and the NJMEA conventions to gather input from music teachers on this major issue and offer them to the government agencies that will oversee these future mandates. No matter what area of music you teach,
there is something for you available at least twice a year that will enhance your ability to
the Department of Fine and Perform- ing Arts at Vineland High School South. McDevitt received his B.A. in Music Education from Glassboro State College in 1985 and his M.A. in Sub- ject Matter Teaching – music in 2007. Bill began his career teaching Interme- diate and Secondary Music at Pauls- boro High School and has taught at Vineland High School for the last 25
W
years. He currently teaches Music Theory and directs the Marching Band, Symphonic Band, and Pep Band. Under his direction, the VHS Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble and String Ensemble have traveled throughout the East Coast of the United States and Cana- da, participating in parades and festivals and receiving numerous awards and honors. He also conducts the orchestra for the annual school musi- cal production. The current three-year Music Theory and Technology Curriculum was developed by McDevitt and has become a major part of the music elective program at Vineland High School. He developed the Applied Music program which has grown from one class of three stu- dents to 12 classes serving more than 160 students. He has conducted the Colonial Conference Honors Band, the Cumberland County Hon- ors Band, the Salem County Honors Band and the All South Jersey Junior High Honors Band. In 2000, Bill was chosen as the Vineland High School South recipi-
ent of the Governor’s Teacher of the Year Award. In February 2011, he was named the Cumberland County Teacher of the Month by the CEO Group. McDevitt served on the South Jersey Band and Orchestra Directors
Association Board of Directors for 14 years. He has served as President, Past-President, Secretary and Auditions Procedures Chair. McDevitt has also served on the New Jersey Music Educators Association Board of Directors and has served on the past three NJMEA Strategic Planning Committees. He is currently completing a six-year term as President- Elect, President, and Past-President of NJMEA.
I see two major challenges facing the future of music education in
the State of New Jersey – one financial and one political. Over the past four years we have been travelling on a funding roller
coaster. In 2010, when school district budgets suffered major funding losses from the State coffers, our profession was hit disproportionately. While there was no directive from the State of New Jersey that told dis- tricts where to cut, music and related arts became a unilateral victim of the budget axe. Many districts saw our programs as a frill, and deemed frills to be too expensive. Along with programs went teachers – many of whom were experienced and integral parts of their school’s entire educa- tional program. Unfortunately, there was very little that could be done at the time. We, as defenders of these jobs and programs, were blindsid-
MARCH 2013 21
succeed: at the NJEA Convention in Atlantic City, which this past year would have had a dozen music clinics, and of course our All- State Chorus, Orchestra and Jazz concerts, but unfortunately canceled due to Hurricane San- dy; and the NJMEA Convention every Febru- ary. At 99% of the clinics I have attended in all
illiam McDevitt is an Instrumental Music Teacher and Chair of
my years of teaching, I have come away with something to bring back to my school. That’s an extremely high percentage. Let’s make sure that we do all we can as individuals and as an association to effectively advocate for our pro- grams and music education for all.
ed and spent several months trying to save music in our public schools, then several more months trying to assess the damage. If history teaches us anything, we should realize that conditions
surrounding our State’s current financial status are pointing towards more problems in the near future. While the general public supports teachers and what we do in the classroom everyday, those that are en- trusted with making decisions for the public don’t always look at all as- pects of a budget before suggesting or making spending cuts. Too many times programs like the arts, and specifically music programs, are over- looked for the value that they add to a public school – both education- ally and functionally. We are going to need to step up our game when it comes to promoting our programs for the value that they provide. In order to respond to this first challenge, NJMEA will need to do
the following for its membership: 1) Make available a concise set of materials for all members, which
contains advocacy materials and an explanation of how to use them. 2) Provide training sessions on how to strategize to save jobs and
programs. 3) Meet with elected representatives to build support for music
programs within the State of New Jersey. 4) Provide a list of experts that can be available to answer questions and help members educate local officials on the value of music education. The second challenge that I see is one that is much more difficult
to diagnose and cure. The NJDOE is making decisions that will have an effect on every aspect of a child’s education. Some of these decisions will have an indirect effect on the state of music education in the future of our public schools. Teacher Evaluation, Merit Pay, Core Curriculum Content Standards, Common Core Standards, and Assessment are a few of the hot topics in our profession at the moment. None of these are going to disappear in the near future. How each indirectly affects us will depend on the direction that each takes. How each directly affects us will depend on how well we are represented at the table. The response to these challenges will take a consistent effort as
follows: 1) Maintain a presence in Trenton – identifying key officials that
support music education and lobbying them for legislative support. 2) Develop a strong coalition with other arts education organizations
for an organized approach to supporting our programs and teachers. 3) Utilize available resources to promote music as an integral con-
tent area that is on par with the STEM subjects (STEAM –Science, Technology, ARTS, Engineering, Mathematics). 4) Become an active participant in the development of these
initiatives. Over the past few decades, NJMEA has changed from an orga- nization that is heavily student based to an organization that is heavily teacher based. We need to continue to represent our members and pro- vide resources that allow them to do their job to the best of their ability.
TEMPO
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