NAfME News
Music In Our Schools Month® Resolutions
As you know, Music In Our Schools Month ® is quickly coming up in March, and one of the best ways to raise awareness of music education and begin to garner support amongst elected officials is to introduce a resolution commemorating MIOSM in your state legislature. We urge all federated state associations to explore this option and introduce a MIOSM resolution in your state. Click here for more information on how you can introduce a resolution and to view some samples from states that have passed them.
Legislative Spotlight: Teacher Salaries
In this new section of our ALF Weekly Roundup, we will periodically analyze state legislative trends for their effect on music education. One of the most prevalent recent trends in education policy debate deals with teacher salaries and bills to increase teacher compensation. These bills have been introduced in a multitude of states, and Governors have spoken about teacher salary increases as a core part of their legislative agenda.
A common trait of this trend is the prevalence of these introductions in traditionally Republican states. Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona, Governor Henry McMaster of South Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico have all come out in favor of increasing teacher salaries. Currently, legislation has been filed inMissouri, West Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi.
However, the news is not all good. Members of the Indiana Legislature have stated their inclination to hold off on teacher pay action in 2020. Legislation in Virginia that would require teachers to be compensated at or above the national average and Colorado that would provide bonuses for effective teachers have both failed. Despite this, awareness of the need to properly compensate teachers is increasing and is receiving national attention.
State News
In a stark reversal, Indiana lawmakers may decouple teacher evaluations from test scores
2/4/2020’ ‘Indiana lawmakers may soon stop requiring students’ test scores in teacher evaluations, a move that would mark a significant shift away from the state’s tough accountability era.’
Higher state spending, teacher pay approved by New Mexico House of Representatives
2/6/2020- ‘The state House of Representatives approved a budget plan Wednesday to increase annual state spending by more than a half-billion dollars to expand early childhood education programs, boost teacher salaries and shore up health care for the poor.’
Step into this state-of-the-art Indiana classroom — and pretend the students are real
2/11/2020- ‘As a handful of teaching majors at Marian University prepared to lead a class for the first time, they nervously flipped through their notes. A few prepared a script for how to introduce themselves and establish ground rules.’
Research and Analysis
Landscape of State Performance Funding Policies
A new policy brief finds that 29 states currently tie some share of state funding for public colleges to student outcomes, such as graduation rates. Many of these state funding formulas also reward colleges for serving low-income students and students from underrepresented minority groups.