Rise to professionalism.

There is a story Naomi Judd told in Love Can Build a Bridge about the stormy relationship between mother and daughter.

   "Before a 1984 show in
   Denver, Wynona and I were
   fighting because she had forgotten
   her outfit. We were mere
   minutes from show time ... and
   we were nearly close to blows
   when our manager, Ken Stilts,
   stepped in.

   'Ladies,' he intoned, 'there are
   several thousand people out
   there who've paid money to hear
   you tonight. You must decide
   whether you're going to rise to professionalism
   or be a disappointment
   to everyone, including me.'

   Ken's calm manner struck a
   nerve. Suddenly Wy and I recognized
   that if we were to survive,
   we would have to feel a responsibility
   to our fans."

As individual teachers, and as an association, we must always "rise to professionalism" and fulfill our responsibilities to our clientele---our students and parents. Parents are much more aware of what they want in education for their children, especially parents who home school their children. They look for the teacher who can provide the education they are seeking for their children, which may include not only traditional classical music instruction but also improvisation, composition, jazz studies and knowledge of electronic music instruments.

We must make our students' music study meaningful and essential to their total educational experience. We must find ways to ensure music will become a source of joy, fulfillment, education and, yes--even fun--during their student years, as well as during their adult years. We are building not only for today, but also for tomorrow's future musicians, music lovers and music supporters.

The MTNA Certification Program is an exceptional venue for advancing our professionalism as individuals and as an association. If we are going to continue to attract students to the study of music, we have to be the very best we can be. Just as a composer carefully writes and then reworks the details of a piece of music, we too must rework, reassess and rethink our teaching credentials, develop new areas of teaching expertise and find ways to constantly reach for higher standards in all we do.

MTNA Certification has continued to evolve since its formal national inception in 1965. Prior to that, historical data reveals that "at least eight state MTAs emerged with workable certification plans in the thirty years between 1890 and 1920. According to available records, the plan of the Washington MTA was accepted by that state's Board of Education in 1921; and Washington may have been the first state to provide for state certification of private teachers." (Homer Ulrich, A Centennial History of the Music Teachers National Association, p. 158)

Pat Tuley, chair of the MTNA National Certification Commission, states, "The National Certification Commission has worked carefully and diligently to develop all the necessary components for operating a philosophically and financially sound MTNA Professional Certification Program. Since January 2000, a set of five teaching standards and a program philosophy have been developed and approved, which provide a strong philosophical foundation on which the program can exist and grow. Certification Examinations for eighteen of the twenty-one different performance areas are in place. Members may now access any of the Program's literature online. New to the MTNA Professional Certification Program is the Portfolio option that will be available to candidates January 1, 2004."

Furthermore, Tuley says, "The MTNA Professional Certification fee at $140.00 (excluding any proficiency examination fees) is the best bargain in town! One only has to look online for other certification program fees to realize just how inexpensive this program is. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certificate fee is $2,300.00, the state bar examination fees for lawyers average $500.00 and health care technicians certificates fees range upward to $500.00."

The MTNA Board of Directors has approved the following program philosophy for the National Certification Program:

   Certification is a process that
   validates an individual's qualifications
   for a specific field of professional
   practice. It demonstrates to
   employers, clients and peers that
   which the individual knows and is
   able to do. It signifies commitment
   to continued excellence in professional
   practice. In addition, it
   increases visibility, builds credibility,
   provides a goal for personal
   professional achievement and validates
   expertise for the individual
   and to those outside the field.

   The MTNA Professional
   Certification Program exists for
   teachers who teach music to students
   of any age level in private or
   group settings. The program is
   based upon a set of five standards
   defining what a music teacher
   should know and be able to do:

   Standard I: Professional
   preparation

   Standard II: Professional
   Teaching Practices

   Standard III: Professional
   Business Management

   Standard IV:
   professionalism and Partnerships
   Standard V: Professional
   and Personal Renewal

   Upon fulfillment of these standards,
   applicants are granted the
   MTNA Professional Certification
   credential with the designation,
   Nationally Certified Teacher of
   Music (NCTM). The credential
   and designation are granted without
   bias, discrimination, or
   favoritism between MTNA members
   and/or non-members or any
   other arbitrary differentiation. In
   order to maintain the MTNA
   Professional Certification credential
   and designation, NCTMs
   must continue fulfilling the program's
   standards through the
   renewal process.

   The MTNA professional
   Certification program is objectively
   administered in a uniform manner
   to ensure fairness, accuracy, validity
   and integrity. Due process for
   reconsideration and reinstatement
   is included in the program for certification
   candidates, renewal candidates,
   and for those who already
   hold the MTNA Professional
   Certification credential.

Homer Ulrich stated that "In its first report in 1965, the Certification Board made several recommendations for the future: 1) Increased professional competence should be the voluntary objective of each MTNA member, and, 2) Professional growth is a requisite for personal fulfillment." Nothing has changed. The validity of those two statements stands as solidly today as it did then.

Join me as a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music!

National Conferences

March 27-31, 2004   Kansas City, Missouri
April 2-6, 2005     Seattle, Washington
March 25-29, 2006   Austin, Texas