The Everyday Practice of Policy

Abstract

Music educators engage with policies and take policy actions on a daily basis. Better understanding their everyday policy contexts can empower music educators to interact with policies in ways that benefit students and local communities. In this article, we outline three main topics: (1) different types of policies and their associated consequences, or lack thereof; (2) the three typical levels of policy texts with which music teachers interact, including the ways that music teachers can learn about and access these policy texts; and (3) specific policy actions that music educators might take, including questions they might ask when critically considering policy texts. These three processes—understanding one’s policy context, keeping updated about policy information, and taking action—are key to ongoing policy understanding and responsiveness.