On February 2, 2020, I was proud to be one of a panel of presenters in a Theatre Town Hall along with Julie Theobald and Jim Palmarini of EdTA and Alexis Truitt of the American Alliance for Theatre in Education. The town hall was both a listening tour and an introduction to Arts Are Education, is a new national campaign advocating for funding, maintaining, and growing PreK-12 arts education programs in the 2021-22 school year and beyond. Arts Are Education is inspired by the “Arts Education is Essential,” statement released last April, sponsored by the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS), an EdTA partner,
Arts Are Education encourages theatre arts educators, theatre arts supporters and school boards to work together in support for arts education with a three-pronged approach:
- The Arts ARE Education Resolution, which asks school boards to resolve that the district will continue to fund and provide appropriate resources in support of arts education programs in a manner proportionate to all other subjects that are part of a well-rounded education, as defined by federal law.
- The Arts ARE Education Pledge that the campaign asks you, as an in-the-trenches arts educator, to sign demonstrating your own commitment to the district’s arts education programs.
- The Dear Legislator Letter in which we are asking you reach out directly to your state representatives, asking them to fully fund public education for the next school year and to urge the schools in their district to support funding for arts education programs.
Learn more about Arts Are Education and trends emerging from around the nation by watching the Theatre Town Hall, then go to www.artsareeducation.org and speak up for theatre education.
Why do this now?
The school budget process has likely already begun in your district or will soon- now is the time to ask school districts to commit to maintaining theatre arts education funding and programming in the 2021-22 school year. Spread the word to parents and friends of theatre arts education, visit the website to view the tools. Let’s all pull together to raise our voices and affirm the incredible impact of the work we do.
Cory Wilkerson
EdTA Education Director