ACTION ALERT! If You Care About Comprehensive Fine Arts Education Programs in Indiana Public Schools Act Now!

81 million dollars of much needed tax support were diverted away from 1.1 million children attending Indiana public schools to private schools in Indiana through vouchers last year. What does that mean? Higher class sizes. Narrowed curriculum offerings. Cuts to the fine arts. 

There are two senate voucher expansion bills shaping up in the State Capital that Indiana citizens should keep an eye on. The first item is Senate Bill 322. If this bill is enacted, any private school that accepts vouchers can be exempt from taking the ISTEP. That means more private schools can accept public money and not be held to the same accountability standards as public schools, while at the same time drawing funds away from public schools. This bill was curtailed somewhat during a committee hearing today, but could impact school funding in the future. 

Another bill to keep an eye on is SB 282. This bill provides vouchers for special education students in schools that do not provide facilities as directed by the Americans With Disabilities Act. I urge you to contact your state senator to reject this bill in it's entirety. Further cuts to public school funding could have a catastrophic effect on fine arts funding. Legislators know they can dictate the curriculum because they control school and educator evaluations and they control funding. 

Vouchers, if allowed to continue to take a bite out of public education, will impact what public schools can offer in the curriculum. Read more about senate bills 322 and 282 here.Politicians elected to legislative bodies can change the educational landscape any time they are in session. It is important to keep an eye on politicians. As a citizen of the United States it is extremely important to participate in the democratic process. I urge you to contact your state senator and tell them to REJECT SB 322 and SB 282 here:

Education Deformers Advocating for the Intensification of High Stakes Testing Don't Really Give A Crap

It's true! Despite overwhelming scientific evidence that the arts and other multi sensory, trans-disciplinary learning experiences that connect at a deep emotional level do in fact promote cognitive growth like no other educational experience, the corporate education deformers who make education policy do not care if the arts are cut, class sizes increased or children's curricular learning activities mechanized and narrowed.

Please consider joining me on January 27th, 2014 Monday afternoon as AEAI participates again with the Indiana Coalition of the Arts annual Advocacy Day event at the Indiana State Capitol.

Contact me at campak14@yahoo.com if you are planning to attend and I guarantee we will provide you with every opportunity to express your thoughts on the importance of arts education and it's impact on children's intellectual growth directly to your legislators.

The ruling polyarchy and opulent minority who heavily influence education policy in the U.S. advocating for high stakes testing have yet to provide a conception of the human mind and a rationale as to why one size fits all standardized assessments that do in fact drive educational experience in our nation's schools are good for developing intellectual growth in cognitively diverse populations of children.

How Much Will Indiana Public Schools Lose From Pence Corporate Tax Cuts?

About $150,000,000. per year.  What about libraries and other municipal government services? Try another $200,000,000. You can read more and take action here:

Indiana Coalition for the Arts Advocacy Day 2014 is January 27th!

If you are interested in attending Indiana Coalition for the Arts, Arts Advocacy Day event at the Indiana State Capitol, I can guarantee you an interesting day speaking with legislators and visiting with a cadre of arts advocates! See you in the Rotunda at 200 West Washington Street! If you are interested in attending and would like to contact me for more info you can reach me here: campak14@yahoo.com

Public Education Advocates voice their concerns inside the Indiana State Capitol last February, 20130

Why Are Public Schools Cash Strapped?

Why are many Indiana school corporations operating on their 2006 budget numbers?? Here's why:

Those of us who are familiar with the transformative power of fine arts experience understand there is a crisis in education today. Funding and viability of school fine arts programs go hand in hand. There is such a thing as quality and then there are qualities of quality. 

A cash strapped public school corporation who cuts their professional art teachers and re-institutes a program with a non-certified, non-credentialed adult who administrates the fine arts program is not a substitute for professional with bonafide experience as fine arts educator.

  "John F. Kennedy said: *A child miseducated is a child lost.
*Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.
*For in the final analysis, our most basic common link, is that we all inhabit this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children’s futures, and we are all mortal."

Should 1.3 Million Indiana Voters Be Concerned?

If Superintendent Ritz is concerned about her office, should the voters who elected her be concerned too?

Want To Talk About Advocacy? I'll Be Here....

.....at the AEAI State Conference, October 18-20, at the Marriott East in Indianapolis.