NAfME News
Announcing New Materials for Music In Our Schools Month®
This year’s Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®) theme is “Music: The Sound of My Heart.” Celebrate the 36th anniversary of MIOSM with NEW lesson plans for 3rd– and 4th-grades. The Council for General Music Education is currently working on the 2021 lesson plans which will be available to NAfME members in the coming weeks. A library of previous MIOSM lesson plans for 1st, 2nd, and 5thgrades is available online on the 2021 MIOSM Lesson Plans page.
Traditional MIOSM items will be available for download, such as theadvocacy insert for a concert program, MIOSM participation certificates, and shareable social media images. MIOSM merchandise is now available for purchase, including pencils, buttons, stickers, and a poster.
Have questions? Contact: programs@nafme.org.
State & National News
This School Year Has Been Unlike Any Other
10/14/2020- ‘Some examples of how the world of education has responded to the pandemic.’
10/19/2020- ‘Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday the city will stay the course in weighing a phased-in reopening of schools — despite a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases that officials defined as a second surge’
Tennessee governor and ed chief want to remove consequences from test scores for 2021
10/16/2020- ‘Tennessee’s top leaders are calling on state lawmakers to remove negative consequences from student test results this upcoming spring.’
Return to learn: How the pandemic is changing Colorado education policy
10/16/2020- ‘The coronavirus pandemic heightened existing inequities in Colorado schools, worsening the challenges educators and lawmakers have dealt with for years.’
Pandemic takes a swipe at fine arts education, but might just prove how much it’s worth
10/18/2020- ‘Been to an art museum lately? A symphony? How about the ballet? Yeah, few other people have, either, and some are getting antsy about it. Not since the pandemic started seven months ago, closing down most nonessential entertainment-focused establishments, have we had anything close to a thriving fine arts scene in any city.’
Stanford policy analyst looks at the implications of California’s Proposition 15
10/20/2020- ‘Heather Hough, executive director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), talks about a closely watched measure to increase school funding.’
Policy Roundup compiled by NAfME’s Matt Barusch.