Art Advocacy Links

National Art Education Organization: http://www.arteducators.org/advocacy

Art Education Association of Indiana: Here www.aeai.org/advocacy

and here: http://www.aeai.org/sitepage.asp?page=ArtDirectory

Arts Education Partnership: http://www.aep-arts.org/

Dana Foundation: Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts and the Brain http://www.dana.org/news/publications/publication.aspx?id=23964

Americans for the Arts: http://www.artsusa.org/get_involved/advocate.asp

Incredible Art Dept: http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/links/artedu.html

Fine Arts Program Status in Indiana Public Schools

I don't want to embarrass Governor Daniels or Dr.Bennett, but I have not read nor heard about any new initiatives from the State Dept. of Education to support or preserve existing fine arts programs in our public schools. This evening I spoke with Dale Chu, Asst. Supt. for Policy, Legal and Communications Operations for the I.D.O.E. I asked him if he knew the extent of fine arts program cuts over the past three years. He answered that he did not and I am certain the I.D.O.E. does not record data on fine arts program cuts.

The I.D.O.E. may say publicly it supports children's public school fine arts programs in Indiana, but where I come from, actions speak louder than words. Significant cuts were made in 2009 and 2010.

The recent cuts in New Albany are very alarming because it represents a pattern of continued degradation and narrowing of the education curricula for 1.1 million children who attend Indiana public schools.

A citizenry prepared to take on the immense challenges of the 21st Century cannot be developed if high quality learning experiences and programs that optimize the refinement of the imagination, capacity for innovation and creative problem solving are cut out of the school curricula.

Our children's creativity is a national resource we cannot afford to waste.

We cannot afford future failures of imagination.

You can contact Dr. Bennett's office here:
http://www.doe.in.gov/superintendent/

Contact Governor Daniels here:
http://www.in.gov/gov/2631.htm

New Albany-Floyd Central Cuts Elementary Fine Arts Programs

NAFC School Board was considering a plan to make deep cuts and votes to eliminate music and art teachers. The board voted tonight to unanimously cut music, art and p.e. teachers. This is a very sad day for Indiana Public Schools.

You can contact the New Albany-Floyd County School Board here:
http://www.nafcs.k12.in.us/

New Albany-Floyd County

If we can get more arts advocates to speak on developmental and cognitive benefits of preserving existing elementary fine arts programs at the New Albany Floyd-County School Board meeting tomorrow night, we have a critical need there.

The meeting takes place on March 14th at 2813 Grant Line Road, New Albany, IN 47150, at 6:00 PM.

Please contact me at campak14@yahoo.com for more information on this event.