wisconsin advocates for music education
WAME Days of Action: May 29 – June 15, You In? Lynn Seidl, WAME Chair and WMEA President-Elect
Brad Schneider, WAME Member and WMEA Government Relations Chair
WAME offered a free training ses- sion on Saturday, January 30, at the Wisconsin Center for Music Educa- tion in Waunakee. The training session was designed to help music educators and other individuals be- come more effec- tive at advocating for music education through establishing contact and dialogue with Wisconsin state legislators. Twenty- three attendees were present . Special
guest, Wisconsin District 80 Representa- tive Sondy Pope, outlined several ways to set up a meeting with your represen- tative and how to present your request (your “Ask”) in the meeting. She went on to encourage attendees to request spe- cific support on an issue being discussed. “Don’t let them simply nod their head sympathetically without receiving a verbal commitment on how they will vote on a bill,” she said. Pope also reminded those in attendance that, “legislators work for you.”
NAfME Assistant Executive Director for the Center for Advocacy and Pub- lic Affairs Christopher Woodside was FaceTimed into the meeting and spoke with the group about NAfME lobbying efforts and the groundbreaking change in language, which now includes music as an enumerated subject area in the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Chris gave the history of NAfME’s work and the slow progress it made in order to have the exciting changes come to fruition. Both Sondy and Chris were generous with
60
their time and answered questions and gave tips and advice.
The Wisconsin Advocates for Music Edu- cation’s Ask is as follows:
We are asking members of the Wiscon- sin Legislature to support legislation that defines and backs music and the arts as a critical part of a well-rounded education.
• By listing “music” separately, we prevent the confusion that the use of the term “the arts” causes in the minds of both the public and deci- sion makers.
• This language would make it clear that education funding which sup- ports a well-rounded education should be used to also support music and arts education.
• This ask would align Wisconsin with the 2015 “Every Student Suc- ceeds Act” (ESSA), which was passed with broad bipartisan sup- port in both the House and the Sen- ate, including the entire Wisconsin delegation.
It is WMEA’s and WAME’s goal to con- tact all 33 Wisconsin state senators and as many Wisconsin state representatives as possible in face-to-face meetings during the two-week period of May 29 – June 15, 2016. The meetings could occur in Madison, but would likely be easier to set up in each legislator’s home district. We are currently seeking WMEA members that could help with this crucial advocacy initiative. WMEA and WAME are sched- uling future training sessions in the Eau Claire and Fox Valley area. WE NEED YOU! Please contact WMEA Govern- ment Relations Chair Brad Schneider at
brad.schneider102@
gmail.com for more information.
The Keys to Success
Serving schools for over 40 years. Find your new, used or rebuilt piano here, or let us restore your heirloom instrument.
See & hear pianos at
farleyspianos.com
608.271.2626 6522 Seybold Rd. Madison April 2016
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
