“The Arts and Music in Schools – Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act” ballot measure is our chance to make lasting change in California’s students’ lives. The proposed ballot measure will provide substantial ongoing funding to public schools’ arts programs without raising taxes. Luna encourages ALL California arts and education organizations to join Create CA in endorsing and advocating for this measure that would go on the ballot November 2022. Create CA shares the following:

Here are a few reasons why voters should care about prioritizing arts funding.

• Students from low-income communities do not have equitable access to arts education.
• The arts are a tool for students’ mental health and wellbeing, especially in this current rise of student mental health challenges. 
• Art classes are proven to aid in academic achievement in other subjects.  
• Arts education helps decrease dropout rates and increase students’ chances of college success. 
• Arts education helps students discover their voice and use it for their community. 
• Arts education teaches students to be creative problem-solvers in every subject and area. 
• Business leaders need creative workers, no matter the field. The arts are essential for developing the 21st-century workforce.

This proposed ballot measure would:

• Dedicate ongoing funding to arts education for all California PreK-12 public schools without raising taxes. 
• Increase art educators in schools by 50%. 
• Ensure every California public school student participates in the arts during the school day.
• Increase equitable access by providing additional funds to schools serving low-income communities. 
• The measure also includes robust accountability and transparency requirements to ensure the money gets spent effectively. 

What you can do right now is: 

• Sign up for Create CA’s newsletter by clicking here. They’ll keep you informed about the next steps in the ballot measure process. 
• Sign the petition by clicking here. You’ll receive a printed petition in the mail with a pre-paid envelope to sign and return.
• If you work for or volunteer at a non-profit, ask the board to officially endorse the measure, then share your endorsement on social media and newsletter. Using these images to show your support on social media!
• Sign up to collect signatures!
• Learn how to get involved with the Arts & Music in Schools Initiative by connecting with the campaign team on Monday, March 14th at 2pm. Register here! 

On September 4th, Governor Newsom signed AB2257 which modifies AB5 and creates several exemptions from the stricter requirements around independent contractors and employees. Read the full bill here. What does this mean for artists? Check out Californians for the Arts resource page.

Dance artists across the country are collaborating to reimagine a more equitable and ethical dance world. Be a part of the conversation! Join the Creating New Futures facebook group, check out their in-progress working document and watch their Real Talk forum reflecting on their process.

Sometimes we need help talking to school administrators and other leaders about the value of arts education. Create CA offers a few resources here, including a short video to share to help you advocate for what you do.

Advocating for dance can just take a minute – it doesn’t always have to be a big action, and it certainly doesn’t need to feel intimidating.

The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) has been filming 1 minute advocacy videos as mini pep talks for all of us. Take a peek here for some inspiration!

Check out Create CA’s School Leader Flyer and start a conversation with education leaders in your community and school. It’s a free step-by-step, data-driven guide to help you support the creation of a strategic arts plan.  Print it out and share it with your principal, school board members, and superintendent. 

March is Arts Education Month and from now until the end of March our friends at Create CA are sharing small weekly actions we can all take to support the movement for arts education. Here’s this week’s action:

Look up your data and see where your district or school stands!

The California Arts Education Data Project has been updated with new branding, tools, and data!  

The new data shows that California went from a 39% average participation rate to 40%. That means more students are taking at least one arts class. Which is great! But progress is still way too slow.

It is our belief that in order to expand access to arts education in our schools and communities we absolutely have to know where we stand. So please check out the Interactive Dashboard and learn about the growth and gaps in arts education equity across the state!