There’s nothing like a crisis to focus the mind.
It becomes clear (as much as anything is clear these days) that focused arts ed advocacy is an important tool to add to the growing list of supports for educators and schools.
Multi-dimensional approach.
I’m grateful to national and state leaders who are doing so much of the heavy lifting in the budget and policy arena, preparing teachers for what is to come, and for setting a resolute tone of positivity and support.
Music and arts teachers prepare for any eventuality, with the goal of keeping students engaged and excited about learning. Many also embrace the need to fill a dual role, that of content expert as well as expert advocate– though that isn’t really what they signed up for.
We don’t know the extent of the impact of school budget cuts at the time of this posting. Schools are still grappling with re-opening plans. But we do know some programs may be at risk. Being vigilant is important.
We also know that any budget or policy change is felt most keenly at the local level—by teachers (and students and families, of course). And that no two districts are alike in how they approach budgeting, staffing, and scheduling.
We want to help.
Recognizing the uniqueness of the local experience and the need for hyper-local solutions, ElevateArtsEd and ArtsEd Tennessee have teamed up to provide customized assistance for local arts education advocates in Tennessee whose programs may be threatened. The Action Response Team (ART) Advocacy Toolkit contains a customized assistance request form as well as helpful sample documents (op-ed, letter to school board), checklist and message points. While some of the language is specific to Tennessee, it could certainly be adapted to other states and locales. All documents are shareable for your use. Thanks to the California Alliance for Arts Education for the inspiration to get this started in Tennessee.
We have already witnessed this work in action. Quick thinking and prepared advocates turned around threatened budget cuts in Cannon and McNairy Counties. In Cannon, the K-8 visual arts budget was preserved with a coordinated advocacy effort led by teachers, with the support of Tennessee Art Education Association (TAEA) and ArtsEd Tennessee.
In McNairy County, band and athletic stipends and some programs were threatened. A consistent winner of the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation, the McNairy community and parents rallied to save the funding.
Coalitions work.
Founded just three years ago, ArtsEd Tennessee’s purpose is to advocate for visual and performing arts education for all students in Tennessee by mobilizing a coalition of statewide advocates. With a focus on state policy, ArtsEd Tennessee is a champion for supportive policies and essential funding to advance quality, accessible arts education for all students.
Former music educator and self-professed political enthusiast, Stephen Coleman serves as executive director; core members include each of the professional arts educator associations (dance, music, theatre, visual arts) and corporate member KHS America. Supporting organizations include the NAMM Foundation, CMA Foundation, Americans for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation, Amro Music, and KHS America. Disclaimer: I am a founding member and advisor to the organization.
Some highlights of the past three years include:
- Sponsored Joint Resolution 759, signed by the governor and approved unanimously by the General Assembly, affirming the value of arts education
- In partnership with Americans for the Arts, co-sponsored 5 advocacy workshops across TN
- Defeated a bill that would have jeopardized students’ ability to take four years of arts courses in high school
- Promoted arts education through a statewide candidate survey
- Monitored hundreds of education bills
- Cultivated relationships with key state legislators
We did not anticipate the need for customized assistance for local advocates, but here we are. Ready to help. Send up the bat signal.
That Sonny’s runnin’ wild. He’s thinking of going to the mattresses already.
~The Godfather
