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Like so much of our lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, arts education has been rudely interrupted.
School boards are meeting now to determine funding for next school year, and it’s going to be rough. Due to unforeseen pandemic expenditures, many districts will be in the unenviable spot of having to make budget cuts, and unfortunately, too many districts see music and the arts as low-hanging fruit when it comes to balancing their budget.
In this video from our friends at Arts Ed NJ, including Bob Morrison, founder of the Music for All Foundation, you can learn how to get involved NOW to ensure that music and arts education stays well-funded.
Fortunately, there is plenty of data to suggest that the arts are uniquely positioned to help students rebound after enduring the effects of the pandemic. The arts help students manage their mental health challenges, and provide built-in opportunities for social-emotional learning.
Here are three quick takeaways from the video:
- Attend every school board meeting. Make sure they know what you do.
- Pay special attention to the budget. Is it being based on the 2020-21 school year? If you’ll recall, it was NOTHING like a regular school year. Pandemic-related budget modifications should NOT become permanent.
- Learn more at artsednow2020.com or download the app. While it’s based in New Jersey, the ideas can be replicated anywhere!
With the promise of a vaccine and with a little extra attention from you to help ensure that your school board makes good choices, your students can look forward to getting back to music as usual next school year.
Looking for more? Download this School Budget Process Guide!
