NAfME Civic Action Field Guide

This field guide was created by NAfME to help music educators and other interested parties better understand the processes behind how public education is governed and funded, with an eye toward supporting high-quality music education in districts and at the state level across the nation. With the information in this document, you will
be able to:

• Understand how public education is governed and funded
• Identify key elected officials in public education and their election cycles
• Identify candidates and their stances on education issues
• Register to vote
• Understand the well-rounded education programs found in Title I, Title II, and Title IV, and learn how to advocate for the availability of these funding streams to your music program under ESSA (the Every Student Succeeds Act)
• Contact your elected officials and advocate for music education

The contents of this field guide will help you keep music education relevant to your state and local elected officials during election season and beyond. The majority of education governance and funding occurs at the state and local levels. Therefore, grassroots advocacy efforts are critical to the preservation and growth of music education in our nation’s public schools. We hope that this guide empowers you to join us as the national voice for music education.