Cindy Marten Honored with the NAfME 2025 Music Education Champion Award

Cindy Marten, Secretary of Education for the State of Delaware, Honored with the NAfME 2025 Music Education Champion Award

HERNDON, VA (June 9, 2025)—National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is pleased to announce Cindy Marten, Secretary of Education for the State of Delaware and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education, as the recipient of the 2025 Music Education Champion Award.

In 2024, U.S. Deputy Secretary Marten played a pivotal role in authoring the U.S. Department of Education’s long-awaited guidance letter on how federal funds can be used to support arts education. This guidance has provided critical clarity for school districts across the country, empowering them to leverage federal resources to enhance and expand access to high-quality music and arts education.

Additionally, former U.S. Deputy Secretary Marten demonstrated her commitment to music education by speaking at NAfME’s 2022 National Conference, where she highlighted the importance of equitable access to music and arts education and the role of federal policy in supporting these efforts. Her engagement with NAfME and the broader arts education community underscores her dedication to ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have the opportunity to experience the benefits of a well-rounded education that includes music and the arts.

The California Music Educators Association awarded Cindy Marten its “Administrator of the Year” award in 2017 because of her consistent presence at music and arts events in the schools and community, as well as her continued supportive words that translated into a vibrant visual and performing arts program in San Diego Unified. Her leadership and advocacy have significantly advanced the national conversation on the role of music education in student development.

“We thank Secretary Marten for her unwavering dedication to education for all children, especially through the arts and social and emotional learning. Her wide-reaching impact, from the West Coast in her work with San Diego Unified to the East Coast as Delaware’s Secretary of Education, and the entire country as Deputy Secretary of Education for the United States underscores the importance and significance of the arts and music in education. A true Music Education Champion, we congratulate Secretary Marten and count on her voice to continue to ring loudly as a fervent advocate.”—Deborah A. Confredo, NAfME President (2024–2026)

NAfME will present the Music Education Champion Award to Cindy Marten on June 10 during the NAfME National Leadership Assembly. Presented to only a few recipients through the course of the association’s 118-year history, the award recognizes personal commitment to the promotion of music education, both through engagement with policymakers and outreach to potential music education supporters.

“I am deeply grateful and humbled to accept the 2025 NAfME Music Education Champion Award. Supporting music and arts education is not just a professional commitment—it is a personal passion. I have always believed, and always will believe, in the transformative power of the arts in the lives of our young people. From my years leading San Diego Unified, where we invested boldly in our ‘Learning Through the Arts’ initiative, to my service as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education, and now as Delaware’s Secretary of Education, I have always believed in the profound power of the arts to transform lives and communities, unlock potential, deepen learning, and connect us as human beings. This recognition from NAfME—an organization that has long lifted up and led on behalf of arts educators across the country—is one I will cherish deeply. To be counted among past honorees who have championed this vital work is a true privilege.”—Cindy Marten, Secretary of Education for the state of Delaware

Marten is the tenth recipient of the NAfME Music Education Champion Award. Previous congressional recipients include Rep. David Scott, GA-13 (2024); Sen. Jon Tester of Montana (2019); Rep. Nydia Velázquez, NY-07 (2018); and Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Sen. Patty Murray of Washington (2016). Sens. Alexander and Murray were recognized for their work on the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which specified “music” as necessary for a “well-rounded education.” Honorees also include: Andrew Dost of the band fun. (2014); Brooklyn-based band San Fermin (2015); Barbershop Harmony Society’s 2009 International Champion Quartet, Crossroads (2016); and the CMA Foundation (2017).

NAfME is grateful to Secretary Cindy Marten for her steadfast support of music education and music educators as we work to ensure each and every student has equitable access to music education.

For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Catherina Hurlburt
CatherinaH@nafme.org or 571-323-3395

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The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is a collaborative community that supports music educators and advocates for equitable access to music education. The only association that addresses all aspects of music education, NAfME, together with its affiliated state music education associations, advocates at the national, state, and local levels and provides resources and opportunities for teachers, students, parents, and administrators. Founded in 1907 and representing more than 57,000 members teaching millions of students, NAfME advances the music education profession and promotes lifelong experiences in music.

Follow NAfME on Facebook (facebook.com/nafme) and Instagram (instagram.com/nafme). For additional information, contact Catherina Hurlburt at catherinah@nafme.org or 703-860-4000.