Music Education Policy Roundtable Sends Specific Education Policy Requests
The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) congratulates President Joe Biden on his inauguration as the 46th President of the United States. NAfME, along with members from the Music Education Policy Roundtable, sent a letter to President-Elect Biden’s education transition team addressing funding issues and more as we head into a pivotal moment for U.S. education. The letter encourages the incoming administration to:
- Enact a COVID-19 relief package that provides education funding for states and address the homework gap.
- Create practical guidance for PreK-12 schools as administrators and music educators seek to ensure safe, meaningful music instruction for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance should be based on what we have learned from the International Performing Arts Aerosol Study and connect with guidance documents released by NAfME in partnership with National Federation of State High School Associations and the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association.
- Increase funding and data collection for well-rounded education programs, including Title IV-A.
In addition, NAfME led a coalition of arts, humanities and social studies groups in crafting a second letter to the incoming administration, focused on restoring the arts, foreign language, economics and geography assessments to the National Assessment for Educational Program (NAEP) testing timeline.
We know how vital music education is for our students at a time of difficulty, isolation, and uncertainty. Schools need adequate resources to deliver an equitable well-rounded education that includes music. We look forward to working with the new administration on building on the Every Student Succeeds Act’s commitment to a well-rounded education at a time when students need it the most.
NAfME Public Policy Staff, January 25, 2021. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)
