2025 NAfME Music Program Leaders Forum

Register for the Forum! Staying in Tune with the Music Teaching Profession: Supporting and Sustaining Pre-Service and Early Career Music Teachers

The 2025 NAfME Music Program Leaders Forum will take place at the NAfME Eastern Division Conference.

This forum will provide a space for music program leaders to network and discuss how we as music program leaders can help to support the work of the NAfME Music Teacher Profession Advisory Committee (MTPAC) and A Blueprint for Strengthening the Music Teacher Profession. Music program leaders will leave with an actionable and attainable plan to support the development of future music teachers, both in high school and in college, and to support teachers in their first five years in the profession.

The NAfME Music Program Leaders Forum will:

• Provide outstanding professional development sessions related to the theme of Supporting and Sustaining Pre-Service and Early Career Music Teachers.
• Provide an opportunity for lively discussion, networking, and the sharing of ideas amongst music program leaders from around the country.
• Provide music program leaders with a plan of action they can take to use in their district and community.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2025

12:30 p.m. Check-in, Meet and Greet, Light Snacks Available

1:00 p.m. Welcome, Introduce the Council and Its Purpose (Scott)
Introduction of the Blueprint and the new NAfME Fact Sheet for Arts Administrators.
Short discussion on how we will go about creating an Action Plan for Music Program Leaders to Support Pre-Service and Early Career Music Teachers.

1:30 p.m. KEYNOTE SESSION
Tune Out the Noise: Positive Practices and the Creation of Joy
Ajori Spencer, Meghan Alfaro, Brigitte Poulson, Music Supervisors, Pinellas County Schools, Florida
Teaching can feel overwhelming with the constant bombardment of negativity, leaving you questioning your choice of this noble yet underappreciated profession. The key to long-term success in the classroom lies in reframing your perspective and cultivating positive practices. In this session, you’ll discover fresh strategies to incorporate into your daily routine, helping you shift your mindset, create joy, and find greater satisfaction in your career. By nurturing a positive outlook, you’ll not only enhance your own well-being but also drive higher student achievement.

2:30 p.m. SESSION #1
Building Bridges for Belonging: Supporting Early-Career Music Educator
Angela Keedy, NAfME Professional Development Specialist
This session will focus on empowering music education leaders to cultivate inclusive environments that champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) while providing targeted support for pre-service and early-career music educators. Participants will engage in collaborative discussions, explore interdisciplinary strategies, and develop actionable steps learned from the Connected Arts Network.

3:30 p.m. Break

3:45 p.m. SESSION #2
Nurturing New Voices: Strategies to Support and Sustain Early Career Music Teachers
Dr. Kimberly Hirschmann, Curriculum Specialist for Secondary Visual and Performing Arts, Frederick County Public Schools, Maryland
As music educators enter the profession, the challenges of balancing pedagogy, classroom management, and personal growth can be overwhelming. This presentation will offer innovative, administrator-focused strategies to support pre-service and early career music teachers, helping them build confidence and find a sense of belonging in their schools and communities. Drawing on research and practical experience, we will explore mentorship models, collaborative professional development, and practices to create welcoming environments for all teachers. Participants will leave with actionable ideas to foster a thriving and sustainable music education workforce, promoting long-term teacher retention and success.

4:45 p.m. Wrap up/Announcements

5:00 p.m. Day 1 END
Possible social gathering in the evening, TBA

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2025

8:30 a.m. Coffee and light breakfast items available

9:00 a.m. SESSION #3
Empowering Principals, Empowering Music Programs: Building Collaborative Partnerships
Dr. Megan Meier, Fine Arts Coordinator, Rockwood School District, St. Louis, MO
Building strong relationships with principals is essential for the success of music programs. Many principals come from non-arts teaching backgrounds and may feel underprepared to evaluate and support teachers in music and fine arts. Additionally, the demands of the principalship often pull focus toward urgent matters such as student discipline, safety, and standardized testing, leaving little time for instructional leadership. As a former assistant principal, I have experienced these challenges firsthand! In this session, we’ll explore how we, as district fine arts leaders, can actively work to support principals, especially those who are new or struggling, just like we do our teachers. I will share strategies and practical tools to help music program leaders foster positive, productive partnerships with building principals. Participants will leave with actionable steps to empower principals, enabling them to better support their music programs and their staff. As district leaders, we can’t be everywhere all the time—empowering principals is key to growing a thriving music program.

10:00 a.m. SESSION #4
Creating a Blueprint for Sustainable and Relevant Novice Teacher Induction and Support
Dr. Erin Zaffini, Director of Teacher Education, Longy School of Music, Cambridge, MA
Supporting early career music teachers is crucial for fostering a lasting impact in music education and improving teacher retention. Informed by research-based practices, this workshop is designed for music program leaders who are looking to create a blueprint for early career music teacher induction, professional development and support that can improve teacher sustainability in the profession. Examining a variety of effective music teacher induction models, program leaders will collaborate to identify the needs of their own teachers and identify which model(s) might best serve those needs. In addition, we’ll discuss the common barriers encountered when creating relevant teacher induction programs and various strategies to overcome them. All program leaders will receive tools they can use to support the development of their own blueprint for teacher support and induction.

11:00 a.m. Break

11:15 am Formation of Work Groups (participants go to group they most identify with)

• Work Group 1: Before the Degree Program
• Work Group 2: During the Degree Program
• Work Group 3: During the First Five Years of Professional Life

Group introductions, conversations to get to know each other, led by members of the NCMPL.

12:00 p.m. Lunch Break (provided) – after lunch the schedule will be somewhat flexible to
allow for groups to complete their work.

1:00 p.m. Preliminary discussion in groups – Discuss what program leaders can do to
assist/contribute to this time in a teacher’s career.

2:00 p.m. Each of the three groups reports out, discussion on ideas and suggestions

3:00 p.m. Break, light snacks available

3:15 p.m. Continued discussion in groups, finalized ideas placed in a Google file by the scribe for each group

4:00 p.m. Each of the three groups does their final presentation on their portion of the “Action Plan” (10 minutes each)

4:30 p.m. Debrief, final comments, and thank yous. Evaluation of Forum.

5:00 p.m. Forum END

Registration Rates:

• Members: Early Bird (through February 28) $150
• Members: Regular (starting March 1) $200
• Nonmembers: Early Bird (through February 28) $200
• Nonmembers: Regular (starting March 1) $250

Register Now

Special Offer: Forum registrants can register for the full NAfME Eastern Division Conference at a 15% discount. A discount code will be sent in your Forum registration confirmation email.