Schools Earn Music Education Award

For the third consecutive year, St. Mary’s County Public Schools has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation for its commitment to music education.

The Best Communities designation is awarded by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.

To qualify for the designation, SMCPS answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

Additionally, the Educational Theatre Association has recognized the school system for its commitment to theater education with a Premier Communities for Theatre Education designation. SMCPS was one of two Maryland counties to ever receive this recognition.

Rooted in EdTA’s Opportunity to Learn Standards for Theatre Education, the distinction is awarded to schools and districts that provide teachers and students with the resources to achieve at or above standard as suggested by the National Core Arts Standards in Theatre.

For additional information, call Todd Burroughs, supervisor of instruction for fine arts, at 301-475-5511, ext. 32246.