Forney, Texas (Forney Independent School District) – For the seventh straight year, Forney ISD has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.
To qualify for the Best Communities designation, the District 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 with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
“I am thrilled that Forney ISD continues to be a leader in music education as one of the 686 school districts across the nation as well as one of only 72 districts across the State of Texas,” said Mario Luna, the Director of Fine Arts for Forney ISD. “This award would not be possible if not for the music educators that work with our students day in and day out.”
This year presented perhaps the greatest challenge not only for public education as a whole, but perhaps even more challenging for music education programs. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, music education was almost completely shut down across the country. But not in Forney ISD!
The music directors, assistant directors and music teachers across the District continued to find ways to provide music education programs during the pandemic. Forney ISD teachers found ways to record video and audio classes, perform outdoor concerts and even open a fine arts elementary campus! They learned new technology resources to better reach students; started a piano lab and rearranged music rooms. In addition, Forney ISD offered a flex course option to virtual students to attend in-person music classes.
“We could not continue to be as successful as we have been if it weren’t for the incredible support we receive from the Forney ISD administration, the Forney ISD Board of Trustees and from the community of Forney,” Luna added. “We have amazing students that we are honored to work with every day and they never cease to amaze us with their tremendous talent!”
Since the passage by Congress in 2015 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA provides designated funding for well-rounded educational opportunities through Title IV Part A Student Academic Success and Achievement grants. NAMM Foundation research has revealed that these grants are being widely used by school districts to address instructional gaps in access to music and arts education.
The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,400 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.
For more information about the Forney Independent School District, contact the Forney ISD Marketing and Communications Department at info@edu.forneyisd.net or by phone at (469) 762-4100.
