Press Releases

The Nashville Alliance for Public Education Supports Arts and Other Metro School Programs

This is a great week for the Nashville Alliance for Public Education – and a great week for the thousands of students who attend the public schools in our city. The good news began Wednesday when the Country Music Association announced its donation of more than $1 million to buy musical instruments for Metro schools. What an incredible gift at such a critical time!

The research-based evidence continues to grow, showing that a greater emphasis on the visual and performing arts in education is important for boosting academic performance and engaging students in the learning environment. Plus, more than 95 percent of our students who play in their school band graduate! Unfortunately, with a tight budget, these programs are often cut first.

That’s why the CMA partnership with the Nashville Alliance is so critical for our schools. The Nashville Alliance raises funds to support Metro school programs that fall outside the regular budget, and supporting music education is a big part of this program. The CMA’s announcement of this year’s $1,011,294 donation to buy musical instruments for 31 Metro schools was a dream answered for many children in our schools.

This donation is part of a greater CMA initiative called “Keep the Music Playing” that donates half of the proceeds from the CMA Music Festival each year to the Nashville Alliance to support music education. In just three years, the program has raised $2,245,421 to purchase hundreds of instruments, including cellos, clarinets, saxophones and pianos. While the Nashville Alliance raises money for music education, it also supports other key academic areas such as language arts, reading, math and science. Since its inception in 2002, the Nashville Alliance has raised millions of dollars to buy library books, science equipment, classroom art supplies and math kits; to create an endowment for debate program support; to build a teacher training center; and many other individual school initiatives.

The good news continues Tuesday when the Nashville Alliance will host the fifth annual Nashville Public Schools Hall of Fame. This event honors outstanding graduates of Metro schools, along with residents of Nashville who are exceptional advocates for public education. This year’s honorees include Dennis Bottorff, Patsy Bradley, Dr. Kevin Churchwell, and Thomas Sherrard.

At the same time, the Hall of Fame raises money to cover the operating costs of the Nashville Alliance so that all other donations from individuals and businesses can go directly to Metro schools. This year’s sold-out event will enable the Nashville Alliance to explore even more ways to support Nashville’s schools.

With a down economy, it can be difficult to give; but let’s not forget one of the Nashville Alliance’s founding principles: “What happens to our students happens to all of us.” There are more than 75,000 students in Nashville public schools – 75,000 future leaders of our city. I hope everyone will consider investing in our future by making a donation to the Nashville Alliance.

Nelson C. Andrews
Board of Directors, Nashville Alliance for Public Education

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