Scott Burgener

Scott Burgener’s Resume

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What do you see as the major challenges music education will face during your term and in what ways can you transform these into opportunities during your presidency?

The first area is that of relevancy. In our school district, and I’m sure this is happening elsewhere, the schools are rapidly changing their focus to career development. Many schools are creating special programs for students to enroll in that specifically prepare them for the career they would like to pursue after graduation. These programs take electives away from students, and unless they are going into music education as a career, school counselors push them toward these special programs. We need to show that music education does in fact prepare students for every career. How do we do this? I think it comes by way of educating the administrators. I would encourage every state in our division to create an administrative track at their state conferences that invite school administrators to learn about music education and its inherent benefits. If the administrators are more aware, they can make positive changes on their campuses and share the message with upper administration who make the big decisions. I have found it effective as the district music coordinator in Mesa to seek out those principals who are already supportive of music education, and to use their positive experiences to help educate other administrators who maybe don’t quite understand what music brings to the table.

The second area of concern is the teacher shortage. We need to look at finding more ways to encourage students to become music teachers, as well as more ways to encourage those who are in the profession to STAY there. As the current chair of the NAfME Council of Music Program Leaders, I have helped the council focus this year on supporting pre-service and early career teachers. We are in the process of creating a video series that supports new teachers, and also creating a document which specifically outlines what music program leaders can do to support new teachers at the different stages of the start of the careers. In Arizona, I was able to create an event called the “Future Arizona Music Educators Celebration,” which was held in conjunction with our state conference. This event, in which the costs were sponsored by a music store, brought together high school students who have shown interest in majoring in music. We had guest speakers and panels of current music teachers, and participants were able to speak with college representatives. We’ve done this for three years now and are hoping to find out soon if our efforts are working. As Western Division President, I would share the information I have gleaned through the organization of these activities and events with the other states in our division.

What do you see as the major challenges the association will face during your term and in what ways can you transform these into opportunities during your presidency?

The first challenge is related to membership, which directly relates to relevancy. Music teachers don’t always see the value that membership in NAfME brings to them as professionals. As division President, I would make every effort to help “get the word out” on the initiatives NAfME is working on, sharing the good work that is happening at the national level on behalf of the music education community. I think this begins by encouraging the states to reach out to teachers and find out what it is that they think NAfME should be doing for them, and sharing this information with the NEB. We also need to find a way to get in touch with those teachers who are not yet members. In my answer to the previous question, I mentioned holding administrator sessions at state conferences. At these sessions, I think that we should be encouraging the administrators to support their teachers by using school or district funds to pay their membership dues in the association. I think this could go a long way toward increasing our membership. I am currently working with my own district to accomplish this.

The next challenge that I think we are facing as an association is a political and financial one. NAfME’s support of positive legislation in the area of education is absolutely crucial at this juncture in our history. It is more important than ever that NAfME advocate for what is needed not only for music education, but for education in general. We need to be partnering with other arts organizations in our advocacy efforts, so that the impact is even greater. We need to find those lawmakers who will support and speak out on our behalf. We need to find a way to advocate to the general public about music education. I would love to help figure out some way to start a national campaign supporting music education through public service announcements and possibly partnerships with other organizations. I absolutely believe that NAfME Hill Day meetings make a difference, and as a division President, I would encourage and help the states in our division to do their own advocacy at the state level.

How do you plan to advance equity/DEIA in NAfME during your term of office?

I think part of this comes back to relevancy. What are we doing as an association to make what we do truly open and meaningful to all? Do people really “see” themselves represented within our organization? Do people feel their concerns and situations are being addressed by the association? I would do my part to make sure that DEIA is part of the discussion in everything the Western Division does. It needs to be at the forefront of what we do at all times. And we need to do more than just talk about it. I think it starts there, but then it needs to show in our actions.

I will make it a goal of mine as Western Division President to be inclusive and to actively seek out ways to advance equity/DEIA during my term, just as I have done in my job as music coordinator in my district. Perhaps this can start by simply creating a committee within the division to focus on this and to help look at what we do under a microscope to make sure we are doing everything possible to be relevant and thoughtful in regards to DEIA. From there, I think we need to make an intentional effort to expand our knowledge and communicate NAfME’s values through everything we do.

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Equity Statement

The vision statement of my district’s music program, of which I am the coordinator, is “All Music. All Students.” This means we value equity in all respects. We recognize that all types of music are worthy of being a part of our curriculum. And more importantly, we want to reach all students, no matter who they are. I have made it a professional goal of mine to make sure our music department lives up to this vision. I have also made it a personal goal to gain a wider perspective of our world and learn as much as possible from those whose backgrounds and experiences are different from my own.

I believe that students need to see themselves in the music and the teachers they encounter on a daily basis. Likewise, I believe that the NAfME membership needs to see themselves in the leadership and activities of the association. By bringing together our unique differences and backgrounds, we can truly create a rich, rewarding, and relevant experience for our members, and in turn, our students. Everyone is valuable, regardless of their race, culture, beliefs, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any of the other unique differences that make us who we are as individuals.

Our world is diverse, thus our organization and what we represent should also be diverse. I wholeheartedly support the DEIA initiatives of NAfME and I believe everything we do as an association, and as a society for that matter, should be looked at through the lens of DEIA. We are all people, and we all have something valuable to bring to the table. DEIA needs to be intentional, not accidental.

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Leadership Statement

Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, said, “Before you are a leader, success is about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is about growing others.” This tenet of leadership is one that I try to embody every day as the coordinator of my district’s music department. Titles don’t matter, people do. My main role as a leader is to provide the environment necessary for my teachers to do the best job possible. And in turn, I expect my teachers to provide the environment necessary for their students to do the same. I would do the same as the leader of the Western division.

I have found that the most effective way to lead is through servant leadership. It means replacing “What can you do for me?” to “What can I do for you?” People function better in this type of environment, and I have found that they are more willing to go the extra mile and really do an outstanding job when they have this type of support. To me, the whole point of being a leader is to serve at all times.

It is also important to me that I lead by example. I must be a reflection of the values of the organization and hold myself to high standards if I expect others to follow suit. I believe this is highly important to any association’s leadership. Talking the talk isn’t worth a thing if you aren’t willing to walk the walk. I truly believe in the old statement, “We are what we repeatedly do.”

Finally, I choose to listen and understand as opposed to speak and command. All people’s voices need to be heard, and their opinions and beliefs valued. I have been called a “quiet leader” and I take this as a compliment. That’s not to say I won’t share my own opinions, but you will rarely find me doing this as my first response. More often, you will find me asking, “What do you think?” I find that this builds community and provides a safe space for others to get the work done without the fear of judgment from the leader. I believe it shows my team members that I genuinely care about them and what we are accomplishing together.