California Alliance for Arts Education E-mail blast
Update: It's been a long, uphill battle to stop passage of AB 2446 (Furutani), a bill that would undermine access to arts education. Most recently, in an attempt to move the bill through the Senate Appropriations Committee, its author has removed all its cost-incurring amendments and placed them into a new, separate bill, AB 35!
Despite concerns raised by senators and advocates about this maneuver, both AB 2446 and AB 35 will be heard in committee by August 13th. If passed in committee, the bills would move to the Senate floor for a vote. We need your help to send the message to your senator that these two bills must be defeated. Send a letter today, urging your senator to stand up for arts education and vote NO on AB 2446 and AB 35.
Why we oppose AB 2446 and AB 35: The language of these bills would force students to choose between the Arts and Career Technical Education (CTE) and Foreign Language. We support CTE, but not at the expense of the Visual and Performing Arts. As San Dimas music teacher Bill Martinez said, "Could anyone imagine telling a high school student that they could fulfill a graduation requirement by taking either Algebra or Biology?" A well-rounded education, which includes the arts, should not be an either / or proposition.
Without a course in the visual and performing arts, students would be ineligible to attend UC and CSU schools.
In addition, arts education classes help keep at-risk students in school, increase academic performance and develop what President Obama has described as "21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking, entrepreneurship and creativity."
What you can do: We urge you to write to your senator to communicate your opposition to AB 2446 and AB 35. Click here to send a letter now!
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