From the President-Elect... SaraWomack,AMEAPresident-Elect
accessed should contribute to the informed decision-making taking place in our schools.
As the seasons begin to change and time keeps rolling on, I am drawn back to the following quote by W.E.B. DuBois, which focuses on the parts of our life thatwe have command of, not the unmanageable ones:
Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year. It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow. Today is the seedtime, now are the hours of work, and tomorrowcomes the harvest and the playtime.
I cannot control the decisions ofmy administrators or the respect our subject area garners from colleagues, but I can help them makemore informed decisions andmore appropriate choices by educating themregarding the importance ofmusic in the lives of our students. The abundance of research on the positive effects ofmusic education and the easewithwhich that research can be
This informed decision-making could also be taken to higher levels, such as our government leaders. Just as with the change of seasons, our move toMontgomery for our annual In-Service Conference can be a renewal of our purpose, focus, andmission in promoting our causes to the legislators of our state. To make responsible choices regarding the state of education inAlabama, government leaders should be informed of our wish for every child in every school to receive a well-rounded education that includes a comprehensive, sequential, high-quality program of music taught by a qualifiedmusic teacher.Detailed research and reasons should be provided, in order for our wish to be realized.
Advocacy efforts at the top are essential, butmore important are the advocacy efforts in our own classrooms.As I outlined inmy last article, you can do simple things each day that will impact the state of music in Alabama, such as publicizing student successes, disseminating research to school administrators, and being active inAMEA. In the same thinking asW.E.B. DuBois, spend your energy on a cause that can have a large impact. Diligently advocate for the music education of the children in Alabama at the local and state levels.
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October 2010
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