Be an Influence in Your Community

• Marty Lenard
• Posted 11/3/23
• 0 comments

Ideas of Engagement Representing Your Program

“When people see that you are invested in your community,  they are more likely to invest in your program. If they see you are giving back, they are more willing to give to your program.” – Tom Guyton, Board of Trustee for Lockhart ISD and retired band director 

The purpose of fine arts advocacy is to take action to bring about change, which can be accomplished through raising public awareness, increasing support, or influencing policy for specific issues. Music education teachers at all grade levels are aware of how important it is for them to be visible and vocal advocates for the arts.  

Go out and tell the good news. So often, the only time we visit with administrators or speak up is when something is going wrong. We want to engage our administrators, community members, and stakeholders about all of the positive things that happen regularly in our programs so that they become part of the journey. Along the way, they can help us when we need it most. 

Tell Everyone What Your Program is Doing 

Speak at a Rotary Meeting

In most communities, there are Rotary groups that have weekly luncheons with invited guests to speak about the work they do in the community. At times, you’ll see the football coach giving a speech about their upcoming season. There is no reason that a band director or elementary music teacher couldn’t speak about the work that goes into their classroom. Reach out to your local Rotary group and volunteer to be a speaker during their weekly luncheon meetings.  

Build a Relationship with your Districts Communication Department

Share specific information about your community event with your district communication office. Look for interesting aspects of your event that focus on something inspiring or on a particular student’s accomplishment. Depending on your district’s policy, the Communication Department can help create your program a social media platform that can continue to tell your story to a larger audience. It’s not recommended that you build a social media presence without consulting with your district communication department.  

Media Presence  

Sharing media, interviews, and stories from your community can market your program and help keep a positive focus on public education and what it can offer students.  

Keep your Elected Officials Informed

Think of ways your student leaders can create personal invites of performances to elected officials who represent your campus. You never know if they will be able to attend, but what can happen is you are directing their attention to what’s happening in their district. This could lead to officials referencing events and advertising your program. Who knows – it might even be displayed in their office.  

Opportunities to Serve Your Community 

Perform Local 

Seek opportunities to perform for local events, including business openings, neighborhood functions, and other community events like parades. Take the time to engage with local HOAs to learn more about their calendars and see how you might fit in. Schedule visits to senior centers, nursing homes, or local hospitals to share talents during different times of the year.  

Volunteer Events 

Find opportunities for community service projects like neighborhood clean-ups or scheduling a few visits to the local food bank. Find ways for students to engage with their communities and give back in the name of the band program. Music service projects in large groups show that your organizations are committed to more than just performing. 

Serve on a Local Advisory Board or Commission: 

Board and commission members serve in an advisory role to help to direct policy by making suggestions and recommendations to their local elected policymakers and government management. Meetings can take place quarterly, monthly, or scheduled based on the entity’s needs. The expertise you bring to the table could be the important part that stakeholders didn’t realize they were missing.  

Examples of different advisory boards can be Long-Range Facility needs for your school district, library advisory board, or art commission for your city.  

Serve as a School Board Member (yes it’s possible): 

There are examples of music educators who serve a school district by becoming a School Board member. However, you should carefully research what it means for a teacher to be a school board member. According to TEA, the positions of a public school teacher and trustee for the same district are legally incompatible. School boards are legally required to approve teachers’ contracts, and legally a teacher can not approve or offer themselves a contract. A teacher may run for school board in the district where he or she teaches. However, if the teacher wins the election, the teacher must give up the teaching position before they take office. If you live in one district and work for another one, you could run in the district that you live in.

One example of a member of TMEA who served on a school board is Tom Guyton, Retired Director of Bands at Del Valle HS and School Board member for Lockhart ISD since 2009.

“I always appreciate the staff in Lockhart getting the community to advocate to the board. Having the community stakeholders advocate to the board can open the eyes of the board members”  

Tom mentioned that one of the biggest hurdles in serving on a school board and teaching is of course – time management. Here is what Tom said about his perspective on the time it takes to serve:

“I’ve always thought that we ask students to have full days of school and practice. After they are done with their day, they either have homework or what happens more often the students work to support their families. I feel that the least I can do is give up some of my evenings to attend meetings to support my community.”

Partner with Local Music/Fine Arts Related Non-Profits

Partnering with nonprofits can not only provide opportunities for your students but can introduce you to supportive individuals of the arts.  

For example, Big Seed is a non-profit based in Kerrville that provides an opportunity for young creatives throughout the Texas Hill Country to explore and develop their artistic passion. Students are given an opportunity to perform at local live music venues and network with working musicians. The teachers have the chance to work with community stakeholders to tell the story of their programs and see how future opportunities could overlap with upcoming goals.  

Check out www.bigseed.org for more information about their impact on their community.  

Speak During Public Testimony at the State Capitol

Before Bob Floyd was our fearless leader at TMEA, he was a band director who would travel to the State Capitol and testify at public hearings regarding fine arts in Public Schools. Public hearings are open to anyone to testify. With a legislative year upon us, this is the perfect time to publicly testify in front of the House and Senate Education Committee on proposed bills that could impact fine arts in Texas.

Educate your Student’s Parents about the Texas Arts Education Campaign 

With the Texas Legislature session starting January 2023, this is the perfect time to engage with the Texas Arts Education Campaign. A simple way to engage your community is by educating your booster clubs, PTA, and parents about the importance of being a part of the Texas Arts Education Campaign.  

Take 5 minutes before a public performance to share the information with the audience by projecting a QR code or including the information in the program. Having educated stakeholders during the legislative session can have an impact on proposed bills that can impact Fine Arts in Texas.  

Check out www.txartsed.org for how to engage in preserving fine arts in Texas schools.  

The one common thread among all of these ideas of engagement is taking the first step. Putting yourself out there for others to see the work you are doing can lead to a more meaningful experience for your students and a stronger presence of Fine Arts Advocacy in Texas.