"Glad to see Senate leaders recognizing the value simple investments in music and arts education can have on a child throughout their lifetime." — Conversations In Advocacy #22
On June 5 the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing to review the Department of Education's FY2019 budget request with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. While the hearing outlined a variety of priorities, Senate Appropriations Chairman Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) also highlighted the importance of including arts education in next year's budget.
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"There are some small targeted programs like Special Olympics and Arts in Education, that again, while the size maybe looks like they don't make a lot of impact, it would make a lot of impact if you eliminated them," Blunt said during the hearing. "I think our committee would want to think long and hard before we did that."
Blunt's support for arts education is well founded. According to Americans for the Arts, participation in an arts education facilitates long-term growth for students in academic, social and eventually professional life by fostering creative thinking, civic engagement and problem solving. In addition, students engaged in the arts are four times more likely to excel in other academic areas and are more likely to go on to earn a bachelor's degree.
Blunt's recognition of the value of arts education will hopefully translate into increased budget support. In the FY2018 budget, Congress allocated a $2 million increase to the Assistance For Arts Education program, taking the program from $27 million to $29 million. During the 2018 Arts Advocacy Day, the Recording Academy joined other arts advocates to ask Congress to fund the program for FY2019 at $30 million, which will ensure more students have a chance to gain valuable educational and academic benefit from music and the arts in schools.
Visit our Advocacy Action page to learn how you can make a difference in the fight to maintain crucial funding for the arts.
"Conversations in Advocacy" is your weekend digital tip sheet on music advocacy and the policies that affect music makers and their craft. New installments post every Friday.
