On Friday, June 14, 2024, the Joint Committee on the Public Schools held a public hearing on the issue of Arts Education in New Jersey. NJPSA was one of the invited guests to speak on this important issue. Mary Reece, FEA Director of Special Projects, and Peggy McDonald, Coordinator of Professional Learning and Special Projects, represented the association. Reece, who has long championed arts education in our state, shared developments and current challenges in this curricular area. McDonald, a lifelong champion for students with disabilities, discussed the importance and impact of arts education for students with learning disabilities. Click here to read Peggy McDonald’s testimony, and click here to read Mary Reece’s testimony.
The Joint Committee on the Public Schools was created by statute in 1975 and is composed of 14 members of the Legislature. The Joint Committee has been engaged in important issues since its inception including school construction, HIB, state takeover, school monitoring and now, arts education in New Jersey.