wisconsin music educators association president
WMEA Works for Music Education’s Future Lynn Seidl, WMEA President
Author’s Note: Al- though I was given a deadline of No- vember 15 for this article, I knew that I needed to wait until November 9, after the results of long- awaited election were known, before
I could even begin writing to ensure that the tone of this article genuinely reflected the emotional impact of this day in history, whether that be good or bad.
Coming off of a successful state music conference where I had the privilege of meeting so many positive and intelligent music educators provided me with a re- newed sense of exhilaration about music education and the successes we have cel- ebrated and those that we continue to work toward celebrating. However, getting out of bed and starting my day on this beauti- ful autumn morning, this exhilaration was dampened as I contemplated the impact of our nation’s decision just the previous day. Shortly after waking, I was called to be a substitute teacher in a music classroom, and to tell you the truth, I was relieved to give a purpose to my day and to spend some time with my former coworkers. It is a place where I feel safe, wanted and helpful.
We need to focus on some facts so my article will start with a portion of the closing remarks by NAfME Executive Director Michael Blakeslee at the National Assembly in Tyson’s Corner, VA, this past June.
Demographics
“We have talked about how diverse our student populations are – diverse in race, ethnicity, abilities, gender and economic status among many other factors. The overall U.S. population is also becoming more diverse. A 2015 study by the PEW
6
Research Center indicated that the Ameri- can population as a whole is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. By 2055, the U.S. will not have a single ethnic majority. And the majority of this growth will come from immigration – from Latin America and Asia.
“In a reversal of one of the largest mass migrations in modern history, net migra- tion flow from Mexico to the U.S. turned negative between 2009 and 2014, as more Mexicans went home than arrived in the U.S. and after rising steadily since 1990, the unauthorized immigrant population has leveled off in recent years, falling to 11.3 million in 2014 from a high of 12.2 million in 2007. Meanwhile, Asians are now the only major racial or ethnic group whose numbers are rising mainly because of im- migration. And while African immigrants make up a small share of the immigrant population in the U.S., their numbers are also growing steadily – roughly doubling every decade since 1970.
“Millennials, young adults born after 1980, are the new generation to watch. They have likely surpassed Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) as the largest U.S. gen- eration and differ significantly from their elders in many ways. They are the most racially diverse generation in American history. Forty-three percent of Millennial adults are non-white, the highest share of any generation. And while they are on track to be the most educated generation to date, this achievement has come at a cost – many Millennials are struggling with student debt.
“Women’s roles in the labor force and leadership positions have grown dramati- cally. The labor force participation rate for American women has risen steadily since the 1960s. In fact, mothers were the sole or primary breadwinner in a record 40 percent of all households with children in 2011. The gender pay gap has narrowed over this period of time, especially for
“So by everything we do as teachers and as leaders, we can be part of the solution. We can orchestrate success for ourselves and our students. And if we do it together, we will be and are stronger.”
young women just entering the labor force, but it still persists. The American family is changing. After decades of declining marriage rates, the share of American adults who have never been married is at a historic high. Two-parent households are on the decline in the U.S., while divorce, remarriage and cohabitation are on the rise. The share of Americans who live in middle class households is shrinking. The share of adults in the U.S. living in middle-income households fell to 50 per- cent in 2015, after more than four decades in which those households served as the nation’s economic majority.
“The demographic future for the U.S. and the world looks very different than the recent past. Growth from 1950 to 2010 was rapid – the global population nearly tripled, and the U.S. population doubled. However, population growth from 2010 to 2050 is projected to be significantly slower and is expected to tilt strongly to the oldest age groups, both globally and in the U.S. public opinion on whether the growing number of older people is a problem varies dramatically around the world. And this means that fewer voters will have children in school.
January 2017
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
