The NAfME Advocacy and Public Policy (APP) team has been closely monitoring recent legislative activity at the federal level related to music education advocacy. To keep you informed about their efforts, please see the updates below.
- President Trump’s Executive Order Regarding the U.S. Department of Education: The blog covers key developments, including efforts to eliminate DEI from federal programs, the (since lifted) freeze on federal funding, executive orders directing the Department of Education to “End Racial Indoctrination” and “Expand Educational Freedom,” and discussions on dismantling the Department of Education. Feel free to share this information in your state MEA communications.
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has announced that the confirmation hearing for Linda McMahon as U.S. Secretary of Education has been scheduled for Thursday, February 13 at 10am ET. You can watch the hearing here. We plan to share a recap following the hearing.
- The Arts Education Alliance launched a social media campaign last week to help arts educators become more familiar with federal programs and how they can be used to support dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts. The APP team also updated the toolkits on Titles I, II, and IV, which all can be found here. Please be sure to like and share the posts on NAfME’s social media channels (Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn).
- Congress must still complete a final FY 2025 appropriations bill by March 14, and we are very concerned about potential cuts to the Title programs and the Assistance for Arts Education program. Please promote the Federal Funding Advocacy Campaign and consider reaching out directly to the education staff for your Representative and Senators. Feel free to email Zachary Keita (zacharyk@nafme.org) if you need contact information.
Lastly, the team has been contacted by multiple states seeking advocacy support regarding proposed bills at the state level impacting music education, and we have recently set up campaigns for Wyoming and Utah. In addition to the grassroots campaigns, we are able to track state-level bills through our new platform, Quorum. The attached document on State MEA Affiliate Services and Support was shared with state leaders earlier this week and provides additional information on our advocacy and public policy services. Please feel free to reach out to Jazzmone Sutton at jazzmones@nafme.org if we can be of assistance.