LEONARDTOWN, MD – For the third consecutive year, St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) has been awarded the prestigious Best Communities for Music Education designation from The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation. This recognition highlights the district’s exceptional commitment to providing comprehensive music education to all students.
The Best Communities for Music Education designation is given to school districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to ensure access to music education. To qualify, SMCPS answered detailed questions regarding various aspects of their music programs, including funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. The responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
In addition to the NAMM Foundation recognition, SMCPS has also been honored by The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) with the Premier Communities for Theatre Education designation. This makes SMCPS one of only two counties in Maryland to receive this distinction.
The Premier Communities for Theatre Education designation is rooted in EdTA’s Opportunity to Learn Standards for Theatre Education. It is awarded to schools and districts that provide both teachers and students with the necessary resources to achieve or exceed the standards suggested by the National Core Arts Standards in Theatre. EdTA’s mission is to ensure that every student has access to quality theatre education taught by qualified educators as part of a well-rounded education. SMCPS’s achievement underscores its alignment with this vision.
Todd Burroughs, Supervisor of Instruction for Fine Arts at SMCPS, expressed his pride in the district’s accomplishments. “We are honored to receive these recognitions from NAMM and EdTA. Our commitment to arts education is unwavering, and we are dedicated to providing our students with the highest quality of music and theatre education,” Burroughs said.
For more information about the awards and SMCPS’s arts education programs, contact Todd Burroughs at 301-475-5511, x32246.
