Advocacy in a Time of Uncertainty
Uncertainty is the word of today. As a society, we find ourselves unable to control, predict, or be assured of positive outcomes. Markets are confused. Hiring is frozen. Massive disruption causes unpredictability. Funding cuts and job losses mount.
In the world of the arts in education, we feel the greater societal upheaval. We are uncertain about our work, the arts education field, and the education sector itself— Is my curriculum at risk? Will my students show up for class? How can we protect all youth? How do we fill this funding gap? Will our programs suffer? Will our organization survive? Will I continue to have a job? Will our societal norms around education stand?
As my friend Patti Limon Sands, licensed mental health therapist specializing in grief counseling, described it during the time of Covid, “We are mourning the world as we once experienced it, and having anticipatory grief, wondering what the world will be like in the future and wondering what we will be asked to give up. There is tremendous uncertainty, and our brains don’t like uncertainty.” Five years after Covid, we experience collective grief and uncertainty again.
While I don’t have a magic wand, I do take heart from what I hear from colleagues. Advocacy—and a relentless focus on positive outcomes for youth-- will help us feel less alone, less lost as we navigate the storm.
Students Come First
In January 2025, band director Frank Zimmerer was in his classroom at Antioch High School in Nashville when the shooting started. He kept his students safe. Though as Frank and others will tell you, it is the toll on mental health in the aftermath of a school shooting that can be as deadly as the shooting itself. Following the tragedy, Frank and his team focused on the students and on making music, enlisting the aid of other faculty and school administrators to keep the students engaged and on track. The students responded with enthusiasm. With little preparation time, cancelled rehearsals, missed school days, and a grieving community, the band made a triumphant appearance at a regional competition, earning high marks from the judges. This is advocacy at its finest, with a public demonstration of excellence and pride. An eloquent reminder that music can heal.
Stay Focused on Mission
I proudly serve on the board of Think 360 Arts for Learning, a statewide Colorado nonprofit dedicated to fostering creative learning from preschoolers to older adults. Many arts nonprofits are facing the loss of grant funding, diminishing revenues for program services, and a resulting reduction of staff. Daisy Fodness-McGowan, executive director of Think 360 Arts, is facing this moment of uncertainty with a calm, clear-eyed approach. The organization remains focused on the mission and understands that advocacy is an important element of vision and leadership.
"As Executive Director of Think 360 Arts, I am leading our organization through uncertainty by doubling down on what we do best— supporting teaching artists, fostering creative learning in schools and communities, and advocating for policies that embed the arts into education statewide. Sustainability in arts education requires more than funding; it demands collective advocacy and systemic change. At the same time, we are navigating our own sustainability, underscoring the urgent need for greater support at every level to ensure this vital work continues."
Use Data
Ingenuity was founded in 2011 to increase arts education access, quality, and equity in Chicago Public Schools in direct response to decades of arts divestment. Data is at the core of Ingenuity’s mission to advocate for arts access.
Nicole Upton, executive director of Ingenuity, says, “In the face of ongoing threats to arts education, Ingenuity continues to take action to protect and expand arts learning for all students. By using data to expose inequities and mobilizing schools, arts organizations, and policymakers around a shared vision, we are ensuring that the arts remain essential in education—no matter the political or economic climate.”
Build a Coalition
ArtsEd Tennessee is a statewide coalition dedicated to ensuring equitable access to arts education in Tennessee. As president of ArtsEd Tennessee, Stephen Coleman believes in sharing, in giving others the tools to become effective advocates. “Our free online course, Building a Strong Voice for Arts Education in Tennessee, provides arts education advocates the essential tools and training necessary to create a local arts education advocacy coalition. Change happens at the local level. By enlisting and empowering others, we will ensure that arts education thrives within local communities.”
Plan for the Future
Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is the largest school district in North Carolina (includes the city of Raleigh), serving over 161,000 students, with over 600 arts teachers. Jeremy Tucker, director of arts education for WCPSS, approached me last year to facilitate an arts-focused strategic planning process for the district. As the plan nears completion, we see evidence of advocacy in the plan itself. The superintendent is one of the most vocal advocates.
Jeremy looks at it this way: “In the face of rapid change and uncertainty, our district is advancing a strategic plan for arts education that ensures equitable access to high-quality programs for all students. With vital input from a forward-thinking community arts education team, the plan reflects who we want to be as leaders in arts education. Important to the success of any plan, we are also actively engaging administrators and the public in understanding the profound impact of the arts on student success and community well-being.”
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Advocacy in arts education is about more than promoting a piece of legislation or budget item. It is about telling the larger story. There are many more stories like the ones I’ve shared with you—stories of people who are dedicated to arts learning for all youth, against the odds. Ever adapting, revising, shifting to keep afloat while staying focused on positive outcomes for young learners. Our challenge is to stay energized and speak out. Do not falter in the telling and re-telling of the story, a mantra that comforts and affirms in times of uncertainty.
Related articles:
Propel Arts Ed Advocacy with Data
Arts Ed and Strategic Planning
Photo used with permission from The Cleveland Museum of Art on Unsplash
Tightrope Walker 1923 Paul Klee (German, 1879–1940) Germany, 20th century color lithograph Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1961.154