Empowering Music Education: Oregon MEA’s Steps to Support Advocacy

Empowering Music Education

Oregon MEA’s Steps to Support Advocacy

By Jazzmone Sutton, NAfME Senior Manager for State Advocacy and Equity

The Oregon Music Education Association (OMEA) is making significant strides in advancing music education across the state. Most recently, OMEA leadership appointed Laura Arthur as the new Public Policy Chair of the OMEA Board. Laura’s role will be crucial in leading advocacy efforts in Oregon and collaborating with local and state decision-makers.

The addition of Laura’s new role comes as a direct result of OMEA’s participation in the Advocacy Leadership Initiative (ALI), a multi-year program focused on equipping music education leaders with knowledge and resources to advocate for music education.

“Having served on the OMEA Board since 2011, I am humbled and honored to step into this role with a set of objectives aimed at promoting our new OMEA Vision: OMEA will serve as the trusted source for music advocacy in Oregon and will strive to increase the quality and accessibility of music education in our state. My biggest takeaway from attending the NAfME/ALI convening in Washington, DC, this past June was “If you’re not at the table, you’re on it.” With that in mind, my foremost goal as Public Policy Chair is to position OMEA at the table as the go-to and trusted source for music and arts education advocacy within Oregon. This involves creating and maintaining authentic connections with decision-makers at every level (building administrators, district curricular staff, school boards, state education agencies, and elected officials) to ensure that our organization is included in policy discussions affecting our field. This is no small feat, and will take time and focused outreach, but getting OMEA in rooms where decisions are made that impact students and educators is the first and most crucial step toward attaining our Vision.”

—Laura Arthur, OMEA Public Policy Chair

The ALI is composed of advocacy leaders from around the country working together to strengthen music education at the state and/or local level to better support Title I schools, educators, and students. Participants attend advocacy trainings and take part in peer-to-peer collaborative learning and co-creating state and local advocacy resources. In addition to virtual activities year-round, leaders attended a leadership summit in June 2024 in Reston, Virginia.

NAfME Advocacy and Policy staffer Jazzmone Sutton works directly with advocacy leaders to shape the work of the ALI so that it is beneficial to all who participate. Therefore, to further OMEA’s advocacy plan, leaders work with Jazzmone to create a tailored plan that is sustainable to the music education association (MEA). This partnership has set the stage for a concerted effort to develop a thoughtful and customized path forward that seeks to build coalitions supporting music education in the state. By uniting liked-minded groups, OMEA aims to create a robust network that amplifies the voices of music educators and highlights the importance of music education in the broader educational and arts landscape.

Support and engagement are vital as OMEA strives to make a lasting positive impact on music education in Oregon. We encourage advocates in the state to learn more about how they can engage in advocacy work by checking out the OMEA advocacy page for the latest updates.

If you’re interested in engaging in music education advocacy in your state, consider reaching out to your NAfME Advocacy Leadership Force representative to learn more.

Lastly, congratulations to Laura and OMEA leaders for their work in shaping a positive future for music education in Oregon.

Photo at top: Laura Arthur with Sara Womack at the Advocacy Leadership Institute convening June 2024. © Ashlee Wilcox Photography, LLC

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The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) provides a number of forums for the sharing of information and opinion, including blogs and postings on our website, articles and columns in our magazines and journals, and postings to our Amplify member portal. Unless specifically noted, the views expressed in these media do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Association, its officers, or its employees.