Shaping Policy in Music Education: Music Teachers as Collaborative Change Agents

Abstract

Music educators have experience working in education environments governed by shifting policies and mandates. How can music educators become agents empowered to shape, interpret, and design mechanisms for putting policy into practice? This article describes ways to understand policy and options for responding and contributing to its development and implementation. We examine how music educators have responded to two policy areas that have had a significant impact on music programs and teachers in recent years: (1) learning standards and (2) evaluation of student learning as a component of teacher evaluation. Examples in this article are meant to serve as a case in point for how music educators can become more responsive and actively engaged in policy matters.