Contact the House: Support Arts in Education! - (June 14, 2011)
Tell Your Representative to Support Arts in Education!
Washington, D.C. - Contact Congress and ask your Representative to protect Arts in Education when the House considers HR 1891, a bill that would eliminate the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education, along with 42 other federal education programs. In the coming weeks, the U.S. House of Representatives will take up a first attempt at re-writing part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind Act. Speak up in defense of the Arts in Education program!
The lead sponsor of HR 1891, Education Subcommittee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), has called the Arts in Education program “unnecessary.” This bill, which the House Education and Workforce Committee passed along party lines on May 25th, is even more serious a threat than the annual federal funding measures, as HR 1891 would permanently strip the language out of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that allows the Arts in Education program to be funded each year.
The Arts in Education (AIE) program at the U.S. Department of Education is the ONLY source of dedicated federal education funding to support arts education, a core academic subject of learning proven to improve schools, teaching, and student success in school, work, and life. The unique federal leadership provided through direct competitive AIE grants and national initiatives cannot be replaced by any other funding source and provides essential resources to maximize the benefits of arts education for all students. The arts have too often been shoved to the margins when our schools need them most. Don’t let HR 1891 further narrow the educational opportunities of our nation’s students.
Act now, and stay tuned as the League keeps you informed of further arts education policy developments.
CONTACT CONGRESS TODAY!
The League is a member of the Performing Arts Alliance, a coalition of national performing arts service organizations dedicated to advocating for national policies that recognize, enhance, and foster the contributions the performing arts make to America