President-Elect Updates - Wayne Mallette

President-Elect Updates

Wayne Mallette Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District mallette.njmea[at]gmail.com

It is my pleasure to write to you as President-Elect. While I have been affiliated with the NJMEA Board for a few years in various roles, I look forward to learning from all of you in this new position.

I’ve been a music educator for nearly 20 years, first as the choral director at Summit High School and now as the Supervisor of Fine and Performing Arts for the Scotch Plains-Fanwood school district. In that time, I’ve seen how powerful music education can be in the lives of students. I have become increasingly interested in creating more transformative spaces for students of color and other underrepresented community members.

As we return to in-person learning, I believe that we should not merely return to "normal.” Too long, some of our music classrooms have been places of exclusion and oppression for those who do not fit in the confines of the western musical pedagogy. NJMEA can be an organization that creates pathways for underrepresented minority music teachers and students.

In this role as President-Elect, I will be serving on the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) committee that NJMEA has formed. I hope to bring a diverse opinion and fresh perspective to this work. I also plan to make it applicable and tangible for all to use.

This summer, I was heartened as I sat in meetings at the NAfME National Assembly. The country’s music educators are taking a hard look at our practice and how we can make our classrooms more accessible. New Jersey is right at the top of those states making actionable steps towards more inclusive classrooms. I look forward to working with our NJMEA President, Lisa Vartanian, to bring her vision for equity and inclusion for all to the forefront of what we do.

This work will be difficult and will always require a call for critical reexamination. But if we do what is best for ALL of our students, this challenging work will be worth it. If I can be of any help to you this year, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to working with all of you.

Best of luck with the start of the 2021-2022 school year.