CMA Names MacArthur HS José Antonio Díaz a 2020 Music Teacher of Excellence Recipient

The Fifth Annual Music Teachers of Excellence Awards gives recognition to educators for their dedication and impact on the lives of students and the communities they serve.

José Antonio Díaz

The CMA Foundation, a national music education nonprofit and the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association, is honoring 30 music teachers from across the country as Music Teachers of Excellence. Among the honorees is Aldine ISD’s José Antonio Díaz.

Díaz is the jazz band director at MacArthur High School. He has been molding musicians at MacArthur HS since 1985. Díaz also works with students in Latin jazz at the Diaz Music Institute, a nonprofit he founded in 2000.

The MacArthur High School instructor has racked up plenty of recognition over the years. Texas Monthly featured Díaz in the October 2017 issue. He landed the No. 2 spot on the list that features the “30 Things You Need to Know About Texas Music Scene in 2017.” Writer John Nova Lomax cited Díaz’s passion for music education as well as his inspiring methods, which are “forming dynasties.” His former students include Grammy-winning sidemen Joe Gonzalez, Robert Martinez and Felix DeLeon; Marcie Chapa, a percussionist who has backed Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Díaz was named among the top 10 finalists for the 2017 Grammy Foundation’s Music Educator Award.

Now in its fifth year, the annual program was created to recognize educators who are having the greatest impact on their students, using music as a vehicle for change.

The CMA Foundation was originally set to hold its annual Music Teachers of Excellence Awards on Tuesday, May 5, in Nashville. In light of the uncertainty everyone faces with the outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the CMA Foundation has made the decision to postpone our Music Teachers of Excellence ceremony to a later date.

As the CMA Foundation continues to celebrate this year’s honorees, the foundation is excited to inform the public that it and one of the Music Teachers of Excellence recipients will be on an episode of the “Kelly Clarkson Show,” which airs on Wednesday, March 25.

Along with celebrating the honorees, the CMA Foundation will invest $150,000 total to all of this year’s recipients, with half of each teacher’s investment going toward their classroom needs and music programs, and the other half to support professional development and personal expenses to continue driving commitment and motivation.

Award recipients are selected based on their dedication to bringing a high-quality music program to their students. The process also looks at the impact they’ve had on their school community through music. To date, the CMA Foundation has invested more than $27 million nationally since 2006. This includes more than $700,000 towards Music Teachers of Excellence to ensure music educators have the support and funding needed to create a thriving program within their school and community.

Watch the Music Teachers of Excellence announcement video.

“Music education has proven to be an effective and invaluable tool for academic achievement and social development, yet we consistently hear that programs are not properly supported,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA Foundation Executive Director and CMA Vice President, Community Outreach. “Recognizing educators through our Music Teachers of Excellence program allows us to give back to those who have dedicated their lives to serving our next generation. These educators, who spend countless hours in the classroom, are helping to shape creative, collaborative, future leaders through the power of music.”

There are 20 Teachers of Excellence Tennessee Award recipients, but only 10 Music Teachers of Excellence National Award recipients.

2020 Music Teachers of Excellence National Award Recipients

• Chris Maunu, Arvada West High School, Jefferson County Public Schools – Arvada, CO
• Efrain Casillas, Desert Oasis Elementary School & Porfirio H. Gonzalez Elementary – Tolleson, AZ
• Joanie Padgett, Fitzgerald High School College & Career Academy, Ben Hill County Schools – Fitzgerald, GA
• José Antonio Díaz, MacArthur High School, Aldine Independent School District – Houston, TX
• Kayla B. Werlin, Longmeadow High Schools, Longmeadow Public Schools – Longmeadow, MA
• Keith Hancock, Tesoro High Schools, Capistrano Unified School District – Rancho Santo Margarita, CA
• Kelsey, D. Burkett, Hillard Memorial Middle School, Hillard City Schools – Hillard, OH
• McKenna Stenson, Charles J. Colgan High School, Prince William County Public Schools – Manassas, VA
• Theresa McKnight, Oakdale Elementary School, Oak Hills School District – Cincinnati, OH
• Thomas Pierre, Thomas G. Pullen K-8 Creative and Performing Arts Academy, Prince George’s County Public Schools – Landover, MD

In addition to the annual Music Teachers of Excellence awards, the CMA Foundation supports music education through strategic partnerships, professional development, and grant distribution. In January 2020, the CMA Foundation announced that $2.5 million in grants were awarded to 56 national and regional organizations for the year. Since 2006, the Foundation has invested over $27 million across the public school system, after school programs, summer camps, and community outreach. View the 2020 grantees here.

The announcement comes during the annual celebration of Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM). It is the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation.

Please visit www.MusicTeachersofExcellence.org for the latest news regarding the ceremony.

The CMA Foundation is currently accepting applications for its 2021 Music Teachers of Excellence Awards. Public school music teachers can apply by visiting MusicTeachersOfExcellence.org.