Stand Up and Be Counted: MENC Launches New Legislative Newsletter

The MENC Legislative Memo is a new communication that aims to update MENC members and music educators on music education policy. The first edition was e-mailed to MENC leaders this week and also can be viewed online.

The first issue discusses how MENC worked to change draft rules for the new federal Race to the Top program. Visit the U.S Department of Education Web site to read the final application, major changes made to the rules based on comments from groups like MENC, as well as a Race to the Top application.

According to the Department of Education, the Race to the Top program will offer "achievable plans for implementing coherent, compelling, and comprehensive education reform. Race to the Top winners will help trail-blaze effective reforms and provide examples for States and local school districts throughout the country to follow as they too are hard at work on reforms that can transform our schools for decades to come."

The newsletter will post approximately every two weeks and will include links to a variety of advocacy materials including MENC's SupportMusic "Make Your Case" database, as well as links to other legislative matters in which MENC and music educators have an interest.

 --Roz Fehr, November 19, 2009. © MENC: The National Association for Music Education