Advocacy

The Latest on Music Education Policy from Capitol Hill

MENC Legislative Memo

Feb 7, 2011

On February 7, MENC, along with ASTA and NAMM, hosted “A Music Education Policy Roundtable” under the SupportMusic umbrella at MENC headquarters in Reston, Virginia.

MENC and NAMM collaborate on SupportMusic.com, which provides tools and resources to advance community support for music education.

Chris Woodside, MENC Assistant Executive Director for Advocacy and Public Affairs, said this is a “pivotal time to make our case” because efforts to scale back arts education funding appear to be gaining steam.

“We want to come together, talk strategy and share information about crucial issues,” Woodside said.

Mike Blakeslee, MENC Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Executive Director, asked, “What is our policy agenda? What are our legislative ‘asks?’ What do we want to accomplish for our individual organizations but also, what is best for the common good?”

MENC's Mike Blakeslee records the Roundtable's consensus recommendations

Blakeslee also said there is urgency to that work. The Obama administration’s emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects has raised flags for music and arts education advocates, as well as those from other disciplines such as history and foreign languages.

Representatives from various additional entities attended as well:

• Americans for the Arts
• Chorus America
• League of American Orchestras
• Music Teachers National Association
• National Association of Schools of Music
• Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
• VH1 Save the Music
   

Several others participated remotely via webinar.

Those attending discussed how smaller organizations can work with larger ones to achieve common goals. Roundtable attendees agreed that it is also important to encourage members to participate in local advocacy and not to rely solely on national efforts.

By the end of the session, attendees had reached consensus on a set of “working” recommendations:

• Congress needs to maintain the status of the arts as a core academic subject.
• The Department of Education should collect research to help the field of music education better understand its needs.
• Accountability provisions, which include a measurement of music success, are essential.
• Funding should be sought either throughout the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) or by addressing specific titles.
   

  From left: Roundtable discussion participants Heather Noonan, League of American Orchestras; Gary Ingle, Music Teachers National Association; and Laurie Lock, VH1 Save the Music

Roundtable attendees agreed to keep in touch and to continue to work together to make adjustments to the “asks” listed above, and to make progress on common advocacy goals.

The Latest on Music Education Policy from Capitol Hill

MENC Legislative Memo

Jan 14, 2011

Rolled back government discretionary spending in Education to Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 levels

Take a look at a 2011 calendar. As in any year, there are 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days. This year in Washington, DC, with elections looming in 2012, the year 2011 is much shorter on Capitol Hill. Many Congressional insiders believe that legislators will handle little of substance after late summer, as 2012 nears. In fact, the 2012 fiscal year begins on October 1.

Now that Republicans control the House of Representatives and hold more seats in the Senate, much of the early goal-setting seems to be focused on repealing, or beginning to dismantle the health care reform bill. Some newly minted members of Congress have also called for rolled back government discretionary spending, including education funding, to Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 levels.

Where does that leave education and, in particular, arts education funding in FY'11? "Pretty low in the pecking order" says Mike Blakeslee, MENC Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Executive Director.

With the 112th Congress in place, members of the Committee for Education Funding (CEF), which includes MENC, met January 5 to assess potential scenarios for the weeks ahead.

According to CEF, a rollback would mean a cut of about 13.6%, or $63 billion for all discretionary spending. That would translate into $9.42 billion in funding cuts to education programs like:

• Title 1
• Pell Grants
• Federal Work Study Programs
• 21st Century Community Learning Centers
• Improving Teacher Quality State Grants
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants

CEF's goal is "combining resources to effectively advocate for an increased federal commitment to education from early education to higher education."

Nancy Townes, MENC's new Director of Government Relations & Advocacy Communications, attended the meeting. She said there was some discussion suggesting that the biggest education issue, reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), could still potentially attract support because it is seen as a bipartisan issue.

MENC's position is to advocate for music education on numerous fronts, including with other music and arts groups, with other education groups, and with education funding organizations.

Speakers at the early January CEF meeting included policy advisors as well as Congressional staffers.

One Hill staffer at the meeting offered some advice that music education advocates might find useful: No matter the level of government, meetings with elected officials or their staff members should be brief.

Personal stories about teachers' accomplishments and those of their students are far more effective than long speeches about statistics and dollar amounts. The staffer encouraged advocates to use their time to express the positive aspects of supporting education programs.

Equally important, however, is leaving behind a one-page summary of music educator concerns, or "Asks." An Ask is a request for Congressional appropriations, for specific bill language, or for support made by an individual or an organization for a member of Congress.

CEF Website

CEF Appropriations Tracker

Read a wrap-up of MENC's 2010 legislative efforts

—Roz Fehr, January 14, 2011. © MENC: The National Association for Music Education

Resources

• Music Education Advocacy Central
• MENC Webinar: How MENC Advocates for YOU

For today's students to succeed tomorrow, they need a comprehensive education that includes music taught by exemplary music educators.

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Music Advocacy

The Latest on Music Education Policy from Capitol Hill

MENC Legislative Memo

October 28, 2010

Discussing Links Between Arts Education, Creativity, and Pre-Service Teacher Training

On October 20 the Higher Education Working Group of the Arts Education Partnership (AEP) presented a forum in Denver, Colorado. MENC President Scott C. Shuler, MENC Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Mike Blakeslee, and MENC's Butera participated in the discussions.

The group focused on the importance of partnerships in pre-service education for classroom teachers. Collaborations could link higher education with PreK–12 schools, artists, and cultural organizations like MENC.

The session also focused on the role creativity plays in how students learn today and will succeed tomorrow. MENC coordinated similar discussions through the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, resulting in the development of a "Skills Map" for the arts.

MENC originally convened the working group of national arts education organizations to complete 21st Century Skills Map, which demonstrates how quality, standards-based arts instruction helps students master 21st century skills. "The original audience for this document included school administrators and policymakers who need to understand how important a quality music/arts education to help children succeed in the 21st century," Shuler said. "Members of the groups are now presenting the map, as we did at the AEP meeting, to encourage arts educators and arts organizations to use the map. We all need to help get out the word about the importance of music/arts education."

Shuler believes, "All citizens need to study the arts. It is particularly important that classroom teachers receive a quality arts education, because they are in a position to transfer both their arts skills and values to the each generation of students. While it is arguably unrealistic to expect all classroom teachers to possess the skills to be the primary teachers of music and the other arts (no pun intended), they can and should encourage their students to sing, to listen to music of different cultures and historical periods, and to write about the music they hear."

During the work-group meeting Colorado Governor Bill Ritter said that America once led through creativity and innovation, "We have lost our competitive edge," an edge that needs to be restored.

"Creativity isn't just about music and the arts, but you can't talk creativity without talking about the tremendous influence the arts and arts education can have in the world of educating kids," Ritter said.

Speaking at the same meeting, Lieutenant Governor Barbara O'Brien said, "the thoughtful connection between the arts and how we educate young people with an eye on our economy is a vibrant way to think about the arts."