The CMA Foundation, a national music education nonprofit and philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association, recently named 15 Tennessee teachers as Music Teachers of Excellence — two from the Memphis Shelby County Schools district.
Photo Courtesy of Jandrea Crum
Jandrea Crum, Chimney Rock Elementary School
Photo Courtesy of Elisabeth Lay
Elisabeth Lay, Downtown Elementary School
Each year, Music Teachers of Excellence (MTOE) supports 30 music teachers nationally, across Tennessee, and in Nashville, with stipends for their classrooms, tailored professional development, and an awards ceremony in their honor hosted in Nashville, Tennessee.
“Music educators provide Tennessee students with a well-rounded education that prepares students academically, builds stronger social and personal competencies, and provides the opportunity to find their passion,” says Tiffany Kerns, executive director of the CMA Foundation. “We’re honored to provide recognition and support to music educators right here in Tennessee for their contributions to student learning.”
MTOE recipients receive $2,500 to invest in their music classrooms to help advance their programs and an additional $2,500 as personal stipends. Additionally, honorees receive tailored professional development, access to the CMA Fest and CMA Awards, and an awards ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee.
“Educators too often spend their own money buying supplies for their classrooms and seeking out professional development opportunities, and we’re honored to help alleviate that burden and, in fact, contribute to teachers’ unwavering support to their craft and their classrooms,” says Stephen Parker, board chair of the CMA Foundation.
Tennessee MTOE recipients plan to use their stipends to purchase xylophones, mini keyboards, electric violas, guiros, drums, triangles, tuners and cables, sheet music, performance attire, and putting funds toward field trips and A/V capabilities.
The MTOE program is in its ninth year and has honored more than 180 music teachers — over 120 from Tennessee. This year's recipients are from 11 states, and work as band directors, orchestra directors, choir directors, and lead drumming ensembles. In addition to being classroom teachers, department leads, and curriculum leads, recipients founded and lead drum lines, symphonies, mentoring programs, and local festivals for young people in their communities.
MTOE Honorees:
- Neshawn Calloway - Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts, Chattanooga, TN
- Jason Glashauser - South Clinton Elementary School, Clinton, TN
- Jandrea Crum - Chimneyrock Elementary School, Cordova, TN
- Nick Blue - Franklin High School, Franklin, TN
- Carolyn Hankins - Page Middle School, Franklin, TN
- Chuck Brown - Head Magnet Middle School, Nashville, TN
- Marisa Frank - Explore! Community School, Nashville, TN
- Anna Maria Miller - Hume-Fogg Academic High School, Nashville, TN
- Dave Petrelli - Lockeland Design Center Elementary School, Nashville, TN
- Allison Snyder - Hunters Lane High School, Nashville, TN
- Elaina Gallas - Mill Creek Elementary School, Nolensville, TN
- Elisabeth Lay - Downtown Elementary School, Memphis, TN
- Nicholas Efstathiou - Riverdale High School, Murfreesboro, TN
- Reggie Coleman - Rocky Fork Middle School, Smyrna, TN
- Garrett Doo - Smyrna High School, Smyrna, TN
Jandrea Crum, Chimney Rock Elementary School
Jandrea Crum is in her 19th year of music education in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools in Cordova, TN. She is a National Board Certified teacher, and served three years on the board of The Memphis chapter of American Orff-Schulwerk as program chair, vice president, and president. She has served as assistant course director for a Summer Orff Levels Certification classes, served as an instruction at Summer at the Scheidt, and has been a district mentor to new music teachers. Crum has also served as a peer reviewer for the state’s teacher portfolio component used in teacher evaluations and platform testing committee.
Elisabeth Lay, Downtown Elementary School
Elisabeth Lay is an Orff music specialist at Downtown Elementary School in Memphis, where she teaches grades K-5. In her 27-year tenure at Memphis Shelby County Schools, she has served almost 20 years as a new teacher mentor, professional development presenter, and curriculum writer; and has twice been co-chair of the district Orff Music All-City concert. Lay is an active member of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA), and has served on the board of the Memphis Chapter. Lay is a faculty member of the University of Memphis Summer at Schiedt Elementary Summer Camp and is an AOSA-approved Level I Pedagogy Teacher Educator.
The CMA Foundation, established by the Country Music Association in 2011, and headquartered in Nashville, TN, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that invests in high-quality programs to ensure all students have access to music. To learn more, visit cmafoundation.org.