Goshen Schools honored with music education award
GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen Community Schools has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation for its commitment to music education.
The award is given to districts that show outstanding success in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.
To qualify for the designation, music educators in the district answered questions about funding, music class participations, instruction time, facilities, graduation requirements, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. Responses were reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
“Goshen Community Schools has a long, rich tradition of music education and we are proud to share this award with our students, staff, and the community,” said Tom Cox, Goshen High School Band Director.
“The Goshen community and Goshen community Schools are both synonymous with the arts. The arts are valued in this community and a quality education is rooted in the arts,” said GCS Superintendent Dr. Steve Hope.
“There is no doubt that music education is both classical education, informing us of our past, as well as a key skill for creative problem-solving preparing students for the demands of an everchanging, creative economy,” he said.
Since the Every Student Succeeds Act was passed by Congress in 2015, emphasizing a well-rounded education, many school districts have re-committed to music and arts education programs and discovered how valuable music is to keep students engaged during a national pandemic.