Westminster teacher honored by CMA Foundation during Music Teachers of Excellence ceremony [Video]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Thirty teachers from across the country were invited to Nashville, Tennessee, to be recognized as this year’s CMA Foundation’s Music Teachers of Excellence.

“Teachers within that room said, ‘We’re not feeling valued,’ and here we are, in the music industry, we have the CMA Awards, and we’re like, ‘Wait. We know how to do awards shows pretty well. How can we establish some kind of event that allows teachers to walk taller the minute they leave the room?'” explained Tiffany Kerns, the executive director of the CMA Foundation.

Along with a night to celebrate the teachers, the CMA Foundation vowed to donate $150,000 total to all of this year’s recipients.

Half of each teacher’s investment will go toward their classroom needs and music programs, and the other half will support professional development and personal expenses, according to the foundation.

Darlene Machacon, a teacher at La Quinta High School in Westminster, …