Susan Smith, AMEA President Rejuvenated and Ready!
Hello and welcome back to the 2017- 2018 school year! I hope that you each had some time to unwind and regenerate this summer. We all look forward to this time with anticipation and sometimes hesitancy for what the new school year will bring. I realized this summer I went to my 27th year of band camps, as I had the honor of watching and supporting my daughter at the start of her teaching career. I am struck by the similarities and differences of what today’s teachers encounter on a daily basis. There is nothing like the moment of making a difference in a child’s life or watching a lightbulb turn on for the first time. These are the experiences that keep all coming back to school each year.
Many of our members had the opportunity to participate in professional development by taking classes or going to one of the number of camps that are offered around the country this summer. I am inspired by those who take the time to refine their craft taking Orff and Kodály certification classes or attending conducting clinics and summer conferences. Teachers were naturally inquisitive and driven and the summer is our time to grow as musicians and educators - although it usually seems too short!
Organizational Health The AMEA Board has been working diligently to broaden the reach and strengthen the foundation and longevity of our organization. At our meeting in June, this group met to review the activity of the previous year and set our course for the coming year. The first order of business was to welcome our new members who have moved on to the board from several of the divisions. We have budgeted this year for a financial review by a third party for the information and protection of the organization. We are pleased to report the total increase in membership totals - especially in Tri-M. If you are interested in starting a Tri-M Chapter, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a board member for advice or suggestions. This is a great way to advocate for your program through your students.
AMEA Membership
Active Retired
Collegiate Tri M Total
May 2015 May 2016 May 2017 1074 113 268 783
1091 116 291
2238
1120 2618
1104 109 268
1360 2841
We continue to refine our media outreach and member functionality of our website.
Http://www.myamea.org is intended to be the unified face of our organization and we appreciate the leadership of Immediate Past President Dr. Carl Hancock in this venture. Keep a lookout for additions to the website as well as a Conference Attendance Justification Kit. Dr. Hancock is creating this valuable resource for distribution to our membership to help justify conference attendance. Another area we have made changes is our exhibitor sign-up
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for the AMEA Conference. Exhibitors are now able to choose their booth from an interactive map and pay online. This will better serve the needs of our industry partners as well as streamline the process for the AMEA office. Special thanks to Garry Taylor for his leadership in this area of the organization.
The board is currently in discussion to house the AMEA Hall of Fame and other awards at Troy University in the John M. Long School of Music.
Alabama Course of Study In April, the State Board of Education approved the Alabama Course of Study for Arts Education without any reservations. We appreciate all the AMEA members who worked on this. The next step is to unpack the standards to make them more practical for teachers. AMEA Past President Sara Womack presented to the board the progress of the Course of Study Committee she has chaired. The committee was asked to produce a vehicle for music teachers to make the implementation more practical. AMEA is committed to supporting music teachers by advocating for the development of these tools.
Advocacy In June, members of your AMEA Board traveled to Washington DC for the annual NAfME National Assembly and Hill Day. AMEA Executive Director Garry Taylor and Assistant Executive Director Dr. Rusty Logan attended meetings on topics germain to running a state MEA. They joined myself, Past President Sara Womack, and Collegiate
AMEA Executive Director Garry Taylor, SDNAfME President Sara Womack, AMEA Collegiate Secretary Brenton Nash, AMEA President Susan Smith, and AMEA Assistant Executive Director Rusty Logan advocate for music education at the Capitol during the 2017 NAfME Leadership Assembly and Hill Day.
August/September 2017
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