February 21, 2007

FOCUS ON COALITION BUILDING: From Anytown, USA to Washington, DC . . . All Music Advocacy Is Local

President Bush on February 5 submitted to Congress his $2.9 trillion budget to fund the federal government in FY 2008. The Congress, of course, will weigh in significantly on all areas of the President's budget and, with the Democrats now running the House and Senate, we can expect the final budget to reflect their priorities. The President's budget includes $56 billion for the US Department of Education to fund all of its programs: kindergarten-12th grade (K-12), higher education, vocational, and services for students with disabilities. Sounds like a lot of money, and it is. But, people are often surprised to learn just a little more than 8% of the total cost of K-12 public education in the US is funded by the federal government. This means the balance, nearly 92%, comes from states and localities.

When it comes to education, and particularly music education, you might ask why get involved with issues before Congress when education receives only 8 cents out of every dollar from the federal government. The answer lies in the fa ct that education policy set at the federal level is long lasting and comprehensive.

NCLB Reauthorization and Access to Music Education

Take a look at the impact of the five-year old No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, based on the 1964 Elementary and Secondary Act. This performance-based, accountability-driven law set new mandates on raising student performance and as sessments. The emphasis on math and reading accountability, on "raising test scores," has diminished access to and equity of non-tested core curriculum subjects, including music. 

One major objective of Congress this year is to rewrite the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). 2007 is the year when the law must be changed (reauthorized), and the debate has already begun on reforms to the law and expanding funding to help schools meet the requirements of the law.

So why get involved? First, the federal government needs to expand its funding for education, particularly to help states meet the mandates of NCLB. Second, when Congress reauthorizes NCLB, Congress must focus the debate on the complete education of the child and the research that links music education to student performance. And, third, Congress must maintain the designation of music and arts education as core curriculum subjects.

You Can Help Put Students' Needs at the Heart of Policy & Decision Making

Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Tip O'Neill famously declared, "All Politics is Local." What he was saying was that Congressional policymakers do listen carefully to the interests and concerns of folks back in their communities. And, they make decisions based on input from people like you.

When it comes to music education, contacting your elected officials should focus on getting them activated about the issue. You can remind them that education policy is very much a part of their job and not exclusively a local responsibility. You will almost never meet a Member of Congress who does not support music in schools. The challenge is to get them to take that support to the next level and translate it into concrete legislative action.

So, how can you help activate their support?

Members of Congress are always interested in public opinion on issues and view any data they receive in a political context. Here are recent findings to help capture their attention:

• Schools that have music programs have 90.2% graduation rates compared to those without music programs that have a 72.9% graduation rate (Harris poll, 2006)

• Schools that have music programs have 93.3% attendance rates compared to those with no programs that have 84.9% rates. (Harris poll, 2006)

• 80% agree that learning a musical instrument helps you do bet ter in other subjects, like math and science. (Gallup, 2006)

• 73% agree that teenagers who play an instrume nt are less likely to have discipline problems. (Gallup, 2006)

• 89% agree learning to play a music instrumen t teaches children discipline (Gallup, 2006)

• 85% agree that participating in school music corresponds with better grades/test scores (Gallup, 2006)

• 94% agree that music is part of a well-rounded education. (Gallup 2006)

At the center of the NCLB debate is accountability and the need to meet standards set by each state: students must be at the heart of these discussions and decisions. Talk with your Member of Congress about how providing every stude nt with a sequential, standards-based music education is aligned with the goals of NCLB. 

Raise Your Voice -- and Your Elected Officials' Awareness

We cannot ignore the statistic that 92% of education funding comes from non-federal sources, and Members of Congress are quick to point that out. When Speaker O'Neill said "All Politics Is Local," perhaps he was thinking also about the strong local component of certain issues like education.

Policies of the federal government drill down to the local and community level where advocacy requires a different strategy. Decisions concerning funding for programs like music and arts education are made locally. That is all the more reason why definitive and powerful language in federal education law is so critical: our federal laws must clearly indicate the need to educate the total child by providing access to music. In the end, federal laws help provide the framework for in creased opportunities for local support.

In addition to supporting music education in our own communities, each of us has an important opportunity to shape federal policy. Strength in numbers and persistence in message delivery work to assure every policy maker is aware of what folks back home want---and remind them of how we're holding our federal representatives accountable.

It's Easy to Contact Your Representative and Senators

On this web site, just click on Action Alerts. You'll find a letter template to express your support for music education, tips on how to communicate with your elected officials, and more.

You can also go directly to your elected officials' websites. Go to www.house.gov and type your zip code in the space that says "Find your Representative." Go to www .senate.gov and go to "Find your Senator" and scroll down to your state. You'll be connected directly to their websites. From there you can choose the best method of communication for you, including writing a message on their site, getting information on an upcoming public meeting where you live, or signing up for information and future communications on a specific issue.

Leo Coco is a Senior Policy Advisor at Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, LLP in the firm's Washington, DC office.

For more information on how to be an effective music education advocate on local, state and national levels, go to the Grassroots Advocacy Guide or visit the Grassroots Backgrounder sect ion of Action Alerts.