Northcoast CMEA

George Washington was born February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, VA. Because his father died when he was only eleven, he was deprived of the European education given his older brother, Lawrence. Instead, he was self-educated, a fact which caused him great feelings of inadequacy. Still, he became a surveyor, participated in the French and Indian War, and was made Commander in Chief of the Continental Forces during the American Revolution. His election to the Presidency in 1788 was the first and only unanimous election in American history.

Washington felt keenly the pressure of setting proper precedent in a position that had never yet existed. From the clothes he wore, to the carriage he drove, to the form of address, he avoided anything that smacked of royalty. Perhaps his most important legacy was that after two terms, he voluntarily stepped down, making it clear that the Presidency was not a position to be held for life. In his farewell address, he urged Americans to avoid partisan divisions and foreign entanglements. The address is still read aloud each February in the U.S. Senate to commemorate his birthday.

Having grown increasingly uncomfortable with the practice of slavery, Washington chose to emancipate the 123 slaves who belonged to him in his will. (His wife’s slaves were part of the Custis estate and could not be freed by either of them.) He established a permanent fund to provide clothing and food for those too elderly or sick to support themselves and specified that children were to be educated and apprenticed in a “useful occupation.” He freed his personal valet and gave him an annual pension. Richard Allen, formerly enslaved founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, said Washington “dared to do his duty, and wipe off the only stain with which man could ever reproach him…He has watched over us, and viewed our degraded and afflicted state with compassion and pity – his heart was not insensible to our sufferings.”

YES!

A Defining Moment Over the course of my time of more than 25 years as a music and arts education advocate, I have seen how our field has been shaped by a series of defining moments – those actions, whether isolated ...

We Owe It All To You – National Association for Music Education (NAfME) We Owe It All To You Posted on April 7, 2015 in Advocacy Groundswell Blog, broader minded, NAfME News We Owe It All To You On the eve of the 108th birthday of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the best possible present was handed to us: recognition of music as a core subject in…

Finland Adopts the Common Core All right, its not the common core per se but it sure looks like it. And it helps to confirm what most people in the U.S. are saying about the Common Core: " This could be the holy grail of education reform." Finland changes its National C...

Why America’s obsession with STEM education is dangerous Alongside technical skills, America needs the creativity that a liberal arts education provides.

Congratulations to all involved with the 2015 All-County Music Festival. The performances were some of the best ever!

Middle School is Instrumental Day rocked! 80 students, Instrument-specific clinics, large band and string groups making music together. Photos to follow. Thanks to ALL that made this happen!

Beyond the Bubbles Challenge Support music education by taking the Beyond The Bubbles Challenge by going to: broaderminded.com/challenge.html .

WORLD | Study: Music really does make kids smarter | Laura Edghill | Sept. 5, 2014 Music makes you smarter. That’s the conclusion from a recent study of children who spent at least two years learning to play a musical instrument at The Harmony

You can just see Josh's feet and Judi's sandals in the pic. Great day!

CMEA Immediate Past President Russ Sperling delivered the keynote address this morning at the CMEA Capitol Section Fall Conference at Sacramento State University.

11 Facts About Music Education Music is to the brain as physical exercise is to the human body.