Education secretary supports arts

U Education Secretary twig Paige showed his support for arts and music in public seminarys by sending a two-page alphabetic character to 16,000 of America's academy superintendents, urging them not to wound art programs.

This action was in direct answer to a meeting between Paige's staff and a SupportMusic.com task force l by the agency of MTNA Executive Director Gary Ingle.

Paige's directive also encourages states and local communities to access funding available [i]or[/i] part of to the other department funding programs, or title programs, to support arts education programs. The arts are identified as part of the core curriculum in No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education legislation.

SupportMusic.com was launched in 2003 by dint of the Music Education Coalition with the goal of offering resources and information to parents, educators and organizations to help guarantee music education to each student. Since its inception, SupportMusic.com has joined with dozens of national and local affiliates, including MTNA, to generate support of music education in schools

"As I travel the political division I often hear that arts education programs are endangered because of No Child Left Behind.... It is disturbing and just plain wrong" Paige wrote "For the pair the important knowledge and skills they impart and the ways in which they help scholars to succeed in school and in life, the arts are an important part of a without fault [i]or[/i] blemish [i]or[/i] flaw education...."

For more information visit www.SupportMusic.com.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Music Teachers National Association, Inc.

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