It Is Up To Us!

Presently, support for education in Arizona is quite frightening, particularly for areas like Art and Visual Culture Education. We MUST advocate for change in this state and across the country! On May 18th, 2010, please go to your polling place and vote FOR the 1 cent sales tax increase to save Arizona schools. Without this sales tax increase our schools will not function at the level needed to help our children and youth succeed! A penny a piece will save Arizona schools from massive budget cuts. I urge you to voice yourselves and vote!

On the same note, my awesome cooperating teacher from student teaching is advocating for the arts in her school district due to a major scare, not only in the state, but in her district, which will gradually eliminate specialists, thus eliminating enrichment opportunities for the children and youth of southern Arizona!

"This past November there was an override election for our school district. Since 1993 the continuation of the override has always passed. However, this year it did not. What this means is that over the next 3 years 90 "specialist" teachers (art, music, pe) will be phased out. This is in conjunction with the awful state budget means that the continuation of those classes is very fragile." -Lainie Kitzmiller

Thus, the Visual Arts teachers in her district have formed an "Art Alliance," to advocate for the arts in schools in every way possible, expressing the importance of art to a child's development through critical and creative thinking opportunities not offered or present in core subject areas. Please do your part and advocate for the young people of our state! Spread the word to your friends, families, and colleagues urging them, too, to make their voices be heard and VOTE!