Advocacy
Grassroots Advocacy Guide
As a parent, a community member or business owner, your voice must be heard to influence school budget and curriculum decisions to assure all children have access to music education. This website helps parents and community members influence support for music education in schools. It will guide you in communicating with school board members and administrators, who are the decision makers for every local district and who are influenced by the interests of the local population. Become a music advocate today and help ensure a high-quality education for all children.
Music For All
Music for All is committed to providing access to valuable information and resources to support music and the arts in education and communities. The website contains tools and resources that can equip you with templates, facts and figures, posters and stories to successfully make your case for music education in your school and community. Be sure to visit the Stories & Articles page for moving stories about music's incredible impact.
Advocacy Videos
Positive Music Advocacy Video
Q & A from an administrator perspective - Dr. Christen Davis from Bethel-Tate Middle School received the 2024 Outstanding Administrator award. Hear examples of how to advocate and guidance for administrators when it comes to working with music educators.
NAfME and OMEA visit Washington DC for Hill Day
OMEA members by visited politicians on both sides of the aisle in June to advocate for supporting equitable access to a well-rounded education that includes music and the arts for all of Ohio's school children. OMEA's delegation visited 4 Congressmen and Ohio's 2 Senators. The video below is a brief summary of our visit!
Music In Our Schools Month
Music In Our Schools Month® or "MIOSM" is NAfME's annual celebration during March which engages music educators, students, and communities from around the country in promoting the benefits of high quality music education programs in schools.
Music In Our Schools Month® began as a single statewide Advocacy Day and celebration in New York in 1973 and grew over the decades to become a month-long celebration of school music in 1985.
Music teachers celebrate MIOSM in many ways by offering special performances, lessons, sing-alongs and activities to bring their music programs to the attention of administrators, parents, colleagues, and communities to display the positive benefits that school music brings to students of all ages.
Take Action (NAfME)
In school districts nationwide, music education programs are being reduced or eliminated altogether. At the same time, we know that music education programs in schools offer a multitude of invaluable benefits for students ranging from collaboration and communication skills, creativity, self-expression, and leadership to improved academic outcomes.
NAfME advocates at the national, state, and local levels to educate elected officials and other decision makers about the impact and importance of music education programs. By working together, we are changing the national conversation about music's role in delivering an outstanding education to all students.
OMEA Advocacy Committee
The OMEA Advocacy Committee's commitment to excellence in music education is evident through the diverse and targeted efforts of its sub-groups. By addressing various facets of music education and engaging with stakeholders at different levels, the committee aims to create a
thriving environment that nurtures the musical talents of Ohio's students. Through collaboration, advocacy, and strategic initiatives, the committee aims to ensure that music education continues to flourish across the state. The OMEA Advocacy Committee has organized itself into several sub-groups, each focusing on a specific aspect crucial to the advancement of music education in Ohio.
The OMEA Adovcacy committee consists of the following members:
Danielle Shaub - Advocacy Chair
Aaron Backes, Courtney Boswell, Whitney Cope, Ben Factor, Kevin Dengel, Ed Duling, Montana Fassnacht, Stephen Fassnacht, Kate Ferguson, Paul Glader, Tim Hoagland, Emily Kelley, Devra Levine, Christin McClain, Alissa Mujanovic, John Rodesh, Dan Ruckman, Chad Sandlin, Debi Schutt, Ronda Stammen, Emily Talley, Kevin Walters, Laura Wiedenfeld, and David Wood.
Advocacy sub-groups include:
- Administration
- Educating Parents, Administration, Community
- Social Media
- School Funding
- Support Group
- Purposeful Partnerships
- Strategies
- Inclusion of Students
- School-size
- Ohio Arts Data Project
Parent Advocacy Letter of Support from OMEA
Parents, OMEA supports you and your students in Ohio music programs! Please read the advocacy letter of support. If you find that your district is in danger of having music programming eliminated or reduced due to failed levies or other reasons and you need further support, please send us a message.