The Road Ahead: Impacts of National Policy on Arts Education in Maryland
Session Description:
This deep dive will cover the current state of Federal arts education policy and its impacts on the delivery of arts education at the state level. National Association for Music Educators (NAfME) co-presenter Amanda Karhuse and Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA) co-presenter Amy Hairston provide up to date information in a rapidly changing federal education policy landscape and implications for Maryland’s arts educators.
Presenter: Amy Hairston
Amy T. Hairston, MMEA President-Elect, is in her 19th year as a choral/general music teacher at Springbrook High School. She is a proud alumnus of Oakland Mills HS & UMD. In addition to her work for MMEA and Montgomery County, Amy has been a clinician and adjudicator for Calvert, Baltimore & Howard County, and has led professional development sessions at NJMEA and the Maryland Arts Summit. She enjoys promoting music education advocacy, vocal coaching for musicals and coaching Springbrook’s JV Girls Soccer team.
Presenter: Amanda Karhuse
Amanda Karhuse is the assistant executive director for advocacy and public policy at the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) where she works with policymakers and other national organizations to promote music and the arts as an integral and core component of a well-rounded education. In this role, she coordinates all federal and state policy and advocacy efforts for NAfME, which includes lobbying, coalition-building activities, and strengthening the capacity of music education advocates. Amanda leads the Music Education Policy Roundtable, serves as facilitator for the National Coalition for Art Standards, represents NAfME on the board of directors for the Title IV-A Coalition, and co-chairs the Arts Education Partnership Data Working Group. In 2024, Amanda became the lead federal lobbyist for the Arts Education Alliance, a strategic partnership between NAfME and the Educational Theatre Association, the National Art Education Association, the National Association for Media Arts Education, and the National Dance Education Organization.
Prior to her tenure at NAfME, Amanda was the director of policy & advocacy for the National Association of Secondary School Principals, worked at the Women’s Congressional Policy Institute, and served as a legislative assistant for former Congresswoman Karen L. Thurman of Florida. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA, and a master’s degree from the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Date, Time, and Location
Tuesday, June 17th
Breakout Session 3: 2:45 – 3:45 PM
Room: CPA 113