Greetings from the new Advocacy Chair on the MMEA Executive Board!
I will be sending advocacy updates to MMEA members and all music educators around the state of Maryland throughout the school year. If you want to call attention to an advocacy issue
in your county or at your school, please contact me.
I hope you have a safe and successful start to the 2021-2022 school year!
Amy Hairston, Advocacy Chair
ahairston.mcea@gmail.com
Looking Ahead to the 2021-2022 School Year
All PreK-12 students have the right to a high-quality school-based arts education in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts taught by certified professional arts educators in partnership with community arts providers. As a well-rounded subject area under federal education law, the Every Students Succeeds Act, music and the arts support the social and emotional well-being of students, foster a welcoming and safe school environment, and encourage inclusivity through multiple pathways for every child’s creative voice.
WHAT WE’RE FACING:
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Budget shortfalls. School districts can expect significantly lower revenue in the coming school year due to state and local budget deficits caused by the pandemic recession.
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A focus on remediation. School leaders, administrators and politicians are focused on addressing pandemic learning loss in the coming school year and beyond. That will lead to a call for intensive remediation, a teaching strategy that often limits access to arts education for students who are behind.
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A continued need for Personal Protective Equipment that is unique to the arts classroom. As we celebrate being back together in the classroom, state and local guidance may require continued mitigation of potential viral spread in performing arts classrooms. This means additional cost to keep dance, music, theatre, and visual arts programs active and in-person.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW:
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Embrace the Arts ARE Education campaign. Encourage your school board to pass the Arts ARE Education Resolution and encourage community members to sign the pledge.
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Speak with school leaders in your district about the power of arts education. Share the campaign Talking Points Page and stories of how arts education has continued successfully throughout the pandemic in your schools and supported students’ well-being and a positive school climate.
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Celebrate with other school districts that embrace the Arts ARE Education campaign. Share your wins on the Arts ARE Education website, along with your district’s resolution.
Advocacy in the Time of COVID
Advocacy in the COVID-19 Era: Using NAfME Resources to Engage as an Active Music Education Advocate
Co-Authored By:
Matt Barusch, NAfME State Advocacy Engagement Manager;
Brian Schneckenburger, MMEA President;
Ronald P. Frezzo, Former MMEA Advocacy Chair;
and JJ Norman, MMEA Executive Director
Arts Education is Essential
A Unified Statement From
Arts and Education Organizations
MMEA joined hundreds of fellow state and national organizations in signing the
Arts Education is Essential Unified Statement.
Please visit National Core Arts Standards
for more information.
Since every program has different goals and individual needs, the following organizations offer ideas and tools to help garner the most support and resources for your music program. These sites include regional and state agencies, federal institutions, and independent advocacy organizations.