President-Elect Updates
Lisa Vartanian Paramus School District
lvartanian@paramusschools.org
During March, the leadership team of NJMEA
participated in Virtual Hill Month. While we could not be together to travel to Capitol Hill and meet with our representatives in person, NAfME coordinated this program to assist music educators from all across the nation to be more active music education advocates at the local, state, and federal levels during Music In Our Schools Month®. Patrick O'Keefe, Jeff Santoro, Diana May, Dennis Argul, Hope Knight, and I attended meetings with the offices of Senator Bob Menendez, Senator Cory Booker, Representatives Donald Norcross, Donald Payne, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Andy Kim, Christopher Smith, Josh Gottheimer, and Albio Sires. During our meetings, we shared the mission of the NJMEA and talked about our concerns and interest regarding music education, including the need for more education funding in a covid relief package, continuing support in the appropriations process, and support for the Reopen and Rebuild America's School Act. Our team did an outstanding job advocating for you, our schools, and our students. Thank you to our NJMEA leadership team for working with me to ensure our teachers and students receive the funding and support they need to be successful now and in the future.
On March 10, Bob Morrison from Arts Ed NJ and I had an opportunity to meet with Governor Murphy's office to encourage further public guidance for Performing Arts. We talked specifically about the
interpretation of
EO220 for performing arts and how it applies to in- school performances. Playing music, dancing, acting with an audience is allowed under the proper safety and health guidelines. We also thanked the office for putting out a statement to Support Arts Education during "Arts in our Schools Month." Governor Murphy's office supports arts education and is eager to continue to support our mission.
Arts Ed NJ Update The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental
Appropriations Act (CARES II) was signed into law on December 27, 2020. This new COVID relief bill extends or modifies several provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES I) Act passed in March 2020.
Most districts will receive FOUR TIMES the amount of money than what they received in the first round last summer! These funds may be used to support arts education! The new relief bill authorizes $81.9 billion for the
Education Stabilization Fund. The bulk of that funding falls under Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief. For this document, we will refer to this generically as CARES II Funding. CARES II will receive an additional $54 billion on top of the $13 billion allocated under CARES I last year. With additional help on the way, now is the time to plan with school administrators about how this funding can support arts education. Reach out to your building principal to discuss the necessary resources to conduct art classes safely in-person. The principal will either have spending authority on the funds or will be able to help submit a request for arts- related purchases at the district level. Be prepared to suggest some ways these funds may
TEMPO 22 MAY 2021
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