THE POWER OF PASSION AND PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE At its core, NJMEA strives to be the ultimate state resource for music educators.The association prides itself on being a reliable point of contact for teachers seeking to either start or continue their professional journeys in music education. “We seek to be a state resource, the place teachers know they can go to ask a question on anything related to music education,” McDevitt says, explaining that this commitment is deeply rooted in the personal philosophy of NJMEA’s leadership. NJMEA understands that helping educators ultimately helps the students they teach. A powerful example of this is McDevitt’s personal story of Myra, a student with special needs, whom he successfully found a way to include in her school’s marching band. Despite Myra’s cognitive and medical challenges, her inclusion brought immense joy to her and her family. It allowed her to live out one of her childhood dreams before she unfortunately passed away. However, this incredible moment solidified McDevitt’s 225 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 06 NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION
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