very difficult,” he said. “They’re grabbing at straws amid all this controversy of Chuck not being here, finding someone to take the fall.”

Wackerman grew up knowing that he would be involved in music for the rest of his life: “Nothing else but music, one form or another.”

He joined the Air National Guard after high school, playing trumpet in traveling ensembles. After graduating from USC in 1957, Wackerman became a music teacher at McGaugh Elementary in Seal Beach.

He said his teaching highlight came in 1993, when two of his bands took first place in their divisions at the Reno Jazz Festival. His youngest son, Brooks, played in one of the groups. Today he’s the drummer for the punk rock band Bad Religion.

In 1999, after 43 years of teaching full time, Wackerman retired -- but he was brought back the next year when his successor left the school. The agreement with Los Alamitos High was that he would teach the two high school jazz bands and the middle school jazz band on a year-to-year basis.

Sensing Wackerman would eventually call it quits, the district hired Rush in 2002, then a music teacher in the Val Verde Unified School District in Riverside County.

Rush “clearly was our No. 1 candidate,” said Dave Hatton, assistant superintendent of human resources for Los Alamitos Unified. “He brought all kinds of awards to his school, and getting a strong middle school music program is quite an accomplishment.”

Dan Brooks, principal at Los Alamitos High, said the district wanted to spread the course load by hiring a third full-time teacher in the music department.

But to do so, the district said, Wackerman would have to be let go.

Behind closed doors, Brooks asked Wackerman to say he retired, in hopes of avoiding a public fracas. But Wackerman said he didn’t feel right telling parents and students that.

After the district’s decision was made public, about 50 parents organized a meeting and invited Brooks and Hatton to attend. The two tried to defuse the situation, explaining their reasoning. Parents took an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” stance.

“Chuck’s got a big heart and he’s given so much,” Brooks said. “I’ve lost sleep over this. I’d lie in bed at night reliving the whole situation in my head.”

Students in the bands say they’re caught in the middle.

“They both love music and both want what’s best for their kids,” said Brittany Tyler, a 17-year-old flutist and vibraphonist in Rush’s Jazz Two Band. “It’s an unfortunate situation. People see what’s happening and they draw conclusions that it’s Mr. Rush’s fault, and it’s not.”

Wackerman and Rush concede that the situation has made their relationship tense at times but say that their respect for each other transcends all.

“He and I have been treading on egg shells on what has happened,” Rush said. “But we’ll still talk every day. We’ll drop whatever we’re doing and converse for a good half hour.”

Rush said he wants Wackerman to be involved in Los Alamitos High’s music program next year. He has invited Wackerman to play an advisory role and continue tutoring students and running section rehearsals.

While Wackerman has generally kept his feelings to himself, he knows that his time is not yet up and that he has more to offer. After all, this is a man who is convinced that music is every bit as important in schools as algebra and varsity sports. “The best part is seeing the kids improve and getting the bands to a certain level,” Wackerman said.

The thought of retiring for the sake of ending the dispute has crossed Wackerman’s mind. “But if I did that, out of respect to the parents and students, that would be the wrong thing to do,” he said.

“I regret that I can’t teach next year. But I’m not bitter about it. I have no resentment against the administration. It’s what they decided to do.”