It was a quintessential Hollywood feel-good story. A short documentary spotlighting a small group of technicians selflessly fixing 80,000 instruments for student musicians in Los Angeles’ underfunded public schools won an Oscar at the Academy Awards.

“’The Last Repair Shop’ is about the heroes in our schools who often go unsung, unthanked, and unseen,” Kris Bowers, the documentary’s co-director, said in his acceptance speech at the awards ceremony Sunday night. “Tonight, you are sung, you are thanked, and you are seen.” 

Yet when it comes to music programs in public education across the country, however, data show the big picture is far more complex.  

While more than 90% of U.S. public school students have access to music education in school, even in the face of district budget cuts, some 3.6 million don’t, according to a major national survey. Those children, according to the survey, are more likely to attend a majority-Black or majority-Latino school, and most of the students at that school are likely to qualify for free or reduced lunch.  

At the same time, a recent study found a significant lack of diversity among music educators, an issue that could keep Black and brown children away from the music room. 

Amanda Karhuse, an assistant executive director for the National Association for Music Education, believes the Oscar win for “The Last Repair Shop” could help insert music education into the national conversation about equity and public-school funding in public schools. Schools, she said, must see music education as something for all students — an integral part of a student’s education that boosts academic performance and well-being. 

“In Kris Bowers’ acceptance speech, he speaks about how music education isn’t about creating incredible musicians, but incredible humans,” Karhuse says. “When fully funded and supported, music education is a space for all students to develop a sense of self within a community. It is a bridge between school, the community, and the world at large.” 

But much like in other areas of education, funding is rarely equal — and exact data is hard to come by. 

According to a 2022 survey by the nonprofit Arts Education Data Project, a collaboration between the State Education Agencies Directors of Arts Education, Quadrant Research, and the Quadrant Foundation,” the U.S. has made significant progress in restoring music education to classrooms after years of budget cuts and declining investment. But while 92% of public school students have access to music education, 3.6 million students “do not have that same opportunity,” according to the survey.

Moreover, “a disproportionate number of public-school students without access to music and arts education are concentrated in schools in major urban communities; have the highest percentage of students eligible for free/reduced price meals; and are either majority Black, Hispanic, or Native American,” according to the survey. “In addition, many of these students without music and arts education attend public charter schools.”

Karhuse said the federal government provides Title I funds for those schools that could be used “to support a well-rounded education that includes music education,” but it doesn’t always make it to the band room. 

“Our survey results show that very few schools are using Title I funds for this purpose — usually because the resources are allocated for other activities or because districts lack awareness that the funds can be used for music education,” she says.

In focusing on Los Angeles public schools, “The Last Repair Shop” inadvertently underscored that disparity: it is the last school district in the country to provide instruments, free of charge, to any child who wants to play. And the documentary is expected to kick-start a $15 million fundraising campaign to upgrade instruments and expand the repair program. 

But instruments aren’t the only factor in music education, Karhuse said. Poor urban schools, she said, “have a lack of resources and certified music educators.”

“Nearly 93 percent of all music educators are white,” according to a January 2024 report on the state of music educators by the National Federation of State High School Associations. “The lack of diversity creates challenges for students who do not see themselves” leading or participating in music classes.

Ultimately, Karhuse says, school and public officials must steer more money towards music education programs in general, instruct schools how to use Title I funds, and do more to integrate music education into curricula that’s available to all students. 

“Music education creates environments that foster community and collaboration among our students,” she says. “These spaces are also the last stronghold of safe spaces for students who may otherwise never attend or engage in school. Our students deserve safe spaces for them to learn, to be challenged and succeed.”

The post Can an Oscar Win Fix Unequal Access to School Music Classes? appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

When you need a changing table, you really need one. And now, it’ll be easier to find one in NYC.

Officials just announced that there are now diaper-changing tables available in more than 1,200 public restrooms that are under the purview of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

What’s more, the installation of all the stations was completed three years ahead of the legislative deadline. 

“All parents and caregivers know that when your child’s diaper needs changing, having a clean and safe space is the bottom line,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue in an official statement about the news. “We recognize that baby changing stations are a vital amenity for parents looking to keep their little ones happy and healthy, which is why we have made diaper changing stations available in more than 1,200 park restrooms.”

The project has been a long time coming: in 2020, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation took a close look at all of their public restrooms and “determined that only 37% of the roughly 1,300 restrooms under our care offered changing tables,” reads an official press release. Considering that, according to a citywide survey, 73% of New Yorkers are within a 10-minute walk of a Parks public restroom, the situation called for immediate rectification. 

In 2023, Local Law 56 passed, requiring the installation of baby changing tables in every restroom located inside a city park when possible (the guidelines don’t apply to repeatedly vandalized locations and others lacking sufficient wall space, for example). At the moment, 90% of bathrooms boast the feature. 

