Westport’s Music Education Program Receives National Recognition

From Westport Public Schools: The town of Westport, Connecticut, long a bell weather for high quality music education, has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education for the fifth year in a row.

Westport joins 527 districts across the country in receiving the prestigious award in 2017. According to Thomas Scavone, Westport Public Schools K-12 Supervisor of Music Education, the award was well-earned this year. “We are so fortunate to live in a town that recognizes and values the importance of the arts in education. It is gratifying that our community sees the arts as an educational requisite for a balanced, well-educated student. We are blessed with a dedicated, passionate staff that nurtures our students to excel and to understand the process of making art.”

The Best Communities Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. “That commitment has been part of Westport’s educational vision for more than 76 years,” says Scavone.

Districts that have been recognized by the NAMM Foundation are often held up as models for other educators looking to elevate their own music education programs. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Westport 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. This award also recognizes that Westport is leading the way with learning opportunities as outlined in the new federal education legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA recommends music and the Arts as important elements in a well-rounded education for all children.

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,300 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.

Photos courtesy of Westport Public Schools (#1 Levitt Pavilion Town Wide concert. #2 Orchestra. #3 Bedford Middle School Jazz Ensemble)