Advocacy for the Arts

Advancing Art Education

5 Points for Advancing Art Education

Positive changes in art education require not merely advocacy, but leadership. Leadership inside classrooms, schools, and within the larger context of art education can forward the status of the field. Advancing the field requires an ongoing process of learning and renewal for the art educator.

Every conversation counts: Whether your art program is robust or sparse, YOU are the sole representative of the entire field of art education. Always represent the depth, quality, and rigor of what you do every day. Ambassadorship is a full time job!
Stay aware of the values of every audience: Communicate the importance of art education to in a way that appeals to the values of others.
Develop parent and business community partners: Visibility and professional connections within the community can sustain your programming, lead to additional funding, and support local businesses. Parent involvement, properly organized, can also help elevate your status in the community.
Remember your context: Leadership and advocacy should be sensitive to contextual factors. Challenging context norms without a track record of collaboration and success can be perceived as insensitive and out of touch.
Be an exemplary teacher: Although the visual arts content is unique, good teaching and learning is easily recognized in any content area. There are many perceptions about art education classrooms, all of which you can challenge by demonstrating student learning, sharing well-articulated lesson plans, and structuring an enriching learning experience for students everyday. Involvement in your professional organization and pursuing advanced studies in the field of art education can afford you additional support.

Resources

Advocacy Resources:

Ready To Innovate

Facts and Figures – Americans for the Arts

Freedman Leadership and Advocacy

Holly, Freedman, Rex Advocacy and Leadership Visual Art

NAEA ART EDUCATION FLYER

NAEA Advocacy White Papers 1

NAEA Advocacy White Papers 2

NAEA Advocacy White Papers 3

Additional Advocacy Resources:
Americans for the Arts

Arts in Every Classroom/A Video Library for K-5 Teachers and Arts Specialists

California Alliance for Arts Education: Arts Learning in Action Toolkit

ArtSmarts Among Innovators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

Even More Resources!

Illinois Art Education Map

This map includes a composite of data about art education in Illinois, by county. County and poverty information was generated from the Center for Education Statistics. Art Educator information came from the Illinois State Board of Education’s Teacher Service record.

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Research Update

Advocacy Task Force

Back in November of 2012, the IAEA Board approved the Advocacy Task Force. IAEA members answered the call to participate in the Advocacy Task Force was born. Fast forward to 2018 members have connected with over a dozen art and education organizations in Illinois to build an advocacy network. The group’s purpose is to assure all students of Illinois have access to an art education and that it is part of the whole Illinois student.

Currently, we are working on the following:
Advocacy Day 2020
11th One State Together in the Arts Conference 2021!
ESSA-The Illinois Arts Indicator Workgroup presented its recommendation to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) that the Fine Arts account for 5% of School Quality scores. Currently, the Fine Arts are included in the Illinois ESSA plan but receive 0% weight in a school’s score.
Let ISBE know you support the 5% recommendation.
If this plan is approved by ISBE, Illinois will be the first state in the country to include K-12 Fine Arts measures in their ESSA plan.
ISBE is taking public comments through February 6th and we need YOUR voice to be heard.
New Arts and Communication College and Career Pathways Endorsement. This is a unique opportunity to help prepare students for college and career success in the creative sector.
Partnering with the Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators, & Illinois Association of School Business Officials to continue moving forward and assuring that the ART’s will be provided to Illinois students.

Working with our local lawmakers, representatives, and district school board members to help understand, equip, and empower them how the ARTS can help students be global citizens.

Strengthening our partnership with Arts Alliance Illinois, Illinois Music Education Association, Ingenuity, and other organizations that are moving forward the moral value of an ARTS education for all Illinois students.

Celebrating and investigating how ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) can positivity reinforce the ARTS. The Illinois State Board of Education has given us the charge to show how the Arts (Visual Arts, Music, Theatre, Dance, & Media Arts) education can and will be offered to all students in the state of Illinois. We will be doing this by gathering data and learning how to assure all Illinois students have access to the ARTS.

Also, if you are interested in being a part of the Advocacy Task Force, email Michael Skura – advocacy@ilaea.org

Meet the IAEA’s Advocacy Task Force
Contact the Advocacy Team Today!

IAEA Advocacy Advisor & Northwest Council Communications Coordinator – advocacy@ilaea.org
Michael Skura