Will the Arts Be “Left Behind” in 2009?

Tuesday, October 14, 1:45 pm – 4:45 pm
Center for Puppetry Arts
1404 Spring Street NW

Organized by John Abodeely, manager, arts education, Americans for the Arts. Presented by John Abodeely; Marete Wester, director of arts policy, Americans for the Arts; and Laura Reeder, founder and executive director, Partners for Arts Education.

The No Child Left Behind Act has had major impact on schools’ ability to deliver arts education: there is ample evidence that instructional time for the arts and other subject areas is being reduced because of other federal testing mandates for reading and mathematics. Yet, the private sector has invested millions of dollars in efforts to improve the quality and amount of arts education that is taking place in public schools today, believing the arts to be a vital part of education. Though many policy changes are wrought in the public sector, past experience evidences the powerful role that private sector can play in the ultimate outcome. This session with experts in arts education funding, policy and practice, will address NCLB’s impact on the arts in schools, including the ways in which NCLB, state and local policy affect arts education provision to students and in schools. Participants will engage with the experts and each other in discussing how legislative mandates are affecting—both positively and negatively—the work of their grantees, as well as their own education funding practices. The session will include an interactive discussion on what is needed to improve the environment for the arts in public education in the future.

Suggested Links:

Arts Education and No Child Left Behind
Legislative Recommendations from the Arts Education Working Group
Unified statement on arts education and NCLB, Arts Education: Creating Student Success in School, Work, and Life