TMEA's First Hill Day for Music Education Advocacy
Christopher Dye, Advocacy/Government Relations Chair
TMEA held its first Hill Day for Music Education Advocacy on March 7. The event featured meetings with legislators and performances from several school groups. Plans are already underway to make this an annual event.
The Madison Creek Orffestra under the direction of Tiffany Barton and the Hendersonville HS Jazz Band under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Phillips performed in the Legislative Plaza.
Ron Meers, Johnathan Vest, and I met with several legislators, including:
- Sen. Dolores Gresham, Chair of the Senate Education Committee
- Rep. Joe Pitts, Member of the House Education Instruction & Programs Subcommittee
- Rep. Harry Brooks, Chair of the House Education Administration & Planning Committee
- Rep. Roger Kane, Chair of the House Education Instruction & Programs Subcommittee
- Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, House Minority Leader and Member of the House Education Administration & Planning Committee
These meetings focused on introducing lawmakers to TMEA as an advocacy group for music education and music educators across the state. One of our current priorities is seeking the re-establishment of the Director of Arts Education position at the state Department of Education. With the introduction of the new music standards in 2018, there is a need for a state leader who can coordinate resources and professional development. We also emphasized our priorities in supporting policies that protect instructional time, ensure access to music instruction, and stipulate the need for qualified licensed teachers. Legislators were also provided with a one sheet summary about our organization, which is available below.
TMEA held its first Hill Day for Music Education Advocacy on March 7. The event featured meetings with legislators and performances from several school groups. Plans are already underway to make this an annual event.
The Madison Creek Orffestra under the direction of Tiffany Barton and the Hendersonville HS Jazz Band under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Phillips performed in the Legislative Plaza.
Ron Meers, Johnathan Vest, and I met with several legislators, including:
- Sen. Dolores Gresham, Chair of the Senate Education Committee
- Rep. Joe Pitts, Member of the House Education Instruction & Programs Subcommittee
- Rep. Harry Brooks, Chair of the House Education Administration & Planning Committee
- Rep. Roger Kane, Chair of the House Education Instruction & Programs Subcommittee
- Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, House Minority Leader and Member of the House Education Administration & Planning Committee
These meetings focused on introducing lawmakers to TMEA as an advocacy group for music education and music educators across the state. One of our current priorities is seeking the re-establishment of the Director of Arts Education position at the state Department of Education. With the introduction of the new music standards in 2018, there is a need for a state leader who can coordinate resources and professional development. We also emphasized our priorities in supporting policies that protect instructional time, ensure access to music instruction, and stipulate the need for qualified licensed teachers. Legislators were also provided with a one sheet summary about our organization, which is available below.