Message from KMEA President Gae Phillips

I hope you are having a relaxing and enjoyable summer so far. NAfME and NFHS just released the Fall 2020 Guidance for Music Education. Here is the link: https://nafme.org/wp-content/files/2020/06/NAfME_NFHS-Guidance-for-Fall-2020.pdf. Also, check out the NAfME COVID-19 Resource page on the NAfME website. It is full of helpful information and is periodically being updated. Especially check out the statement from NAfME and 52 national organizations that deems arts education as essential https://nafme.org/covid-19/. I think is is important to keep in mind the two points that are stated in the introduction of the document. To that end, the two most important things to bear in mind about Fall 2020 Guidance for Music Education:

• The guide does not purport to replace or contradict the guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or your state or local public health departments regarding the timing or protocols for how schools should operate in our new normal of education.
• There is no expectation that all schools in all states and districts will or should follow every recommendation included here. Every state is handling the pandemic differently and those differences may even vary district to district. Perhaps your school will return to classes and you will be able to restart your music program in a very similar way as in the past. Conversely, you may initially be conducting your classes entirely through a virtual platform. Either way, this guide seeks to support you.

Hopefully, you will find this document of some use for preparing and planning for your up-coming school year. The KMEA board will be discussing these issues at the July meeting. If you have questions or concerns don't hesitate to reach out.

Let's work to do our best this school year regardless of the challenges ahead!

Sincerely,

Gae Phillips
KMEA President

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