May 2005 Newsletter

SMARTS: BRING BACK THE ARTS

CALIFORNIA STATE PTA ONLINE NEWSLETTER

May 2005

SMARTS is California State PTA’s program to encourage arts education. The California State PTA wants to create advocates for quality arts education at every school in California. We hope you will spread the word about the benefits of arts education. Please e-mail this newsletter to PTA district, council and unit members.

In this issue:

1) Advocacy for the Arts

Ask the Governor and Your Legislator to Support Arts Funding
Making the Case: New PowerPoint Presentations from CAAE

2) Interactive Websites for Parents, Teachers, and Students

Sharing Perspectives at the National Museum of the American Indian
Explore the Tools that Artists Use
The Mississippi River of Song
View the 2005 Student Video Discovery Awards

3) Announcements

Parent Involvement in Promoting Arts Education
The Melody Program of the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation
National Association for Gifted Children
Surdna Foundation Arts Teachers Fellowship Program

1) Advocacy for the Arts

Ask the Governor and Your Legislator to Support Arts Funding
The Senate Subcommittee on Education, chaired by State Senator Jack Scott (D-Pasadena), restored $6 million for Arts Education funding in K-12 schools. However, these funds were not restored in the Assembly. A decision on funding the arts will go to a conference committee and then, if restored, to the Governor.

PLEASE HELP!

Letters are needed from PTA members throughout California urging funding for the arts.

Find your legislator:
Click on the link below and enter your zip code to find your legislator:

http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset9text.htm

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
http://www.govmail.ca.gov

Background
Until last year, the Arts Work Grant Program was the only source of state funding for arts education. Currently, there is no state funding for arts education.

Funded under Proposition 98, this program received $6 million in 2003-04.

Funding for the Arts Work Visual and Performing Arts Education Grant Program was reinstated by the Legislature in the 2004-05 budget but was eliminated at the final budget signing.

Sample Letter:

Letters on organizational letterhead are usually given more weight than letters from individuals.

The Honorable___________
State Capitol Building.
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: Arts Education Funding Budget Item 6110-177-0001

Dear ___________________

I write to urge you to support restoration of the California Department of Education's Arts Work Visual and Performing Arts Education Grant Program funds (Line Item 6110-177-0001). The Arts Work Program awards grants to local school districts to develop instructional arts programs for students in grades K- 12.

Arts education is a priority issue for the California State PTA. Extensive research during the past decade now confirms the arts improve academic and personal success. I urge you to support funding for the Arts Work Program.

Sincerely,
Your Name
PTA member (NAME OF PTA UNIT, COUNCIL OR DISTRICT)

Making the Case: New PowerPoint Presentations from CAAE
The California Alliance for Arts Education has developed two PowerPoint presentations, "Arts Education: Are We There Yet?" and "What's the Big Deal About Arts Education?"

2) Interactive Websites for Parents, Teachers, and Students

Sharing Perspectives at the National Museum of the American Indian
Take a Virtual Field Trip to the new Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
http://ali.apple.com/indian/

Explore the Tools that Artists Use Visit the Artists Toolkit.
Explore the visual elements and principles of line, color and shape as tools to build works of art. From the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
http://www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/

The Mississippi River of Song
Visit the Smithsonian series on contemporary music along the Mississippi River.
http://www.pbs.org/riverofsong/

View the 2005 Student Video Discovery Awards
Watch the inaugural Student Video Discovery Awards competition.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/vrc/

3) Announcements

Parent Involvement in Promoting Arts Education
PTA's "Our Children" magazine discusses how parents can play a vital role in the survival of arts education in schools.
http://www.pta.org/parentinvolvement/familyfun/promoteart.asp

The Melody Program of the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation
The Melody program provides musical instruments and instrument repairs to existing K-12 school music programs that have no other source of financing to purchase additional musical instruments and materials.
http://www.mhopus.org/apply.htm

National Association for Gifted Children
NAGC-Nicholas Green Distinguished Student Award Program for students distinguished in academic achievement, leadership, or the visual or performing arts.
http://www.nagc.org/Awards/green/greenawd.html#intro

Surdna Foundation Arts Teachers Fellowship Program
The Surdna Foundation Arts Teachers Fellowship Program supports the artistic revitalization of outstanding arts teachers in specialized, public arts high schools.
http://www.surdna.org/programs/artsteachersfellowships.html

To Subscribe:
If you wish to be added to the subscriber list to this newsletter, send an e-mail to SMARTSenews@capta.org. Enter the word "Subscribe" into the subject area or the body of the email and you will automatically be added.

To Unsubscribe:
If you would like to terminate your subscription to the SMARTS newsletter, send an e-mail to SMARTSenews@capta.org and in the subject area type "Remove" or "Unsubscribe" and your name will be removed.

For help or to send comments, suggestions, and inquiries send an e-mail to info@capta.org.

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