How Music Education Policies Come to Be and What Teachers Can Do

Abstract

Policies often directly impact teachers’ lives and practice, requiring them to engage in spite of extremely busy schedules. This article offers encouragement to music educators wanting to be active—and become activists—in education policy. Before becoming active, one must understand how music education policies come to be. I argue that arts education policies mostly come to be indirectly, as an afterthought. This operates in numerous ways, involving collateral damage in other policy-making processes; nongermane, eleventh-hour negotiations; and incomplete or subverted policy implementation. To demonstrate these processes, I reference examples including access to a high-quality music education, content of national and state music standards, and music graduation education requirements. I also offer general recommendations for music educators who wish to advocate for positive change.