Arts Education Advocacy:
Jenni Mabrie
In the midst of a very exciting
time in the world of arts education, there is a great calling for advocacy.
Only three weeks into classes for the Arts
in an Urban Setting course and I am already gaining a wealth of knowledge
in regards to the history of education as well as its current standing. I have
discovered that while we do have active powerful figures that support our
cause, there is still a long way to go in terms of getting our point across. As
arts educators, we have all been exposed to the tremendous benefits that an
arts education brings to its students, but surprisingly there are some who are
not aware of how imperative it really is.
After reading Jennifer Katona’s blog for Americans for the Arts, about the meaning of the proposed reauthorization of the ESEA and the
effect that it will have on theatre education, I quickly realized that advocacy
is calling. It is very exciting that the new version of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act includes the arts as a core academic subject, but there
are a House and Senate version of the bill. Our goal as arts education
advocates is to ensure that the Senate version of the bill is agreed upon,
which is the version that implements language that supports open
accountability, (which could include the arts).
On Tuesday, September 29th,
our class had the pleasure of attending a presentation lead by Jeff Poulin from
Americans for the Arts. This presentation consisted of information directly
connected to advocacy for arts in education. He spoke about what advocacy is
and its different forms. He then spoke about making a case, crafting the
message, and getting started. I found that one very powerful form of advocacy
is social media. What a great way to start building awareness! Americans for
the Arts also has E-books available online for more information regarding
advocacy.
Jennifer Katona has set an
excellent example of advocacy as she has spoken in class about her journey at
Public School 161. When she first approached the Principal at Public School 161
about bringing theatre to the school with the team of the Fundamentals of Teaching Theatre course, they were not jumping at
the idea. The school believed that it was simply not a place where theatre
belonged. Jennifer and her different teams of
graduate candidates have now successfully produced a number of musicals
with the students at Public School. 161. This year, the school has 50 students auditioning for our Fall
production of “The Lion King Jr.” It is incredible to see that this program has
come so far within a short span of time.
It is our duty as passionate arts
educators to do our best to ensure that every student in America has the
opportunity to have a sustained arts education. President Obama says, “The
future belongs to young people with and education and the imagination to
create.” Lets ensure that we support this essential growth of creativity in our
youth, and we can do this informing our cause!
It’s not a question
of “should we advocate?”
But rather,
“can we afford not to?”
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