Arts education advocates have received a call to arms. Now is the time to get out there and gain support for arts learning. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has issued a letter to school and education community leaders that expresses support for arts learning curriculum in public schools. To reinforce his message, he spoke at a NAMM Foundation teleconference and urged communities to think creatively towards strategies that will provide access to high quality learning opportunities that include the arts for all children.

Receiving support from an elected official at the federal level for arts learning is incredibly encouraging and provides opportunity for local-level advocacy efforts. Secretary Duncan stressed the "flexibility" of the No Child Left Behind Act. This means that while arts is one of the core subjects noted in the act, local school districts are able to adapt this in a way they see fit. This makes for the perfect opportunity for arts education advocates to leverage this endorsement to see that arts learning plays an integral role in local school districts.

How would you speak out on behalf of arts learning?

Here are a few ideas:

1. Distribute the Secretary's letter. This letter has been made public in hopes that arts education advocates will pass this on to teachers, parents, community leaders, local policymakers and school administrators.
2. Parents should talk to their children's teachers. With the new school year starting, now is the time to find out what is on your child's agenda for the year. Open houses are just around the corner.
3. Ask your legislator to write a letter that supports Secretary Duncan's. This is a great way to get the message to trickle down to the local level.

It's not just about availability - students deserve high quality arts learning opportunities, too. This is something arts education advocates and arts educators alike can agree on.

It's these commonalities - passion, vision and personal values that are at the heart of the advocacy effort to ensure arts learning opportunities are not just available, but are "quality" learning experiences.

But there are differences in how we define high quality learning experiences, what indicators of success are and who should play what role in delivering arts education.

General educators, arts specialists, and teaching artists can all provide quality arts learning opportunities. Their unique perspectives and personal values add depth to the lessons they teach and can facilitate student engagement. If they work together, students will receive a well-rounded high quality education that infuses the arts.

Recent surveys from the New York Arts in Education Roundtable show that teaching artists may be more prevalent in New York Public Schools than arts specialists. Similarly, reports cite steep cuts in arts specialists' positions in California, as finances are drained. Though the No Child Left Behind Act stipulates that arts specialists are best qualified to deliver arts learning, they are simply not making the cut when it comes down to the budget. Some find that teaching artists can actually offer a more authentic experience and connection to the arts, but often they are in schools only for a short time. Arts education needs to be an ongoing experience to be considered high quality.

At the end of the day, it's important that arts educators are as passionate about arts learning as arts education advocates. This shared passion drives the vision for delivering quality. The arts are about engaging and sharing ideas, so let's work together to ensure that we keep quality arts experiences in schools.

Labels: arts learning, arts specialists, quality education, teaching artists