The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) advocates to educate elected officials and other key decision-makers about the impact and importance of music education programs.
Below you will find several topics in public policy where the NAfME advocates at the federal level.
Current Legislative Agenda
Past Legislative Priorities
- Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations
- Emergency Funding to Address the Homework Gap
- Education Relief Funding for Public Schools
- Funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- Guarantee Access to Arts and Music Education Act
- Higher Education Act Reauthorization
- Reopen and Rebuild America Schools Act
- Music Education Policy Roundtable Responds to 2021 Presidential Transition
- NAfME letter to the Biden transition calling for the reinstatement of the Arts, Foreign Language, Geography, and Economics assessments to the NAEP calendar
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
After years of stalled negotiations and Congressional stalemates, Congress put No Child Left Behind away for good, and passed, by an overwhelming majority, a new version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
This new bill, entitled the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), is an enormous victory for music education advocates. We are truly on the verge of a new day for music education, with opportunities to use federal funding to increase access to music education for all students, especially the most vulnerable.
Please visit our “Everything ESSA” page for the latest on this HISTORIC piece of legislation for music education. On the page you find:
- A comprehensive legislative analysis of the bill
- Toolkits, fact sheets, and implementation guides on how to navigate and understand ESSA
- Resources to help you understand the funding and appropriations process of ESSA
Coalitions
Advocacy is most effective when carried out with friends. That’s why NAfME is active in multiple public policy coalitions, including the Music Education Policy Roundtable, of which NAfME is a founding member. Our coalition work ensures that music education is represented in national conversations around education funding and policy. Click here to learn more.
