Renzo Downey
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation giving a second chance to a childhood music education plan and study.
The Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program, which has yet come to life, was set to expire on June 30. But legislation (SB 156) spearheaded by Sen. Keith Perry extends the program and study an additional two years.
Perry, a Gainesville Republican, told Florida Politics the measure is an effort to narrow the achievement gap between students from low- and high-income households. Studies have suggested music education at a young age could help raise the intelligence of young students, and Florida’s study could help confirm those findings.
“If we don’t do something — those kids now — we know that they get further and further behind, most of them never catch up, most of them put a strain on the education system as a whole, so what are we going to do?” Perry said.
Addressing the education gap early instead of as kids age and beginning dropping out of high school will help address that problem, he believes.
For five Legislative Sessions, Perry has been trying to hammer that point home by filing bills to create an early childhood music education program. In 2017, the proposal was included in an omnibus education bill passed by lawmakers, but then-Gov. Rick Scott nixed the funding twice — for reasons the Senator could only guess at with “not pretty speculation.”
Even as DeSantis faces hundreds millions of dollars in budget cuts because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Perry remains confident that the current Governor will take a different tack. After initially discussing the legislation with Perry last year, the Governor asked for a meeting specifically on the pilot program, the proactivity of which Perry sees as encouraging.
If DeSantis doesn’t veto the $300,000 for the program in the coming days, schools selected by the Education Commissioner, currently Richard Corcoran, would receive $150 annually per student in kindergarten through second grade who is enrolled in a comprehensive music education program.
“Think about per 150 dollars per student per year, you could increase the IQ of students by 7,” Perry said.
To be eligible, schools must have all kindergartners through second graders enrolled in the program, which must be taught by a certified music instructor. Lessons must be 30 minutes long and twice a week.
The University of Florida College of Education and the Florida International University School of Music must also evaluate the program’s effectiveness and share its finding with the Florida Center for Partnerships in Arts-Integrated Teaching. Existing language mandated only the UF College of Education to evaluate the pilot program without sharing those findings.
