Austin Buetner, former Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified Schools, is leading efforts to gather voter signatures for art and music program funding in California. The Art And Music In Schools ballot measure would funnel nearly double the amount of resources into K-12 public school arts programs if passed in November. Despite California Education Code which mandates that art, music, theater and dance be offered to students, only one in five California public schools has a full time art or music teacher.
Funds would support music, visual arts, theater, screenwriting and animation classes starting in the 2023-24 school year. Monies would be taken from the general fund, therefore no tax increase would be required of citizens. Supporters of the Art And Music In Schools ballot initiative need 662,000 valid voter signatures to qualify for the November ballot, and assistance is being solicited by arts educators across the state. Entertainers and entrepreneurs have also endorsed the efforts thus far.
In California, professional music education organizations have addressed common concerns around the equity and access of music education for all students. As a result, the coalition known as Stand Up 4 Music was born. Participants advocate for music as a vital part of a comprehensive education and provide a collective voice for the many who believe that music education is a vital part of a student's education. I encourage readers to find out more about how the arts are supported in your state. In this new year, let's seek to be creative and use our self expression to display our own uniqueness. The arts matter!
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