Steven Van Zandt's Teachrock.Org Partners With Connecticut Governor

Steven Van Zandt (Photo: Heidi Gutman)

CONNECTICUT Governor NED LAMONT announced that the state, through the DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, is partnering with STEVEN VAN ZANDT's TEACHROCK to launch an innovative, standards-aligned arts’ curriculum in schools statewide that empowers teachers to engage with students using the history of popular music and culture. Presented by VAN ZANDT’s ROCK AND ROLL FOREVER DOUNDATION, TEACHROCK works with participating school districts, at no cost, on the integration of classroom lesson plans that connect history, music and culture in a way that is designed to resonate with students.

Commented Governor LAMONT, “Using popular music to grab students’ attention and pull them into their academic curriculum is a creative way to engage students and help them achieve success in their studies, and I thank TEACHROCK for developing this program and working with us to bring it to CONNECTICUT schools.”

Added VAN ZANDT,  “When I was a teenager, school wasn’t reaching me. It didn’t speak to my needs or interests, and I saw no future in a society I was supposed to be a part of. Then the BEATLES saved my life. Rock and roll and soul. The arts gave me the confidence to forge a path in the world. It’s vitally important that we provide curricula that students from communities that grew up around rock, soul, country, salsa, hip-hop, and other styles will recognize. We need to reach the part of their brain that responds emotionally and instinctively, that uses imagination rather than facts and specifics. Something that makes them relax and feel more comfortable about the very process of education. And right now is when kids need us the most.”

TEACHROCK has worked directly with districts and schools in CALIFORNIA, NEW MEXICO, NEW JERSEY and NEW YORK over the past several years, and this spring VAN ZANDT has launched “LITTLE STEVEN'S VIRTUAL CLASSROOM TOUR,” which is an initiative through which he will utilize ZOOM to enter a classroom each week through the remainder of the school year. The initiative includes an opportunity for any teacher to have their classroom considered for a visit and is a fundraiser for the foundation as well.

Each year, districts can apply to participate in the TEACHROCK partnership and the number of TEACHROCK schools will increase annually as the program expands across CONNECTICUT. Partner districts will take part in focused professional learning on designing engaging instruction and on the implementation of TEACHROCK curricula materials which will all be available in an online library.

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