Hello Mr. Martin,
I would like to introduce my self, Maria Boundas Bakalis. I am both educator and theatre artist and am committed to arts education. Your analysis of how we can help is so on target. Many times we meet at conferences with like minds. This may help reinforce our commitment but does little to further our cause.
In addition to your suggestions, I would like to add that ,perhaps, we should be attending conferences in other academic disciplines and built bridges with educational disciplines. We must understand how we can make more links to other content areas. This may help us gain more support for the arts as integral to all of education.
Maria Boundas Bakalis, Ed.D
mapi2581@aol.com
Original Message------
It was great to see you in Missouri, too, Liz! Here's my answer--
Advocacy is an ongoing and continuous campaign to raise awareness about the importance of a program or an issue. If you wait until there's a problem, it is too late.
Why it matters? If times are tight, no matter how much an administration "likes' the arts, the brutal truth is they are not tested subjects and rarely part of a district's rating system with the state. We have to continually remind administrators, school boards, and the "real decision makers" in communities that the arts are a vital part of education. Who are those real decision makers? Look at who your superintendent has coffee with in town or the clubs they belong to. Business people, government officials, influential parents. Identify them and start the conversation. Remember, if you are not at the table when the knives come out to cut away the 'fat,' then you are probably on the table.
Shameless self-promotion moment--I'm doing an advocacy workshop at the Arkansas Thespian Conference next week. I hope to see a lot of my friends from "south of the border" there!
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Ben Martin
Past Board Of Trustees
Executive Director, Missouri Alliance for Arts Education
Lee's Summit MO
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-03-2015 21:57
From: Liz Coin
Subject: Advocacy and YOU!
This message has been cross posted to the following Discussions: Advocacy and Open Forum .
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Hello, advocates! I just attended the Mississippi Thespian Conference and received some new definitions of Advocacy. Now, I ask YOU to respond with your definition of Advocacy, plain and simple. What does it mean and why does it matter to you?
#ArtMatters
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Liz Coin
International Thespian Officer
Bettendorf IA
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