Thanks in advance for your help!I would like to be able to participate in Maryland All-State Band and Orchestra. Currently, however, only public and private schooled students are eligible to participate. Since I'm homeschooled, I am not permitted to participate.
For more info, I'm copying and pasting a flyer I and others have been passing out. If you don't feel like reading it, here's the important part: please send an email to the Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA) urging them to update this policy to include homeschoolers in activities such as the All-State ensembles and Solo & Ensemble Festival. The MMEA email addresses can be found at a link near the bottom of the flyer.
(begin copy/paste)
When MMEA was founded in 1941, homeschooling was illegal. 70 years later, homeschooling has been legalized in all 50 states, and the Maryland State Department of Education has said NO legal reason prevents MMEA from including homeschoolers. MMEA’s outdated policy does not allow homeschoolers, even when they meet the same requirements that private schoolers meet. Please help us urge MMEA to update this policy to include homeschoolers in activities such as the All-State ensembles and Solo & Ensemble Festival.
Why should MMEA include homeschoolers?
The MMEA mission is to “provide enriched musical opportunities for students, encourage student participation in music, and improve the quality of music instruction.” Some MMEA members direct homeschool ensembles: allowing the students in these ensembles to participate in MMEA events would support MMEA members. Other states already allow homeschoolers to participate in state-wide MEA activities. See Virginia’s VMEA site for their progressive, inclusive policy: http://www.vmea.com/index.php/overview.html
What can YOU do?
Email the MMEA board and ask them to change their policy to include homeschoolers in MMEA activities.
More info?
MMEA email addresses can be found here: http://goo.gl/TJ94J