Increasing support for the arts in Los Angeles County
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The Los Angeles Unified School District is proposing to eliminate its elementary arts program. Arts are core curriculum in California, and the purpose of public education is to provide students with the tools necessary to thrive in a 21st-century knowledge-based economy.
Arts for LA and our network of arts education advocates are proposing a plan to maintain elementary arts education until further revenue can be secured. This plan utilizes existing revenue sources to maintain basic infrastructure (i.e., teachers and baseline programming) until additional revenue from a Parcel Tax or state-level initiative is received.
Please send the letter below to the Board member who represents you. Enter your address in THIS LINK to find your district: . Format: LOS ANGELES USD-BD EDUCATION [Board District Number]
Your letter will also be sent to Superintendent John Deasy. The salutations ("Dear Dr. Deasy," etc.) will be added when you press 'Send.'
Click on THIS LINK to access the letter:
Here is the text:
As a community member in your district, I am writing to encourage you to adopt the following framework to retain the basic infrastructure of the Elementary Arts Program. Adopting this framework will save jobs, maintain services and attract investment by the philanthropic sector.
July – June 2013: Use State Arts and Music Block Grants
Designate existing state funding to retain itinerant elementary arts teachers as bridge funding starting immediately and continuing until local parcel tax and state ballot revenues are received by the District.
March - June 2012: Clarify Allocation of Revenue from November Parcel Tax
Include elementary arts education in title and summary of the ballot initiative language.
March - June 2012: Clarify Allocation of Revenue from State Ballot Initiatives
Pledge to utilize revenue generated from the state ballot initiative to restore the district’s itinerant elementary arts teachers.
March 2012: Clarify Title 1 Usage for Arts Education
Clarify policy that allows use of Title I funds for arts education strategies to bridge achievement gap.
The full text of the plan can be found here (and following): www.artsforla.org/plan-maintain-elementary-arts-education-lausd-2012-2013
I appreciate the difficult choices the District needs to make. However, eliminating essential programs that are directly tied to enrollment, student achievement and dropout prevention only hinder the District’s ability to provide an equitable, high-quality education for all
Plan to Maintain Elementary Arts Education in LAUSD, 2012-2013
Arts for LA appreciates the economic challenges facing the Los Angeles Unified School District.
In the spirit of partnership and solutions-based advocacy, we have developed a framework to retain the basic infrastructure of the Elementary Arts Program.
Adopting this framework will save jobs, maintain services and attract investment by the philanthropic sector. Although the plan is simple, it does require the District to align its budgetary decisions with its A-G policy objectives.
We support the proposed Parcel Tax on the November ballot, as well as a state-level ballot initiative that will increase revenue for schools throughout California. However, until that revenue is received in 2013, steps must be taken to maintain basic arts education infrastructure in LAUSD, the second largest school district in the nation.
Arts for LA recommends the LAUSD School Board adopt the following framework:
July 2012 – June 2013: Use State Arts and Music Block Grants*
Designate existing state funding to retain itinerant elementary arts teachers as bridge funding, starting immediately and continuing until local parcel tax and state ballot revenues are received by the District. This will avoid layoffs and the dismantling of the program.
March - June 2012: Clarify Allocation of Revenue from November Parcel Tax**
Include elementary arts education in title and summary of the ballot initiative language. Pledge to restore 50% of elementary arts teacher positions using revenue generated from the parcel tax
March - June 2012: Clarify Allocation of Revenue from State Ballot Initiatives
Ensure elementary arts education is funded by pledging to utilize revenue generated from the November 2012 state ballot initiative; use to restore the remaining 50% of the district’s itinerant elementary arts teachers.
March 2012: Clarify Title 1 Usage for Arts Education
Clarify policy that allows use of Title I funds for arts education strategies to bridge achievement gap. Arts education should be employed to advance language acquisition, increase parental involvement, strengthen language arts & math apprehension and increase test scores. This can provide additional ‘bridge funding’ to retain arts education programs until additional revenue is secured.
In addition, Arts for LA recommends that LAUSD pass a resolution adding arts a core subject. This action would build district wide accountability and align with the District’s A-G policy as well as create accountability within access, equity and quality instruction as well as funding opportunities.
Arts for LA appreciates the difficult choices the District needs to make. However, eliminating essential programs that are directly tied to enrollment, student achievement and dropout prevention only hinder the District’s ability to provide an equitable, high-quality education for all.
*All California school districts receive money allocated for arts education through the Arts and Music Block Grant.
**The LAUSD School Board plans to place a local measure on the November 2012 ballot that would bring additional revenue to public education.
Download a PDF with information about use of Title I funding for arts education.
Photo Credit: Hans Gutknecht
To join the growing list of endorsers of this plan, please email advocate@artsforla.org.
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