Support Needed! Congress Acting on Arts Education Today!
via Arts Action News
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to consider legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The last time there were floor votes was almost 14 years ago! And the U.S. House is also preparing for final votes on the House’s education bill this week!
Please take two minutes to urge your members of Congress in the Senate and House to support arts education.
The Senate education committee unanimously passed their bill, the Every Child Achieves Act (S.1177), in April. The long-awaited and bipartisan bill is now ready to be considered on the Senate floor, where more amendments will be considered, including arts-friendly amendments on state accountability plans.
Bringing the legislation forward is a historic effort to reauthorize federal education policies. The Senate hasn’t considered K-12 education legislation since passage of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in 2001, which has been expired since 2007.
Thanks to thousands of advocates like yourself, the current bill already contains a number of pro-arts provisions, including retaining the arts as a core academic subject! You can read more details about the legislation in this ARTSblog post available here.
The arts-friendly provisions, if approved, would allow states and school districts to increase support for the arts as a core subject, through after-school programs and extended learning, through grant programs and initiatives designed to support a well-rounded, complete education, especially for disadvantaged students.
Help us continue this important work by becoming an official member of the Arts Action Fund. If you are not already a member, play your part by joining the Arts Action Fund today – it’s free and easy to join.
Thank you for your support of the arts and arts education!