Arts Education Requires Active, Data-Driven Advocacy

Key Quotes

"We as parents as boosters as the adults in the room have a tendency to sit around waiting we wait for the district to suddenly fund us we wait for the school board to suddenly get it we wait for the community to magically partner with us and we wait for some mysterious they to show up and fill in the gaps but here's the reality and nobody else is saying it so I'm going to no one is coming if we are not visible no one is coming if we don't ask no one is coming if we don't share don't tell the story don't show the impact of what it is we're doing"

Mike, the host, argues that parents and boosters often adopt a passive stance, waiting for external entities like the district or community to provide support for arts programs. He emphasizes that this inaction leads to invisibility and a lack of necessary resources, stating that "no one is coming" unless proactive steps are taken to advocate and share the program's impact.

"people know that the arts touch them it's around us all the time in our cars on our tvs on our tablets on our phones on our computers on our desktops it's everywhere but they do not know how deep it actually goes they don't know that arts education is strongly linked to better academic and social outcomes and when we're talking about that we're talking about improved writing scores higher compassion and empathy more engagement with school"

Mike explains that while people are generally aware of the arts' presence in daily life, they often lack understanding of the profound impact arts education has on students. He highlights that arts participation is directly correlated with improved academic performance, enhanced social-emotional skills like empathy, and increased school engagement, suggesting this deeper understanding is often overlooked.

"we're walking around with live civil rights and equity issues in our schools and because we keep the conversation at arts are nice no one feels the moral urgency to move that's the disconnect"

Mike points out that the perception of arts as merely "nice" or decorative prevents a recognition of the significant equity and civil rights issues embedded within arts education access. He argues that this framing fails to create a sense of urgency needed to address disparities, particularly for underserved student populations.

"so when a school tries to tell you the idea that arts are this indulgent extra that we squeeze in if there's left over money that's not just insulting that is economically ignorant we are literally training the future workers of an industry that already outperforms huge chunks of the economy"

Mike refutes the notion that arts programs are an unnecessary expense or an "extra" that can be cut when budgets are tight. He asserts that this perspective is economically shortsighted, as arts education cultivates skills for a significant and economically powerful industry, contributing trillions of dollars to the economy.

"we are not consumers of a product that the school delivers we are co builders collaborators of the ecosystem our kids are growing up in and right now too many of us again i include myself in this are stuck in wait mode"

Mike proposes a fundamental reframe for parents and boosters, shifting their role from passive consumers to active "co-builders" of the educational ecosystem. He criticizes the prevalent "wait mode" mentality, where individuals feel powerless and expect others to solve problems, rather than taking ownership and collaborative action.

"advocating for your kids' program is not about storming the board meeting with a pitchfork it's about telling the truth calmly with evidence and refusing to disappear you can say things like i'm not here to attack anyone i'm here because i've seen what this program does for my kid and i want every kid to have that opportunity"

Mike advises that effective advocacy for arts programs involves calm, evidence-based communication rather than confrontational tactics. He suggests framing advocacy around the positive impact on students and the desire for equitable access, emphasizing that persistence and clear articulation of value are key to making a difference.