Act NOW for Arts Education

 

From: Arizona Citizens for the Arts <info@azcitizensforthearts.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2017 10:17 AM
Subject: Urgent – Act NOW for Arts Education

 

Arizona Citizens for the Arts

http://azcitizensforthearts.org/

We need you to ask the State Board of Education to support arts education in Arizona schools.

 

 

Now is the time for arts education supporters to speak up! You CAN make a difference.

 

 

 

Let's face it. It's been tough for those of us who support arts education in our Arizona schools to make our voices heard. But now we have the chance, and we need you to step up to the opportunity.  

The A-F School Report Card Ad Hoc Committee of the Arizona State Board of Education has been working on the Report Card revisions since September. The report card  - required by state law – is the primary way the performance of individual Arizona schools is measured

A number of factors are included in the school report card – most of which have to do with achievement in English Language Arts and Math. However, the report card process also allows for measuring other academic areas and programs which contribute to the success of students.

This month the A-F Committee has been conducting public hearings across the state to learn how educators, parents, school administrators and people like you feel about the new standards.

This is our opportunity to ask that standard-based arts education is included in the new report card.

Recommendations on the new Report Card will be presented at the State Board meeting on April 24 at which time the Board is to supposed to make a decision effective for the 2016-17 school year.

But before that we need your to help to make the case for crediting arts education in the School Report card by testifying at one of the remaining hearings in or closest to your community, and/or filing your comments online.

Arizona Citizens for the Arts has been advocating for including arts education in the report card since last fall. We've been able to get it into the proposal for K-8 schools.
However, arts education is NOT recognized in the high school proposal.
 

 

 

 

What we need YOU to do

1. ATTEND to speak about the value of arts education in your school, in your experience and/or for your own children. Find the nearest hearing in your community here.
2. RECRUIT other educators, parents and/or current and former students to talk about the value of their own experiences in arts education.
3. If you have detailed comments about the report card, take the special survey on the proposed standards here.
4. If you CANNOT attend a hearing, send your comments to inbox@asbe.az.gov.
5. Let Arizona Citizens for the Arts know which hearing you can attend by emailing rustyfoley@azcitizensforthearts.org, including your name, your association with arts education (teacher, administrator, nonprofit teaching professional working in schools or with young people, parent, student, etc.) If you need additional information, you may also contact us.

What you should say

1. FIRST – thank the committee for including arts education in the K-8 model and let them know that – from your own perspective – additional emphasis on arts education in K-8 will improve the learning environment and the specific academic performance of individual students.
2. Ask them to also include credit for arts education in the 9-12 model.
3. Share your own experience (professional or personal) – as an example of why you believe  standards-based arts education is a critical part of a well-rounded education.
4. Ask them to recognize student achievement in standards-based arts education in the same manner as achievement in other core academic subjects that are a part of a well-rounded education.

Thank you. Together, we can make arts education in our schools count!

 

 

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