Resources

We are going to avoid the governor's statement this year, and also avoid most references to the governor, except when it comes to Dr. Brown's letter.

We will point out that we heard and appreciate that sentiment, and that music education is important as a necessary foundation to not only the performing arts as a field in and of itself, but also to all of the fields requiring critical thinking and problem solving skills.

This is the hottest, most immediate issue facing music educators in Nassau and throughout NYS today. Especially with schools who had split schedules who are about to bring back many more students full time. If there were able to make 12' work in the past due to smaller class sizes, now they will be unable meet those accommodations.

Our message will be: NYSSMA urges NYS Health and education department to convene experts, including NYSSMA members who understand the aerosol studies to bring the NYS Covid-19 guidance on music in schools in alignment with both the studies and the newly released US DOE and CDC guidelines. We are encouraged by The NYSSMA president's upcoming meetings with Education Department Officials.

All members attending Joe Sugar day should be up to date on all of the Aerosol reports. Go to the NMEA GRC Website for a collection of resources.

Music is currently regulated, and there are schools throughout NYS that are able to treat the regulations as "recommendations." This bill would have music be one of the main branches making music required study.

The 2020-2021 Assembly Bill A 1788

The 2020-2021 Senate Bill S-04525 (Only one sponsor)

Schools rely on Expense Based Aid for items within 11 categories. Capital expenses, Transportation, and many others including BOCES Expenses. This means when schools spend money, they get a percentage of that money back during the next year (think: rebates). There is a proposal to consolidate those 11 categories into 1. The fear is that once consolidated, a single expense-based aid category would be easier to cap, and limit a school's ability to receive moneys back. This will impact schools who rely on arts-in-education funding for their music programs - inclusive of the new instrument coser. NYSCOSS is strongly against this, and will be pushing back against it, so it is not our primary (or even secondary) concern. The following organizations are against this.

NYS Council of School Superintendents Position (Second item on their list)
NYS School Boards Association Position (Second item on their list)
Association of School Business Officials (3rd Item under Budgets)