TeachRock & Milwaukee Public Schools Make Music a Path to Civics-Success and Graduation

In 2017, the state of Wisconsin enacted a new Civics requirement: All students must pass the U.S. Citizenship Exam to receive their high school diploma. 

Passing the 100 question test has become an obstacle to graduation for many students. 

So teachers and key leaders at Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) hatched a plan–use TeachRock resources to make Civics engaging and help more students graduate on time!

Milwaukee Public Schools has been a TeachRock Partner District since 2020. The partnership kicked off during the pandemic, with TeachRock providing free resources for distance learning, as well as professional development workshops to help teachers implement them. 

The goal of TeachRock partnerships is always to share arts integration concepts and resources to bring them to life in the classroom. MPS, now in their third year of partnership, is off and running, and their new Civics course, which was designed by MPS staff using TeachRock resources, demonstrates the power and possibility of Partner District collaboration.

This fall Milwaukee’s Bay View High School runs two new courses powered by TeachRock resources: a Civics course created by MPS Arts Integration Teacher Leaders Steve Vande Zande, Randi Wagner, and the school’s Social Studies Department, and a culture- and civics-infused Modern Band ensemble led by Kevin Fine.

The courses infuse civics with music history and culture, creating real-world connections between life and civics for students, increasing engagement in the course, improving attendance and helping more students pass the civics exam on their first attempt. 

The courses will be evaluated vis-a-vis attendance data, teacher surveys, and tracking of exam results. 

These new courses are the result of Milwaukee Public Schools’ and TeachRock’s shared vision that the arts are a path to success in all disciplines. The courses are made possible by your donations to support creative paths to success for all students. 

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and TeachRock founder Steven Van Zandt has mixed civics and music throughout a lifetime of performing and activism. He views this partnership as a natural fit. 

“We don’t tell kids to take out their headphones,” says Van Zandt, “we ask them what they’re listening to and then we make connections between their favorite music and the core curricula they need to master to succeed in life. Kids are going to like this class so much they’ll have to run four sections next year.” 

Dr. Deb Bowling, the district’s Manager of Fine Arts, also sees great possibility in arts integration. “In Milwaukee Public Schools, we understand that the arts have the ability to increase students’ engagement and achievement,” says Dr. Bowling.“This is evidenced by the growth of the Fine Arts department from 2 people to 16. We have seen arts integration make a statistical impact on student achievement in math and reading when implemented with fidelity. TeachRock has inspired us to do the same in social studies.”

Kevin Fine, a Milwaukee Public Schools Music Teacher Leader who has been key to the district’s ongoing partnership with Teachrock.org speaks from experience, sharing that, “classes and lessons can come to life with the integration of music. Our students engage with lessons using a different ear and learn course material with a newfound passion if they can relate to what they are learning. For many of our students, music provides an additional road to success in various class settings. This leads to higher levels of engagement, provides excitement surrounding the lesson, and proves that music is the universal language that unites and speaks to all of us.” 

A Sampling of the Music & Source Document-based TeachRock Resources in the Course – Explore the Connection between Music and Civics for Yourself!