As for specific product details: the tables are moisture resistant and ADA compliant, made with a high-density polyethylene interior and brushed stainless steel exterior. Important note: they can sustain weights of up to 250 pounds, so caregivers will be able to place their diaper bags on them as well. 

Whether in need of a baby changing station or not, you might want to bookmark the full list of restrooms in parks right here. You never know when you might have to quickly consult it.

* This article was originally published here

For 14 years, immigrants covered under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) legislation have gone without federal protection or regulations allowing enrollment in state-run or private health insurance plans provided under the Affordable Care Act. President Joe Biden struck out this omission on Friday, May 10, when he signed off on approval to expand those policies for more than 100,000 DACA recipients.

The U.S. is home to more than 530,000 DACA recipients, commonly known as Dreamers, per national statistics. New York City is home to 35,000 DACA beneficiaries, 81% of whom are currently in the labor force.

“Nearly 12 years ago, President Obama and I announced the DACA program to allow our young people to live and work in the only country they’ve called home,” Biden said in a public address. “Since then, DACA has provided more than 800,000 Dreamers with the ability to work lawfully, pursue an education, and contribute their immense talents to make our communities better and stronger.

“I’m proud of the contributions of Dreamers to our country and committed to providing Dreamers the support they need to succeed. I’ve previously directed the Department of Homeland Security to take all appropriate actions to ‘preserve and fortify’ DACA. And that’s why…we are taking this historic step to ensure that DACA recipients have the same access to health care through the Affordable Care Act as their neighbors.”

This new opportunity will be offered only for those interested in obtaining services through a Health Insurance Marketplace plan or a state-run Basic Health Program (BHP) for lawfully present noncitizens. New York is one of two states that have implemented the measure; the state’s application for BHP received approval on Mar. 1, 2024, and will remain in effect for five years, from April 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2028.

Although this development is a major win for various DACA recipients, it will not permit registration for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIPS). Still, Friday’s signature is being called a victory for proponents of immigration reform.

 “I commend the Biden-Harris Administration on this latest effort to support immigrant families by expanding affordable, quality healthcare coverage to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients,” Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) of Harlem, Washington Heights, and the Bronx said in a statement.

“Our work (on May 10) to support Dreamers will have reverberating implications for many years to come, (by) keeping our communities and local economies strong. I will never give up my fight to ensure Dreamers permanent status and a pathway to citizenship, and remain committed to working with President Biden and my colleagues to protect DACA and provide all immigrant youth with the opportunities and support they need to succeed,” Espaillat added.

As the first Dominican American to serve in the House of Representatives, Espaillat has been a vocal advocate for a progressive approach to changing American immigration policy, calling for rejection of the many repeals Republicans have been pushing for. 

Despite the large number of people in the U.S. covered by DACA, some requirements in the law limit several individuals from receiving the designated status. Those seeking that status must have arrived in the U.S. before their 16th birthday and before June 15, 2007; be under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012 (i.e., under age 41 as of 2022); be currently enrolled in school, have completed high school or its equivalent, or be a veteran; and have no lawful status as of June 15, 2012.

Former President Donald Trump unsuccessfully attempted to end DACA. A 2024 re-election campaign strategy includes campaign staff reiterating his previous claims, made during his time in the Oval Office, that DACA policies are detrimental to the average American worker.

In a post on X, Karoline Leavitt, a Trump campaign spokesperson said, “Joe Biden continues to force hardworking, tax-paying, struggling Americans to pay for the housing, welfare, and now the healthcare of illegal immigrants. This is unfair and unsustainable; and Joe Biden’s handouts for illegal immigrants are especially devastating to Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, and union workers who are forced to watch their jobs and public resources stolen by people who illegally entered our country.

“President Trump will put America and the American worker first. He will ​seal the border, stop the invasion, and expand economic opportunity for American citizens, not illegal aliens.”  

The legality of DACA is under scrutiny in ongoing cases in Texas and New Jersey. Observers believe it will soon reach the Supreme Court.

“Even as we celebrate this victory, we must also remember that politically motivated attacks on DACA continue, DACA recipients remain in limbo, and the health and wellbeing of our communities has suffered as a result,” Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center, said in a statement.

More than 25.6 million Americans are uninsured, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. As prescription drugs and medical rates skyrocket, hundreds of thousands of people are forced to choose between food and medical care daily. Federal numbers show that most go without the latter.“The Biden-Harris Administration is taking a bold step toward equity and inclusivity in healthcare access by ensuring that approximately 100,000 DACA recipients can enjoy the peace of mind and security that access to health care brings,” said Mayra Macias, executive director of Building Back Together. “By expanding DACA recipients’ healthcare options, President Biden is reaffirming that health care is a fundamental right.”

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* This article was originally published here