5 Things You Can Do Now to Support the Future of Fine Arts Education
Parents – it’s time.
It’s time for us to step up and fight alongside teachers for the future of fine arts education.
It’s time to not let the teacher’s voice be the only voice decision makers hear.
It’s time to show that we want future generations to enjoy the same benefits that come from quality fine arts education that our children experienced.
Current research is proving what we’ve known all along, that fine arts programs can help students to be successful academically and in any career field they choose. We have witnessed our children mastering not only the artistic skills in their chosen discipline but the “21st century skills” like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, focus, perseverance… skills that differentiate us from AI.
However, school districts across the country are being forced to make impossible decisions due to budget deficits. Even here in Texas, with some of the strongest fine arts programs in the country, teachers and programs are being cut. It is more important than ever that parents get on committees and ensure that decision makers have accurate information. If we aren’t demanding a seat at the table… we will be on the menu.
Not only do we need to be consistently paying attention to the big picture at the state and district levels, but we need to be educating the next generation of parents about why these classes are important.! Unfortunately, these new parents don’t know what they don’t know. They will need to demand arts curriculum at a time when school districts have incentives to steer families toward less expensive, and often higher funded, options.
So, what can you do?
1- Educate yourself on issues concerning fine arts education. Talk to your teachers. Go to school board meetings. Know who your local, state and national representatives are and their views on education and the arts.
2- Create a culture of advocacy in your booster clubs, organizations and schools. Set up advocacy committees, with an advocacy chairperson, that coordinate with all the fine arts groups on your campus to present one fine arts voice to administrators, your community and your feeder schools. Engage your alumni students and parents in this process. They have the full stories and are great representatives to talk to the next generation.
3- Look for opportunities to present fine arts education outside of our fine arts bubbles and to the masses. Ensure that you have representatives in your PTA organizations, going to school board meetings, sitting on citizen committees, and consistently visiting the elementary schools that feed into your programs. We have to tell our stories and present research to those who don’t have direct experience with the power of these classes.
4- Empower students and train them to advocate for these programs. Not only is this great for leadership experience and volunteer hours, but it starts a culture of involvement. Look for opportunities to showcase all of their skills (especially communication) in front of the next generation of parents.
5- Subscribe and Follow Parents for Arts Education (PAE) and Students for Arts Education (SAE) on our website and on social media. We are a bi-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing together anyone who has experienced the life changing benefits of strong fine arts education to encourage, support and advocate for the next generation. Advocacy ambassadors can join a private PAE or SAE facebook group to find support, training and best practices. Donate, volunteer in your area, join email lists and follow and share information on social media, whatever you can to help support the cause.
Thank you for all you did to support of fine arts education. Now it’s time to pass it on.
Go to www.parentsforartseducation.org so together we can encourage, support and advocate for these programs to continue for the next generation.
– Trina Martin
Founder of Parents for Arts Education and Students for Arts Education