1. The Role of the Individual in Advocacy
IN THIS LESSON
The role of the individual in advocacy: See yourself as an advocate
Advocacy is always personal. This session will explore the individual’s role in making the case for arts education. How we translate our personal beliefs and biases into tactics for advocacy is an essential skill for all practitioners. This session will address the following questions:
Why are the arts essential to a complete education?
What is the role of advocacy in advancing arts education?
What is my role?
How do I engage in advocacy?
Contents of this session adapted from Case-making and Systems Change in Arts and Cultural Education, a collaboration between Creative Generation and Laurie Schell at ElevateArtsEd.
Understanding the “Why” of Arts Education
Role of the Individual in Advocacy
Tips for Getting Started
Advocacy is “any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others.”
— Alliance for Justice
Guiding questions…
Learn more here…
Advocacy for arts education:
A brief history
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IMPACT: Focus on math and science
in education
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IMPACT: Less funding for education
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IMPACT: FOundation leaders supported the arts as part of the basic education among other curricular subjects
INSPIRED ACTION: Beginnings of advocacy for policy reform
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IMPACT: Limits property taxes for education, including funding for arts education
INSPIRED ACTION: Beginnings of coalition building both at the state and national levels
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IMPACT: Report details the “rising tide of mediocrity” in American public schools
INSPIRED ACTION: Rise of the standards movement, including 1994 National Core Arts Standards
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IMPACT: Report examined the roles that leaders in the governance, education, arts, and business sectors could play in making the arts once again “basic” to education for all students
INSPIRED ACTION: Beginnings of national leadership organizations focus on advancing arts education
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IMPACT: National education strategy; not a federal program. Omits the arts as a core subject
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IMPACT: National education reform initiative codified the arts as a core subject for the first time
INSPIRED ACTION: Beginnings of rigorous research agenda laying the groundwork for new opportunities in the arts and student achievement, careers, “at risk” populations, diversity of cultural traditions, profession
l development for teachers. AEP established in 1995
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IMPACT: High stakes testing narrows curriculum and access to arts education
INSPIRED ACTION: Beginning efforts to track student data regarding access and participation in the arts; research connecting arts to student learning; evolution of STEM to STEAM
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IMPACT: Limit access and funding for arts education
INSPIRED ACTION: Strengthen national/state policies, public will campaigns, philanthropic investments
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IMPACT: Emphasis on local control; music and arts included as central to a well-rounded education
INSPIRED ACTION: New federal funding streams, including Title IV-A, public will campaigns, growth in data tracking for access, new research connecting the arts and brain development, establish local advocacy coalitions
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IMPACT: Learning loss, remote learning, mental health concerns
INSPIRED ACTION: Connect social-emotional health to the arts, advances in teaching technology, new federal funding streams
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IMPACT: State and local challenges to curriculum, diversity, equity and social justice efforts
INSPIRED ACTION: Redoubled efforts in local coalition building, data collection, research, messaging, connecting the arts to well
-being and social justice