Succeed Act ( ESSA ). For the first time in our nation ’ s history , music is listed as part of a well-rounded education . It also gives flexibility in Title I funds to support music education for low-resource schools and provides more professional development opportunities for music educators . While the passage of ESSA is a step forward , the appropriation for funds outlined in the document continue to be debated in appropriations ( and this was one of our talking points on Hill Day )
For more info about ESSA , the link below is everything you need to know , including resources . http :// www . nafme . org / take-action / elementary-and-secondary-education-act-eseaupdates /
The following link is an ESSA brief synopsis for the music educator on the go :) http :// www . nafme . org / wp-content / files / 2015 / 11 / ESSA-In-Plain- EnglishFINAL-2-2016 . pdf
NAfME is a lobbying machine I did not realize the extent of NAfME ’ s political clout and all the work that is done behind the scenes so that we can do the job we are meant to do as music teachers in our individual states . NAfME is among the world ’ s largest arts education organizations , and is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education . With more than 60,000 members , our collective size is what allows us to be heard at the national level of politics . As president-elect , I now receive weekly email updates from NAfME on the politics and changes in the department of education . I know that I do not have the time , nor do I know the political jargon , to navigate all the documents that the NAfME staff in Reston , VA pour over on a daily basis . I feel much more comfortable knowing that this organization has the skills to look out for our interests as a profession and for our students .