Welcome to the First Arts ARE Education News!
Hello Arts Education Advocate
Welcome to the first edition of News from the Arts ARE Education Campaign! As a signatory of the ARE Pledge or a school district that passed the ARE Resolution, we want to keep you informed on how the campaign is continuing to evolve and grow to support grassroots advocates seeking to ensure access to arts education for students in 2022 and beyond.
We Want to Hear from YOU!
If you signed the Pledge as an individual or as the authorized representative of school, or as the signatory of a school district that passed the Resolution, we want to hear from you. To help us continue to create resources in support of K-12 arts education in the coming years, we want to understand the educational landscape as this school year concludes and plans are being made for the 2021-22 year. Towards that end, we want to know how your school or district has met or addressed the 8 ARE Talking Points included in our actionable “What You Can Do Now” page. Please take a few minutes to respond our 1-5 scaled survey addressing each Talking Point. We also added an open-ended comment box for you to address other important information or concerns that you would to share about arts education in your district schools.
More than 2,500 Pledge signatories. Your Pledge will help ensure students’ right to quality arts education experiences in dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual art. You can scroll through a complete list of Pledge signatories here.
Twenty Resolution Schools & Districts. Congratulations to our ARE Resolution schools and districts that have passed the Resolution and committed to maintaining and growing their arts education programs in 2021-22 and beyond. See the list here.
Elementary and Secondary Education Relief funding (ESSER). On March 12, President Biden signed the American Rescue Act into law. This legislation includes a substantial round of Elementary and Secondary Education Relief funding (ESSER). This third round of ESSER funding, ESSER III, totals $126,000,000,000 for K-12 education. This once-in-a-lifetime federal support for education will provide districts with nearly eight times the normal amount of dollars they would have to spend in their fiscal year between 2021 and 2024. As a well-rounded subject area, arts education programs are eligible to apply for these funds, under fifteen specific status of allowable use. Check out our Action Center to find out more about ESSER and how to apply for funding.
What’s New on the ARE Website!
The ACTION Center is our new expanded go-to source for advocacy tools and resources, including a link to the National Association for Music Education Guide to ESSER funding
The Ambassador’s Hub featuring ARE branding logos; a press release template to announce your school or district's passage of the Resolution; and a link to all our existing resources.
A Pledge social media link that will allow you to promote the campaign on your own social media platform.
The Arts ARE Education Talk it Up Video Testimony Challenge where YOU can create your own short video explaining WHY Arts ARE Education for you. Be among the first 10 to post a video and become eligible to win an Arts ARE Education t-shirt!
An Advocacy Opportunity from Our Friends at NAMM
The National Association of Music Manufacturers (NAMM) is sponsoring a Virtual Advocacy Summit on May 25, at which they will launch a campaign focused on the need for Congress to support Title I, II, and Title IV A funding, COVID mitigation, and continued support for the Arts ARE Education Pledge, among other music and arts education priorities. This free opportunity is available to NAMM members, music educators and administrators, college music faculty and students, music and cultural organization staff, parents, teachers, community members, and all arts education advocates.
COMING SOON!
ARE ESSER and Title IV A Q&A Center
Updated GovPredict “Dear Legislator” letter addressing ESSER
“Making the Ask” video—Getting the Resolution passed in your district