BETHEL, Ohio — Bethel-Tate Middle School has been named one of 127 schools nationwide to receive a 2026 Best Communities for Music Education award from the NAMM Foundation, the district announced.
The recognition honors the middle school’s music program under the direction of teacher Paul Glader, according to Bethel-Tate Local Schools. It marks the latest in a string of national honors for the program, which the district said has also earned three consecutive SupportMusic Merit Awards from the foundation, most recently in 2025.
The Best Communities for Music Education award, now in its 27th year, recognizes school districts and individual schools for leadership in advancing music education and expanding equitable student access to it. The 2026 evaluation process, developed by the NAMM Foundation in partnership with the research firm WolfBrown, assessed applicants on funding, staffing of qualified teachers, curriculum, facilities and community support for their programs. More than 1,000 schools and districts nationwide received recognition this year, with Bethel-Tate Middle School among a smaller group singled out for individual-school honors.
The SupportMusic Merit Award that preceded this year’s recognition is awarded as part of the same NAMM Foundation program and is based on a detailed survey, verified with school officials, that evaluates a program’s funding, standards, curriculum and student participation.
Glader has led the middle school’s music program for six years, and the district has previously said student participation has grown to more than 55% from about 25% since he took over. He was also named one of Yamaha’s 40 Under 40 Music Educators for 2025, a national honor recognizing educators under 40 for innovation in building music programs, and was the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s Teacher of the Year in 2022.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Bethel-Tate Local Schools.