Los Angeles, Nov. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A coalition of educators, entrepreneurs, and art and music leaders, led by Austin Beutner who has served as Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District and CalArts Board Chair filed a proposed statewide ballot measure to increase funding for arts and music education in K-12 public schools statewide without increasing taxes. The measure provides for a new funding stream dedicated to arts and music education equivalent to 1% to the state’s existing K-12 annual investment – generating roughly $800 million more in funding. This measure would provide additional funding for schools beyond Prop. 98 and is specifically designed to protect existing public education funding, including Prop. 98 dollars.
Click here to read the proposed ballot measure on the Office of the California Attorney General’s website.
California spending on arts and music education has lagged significantly behind other states; and, 96% of middle schools and 72% of high schools in California are failing to provide high-quality instruction in arts and music. Access to arts education is less at high-poverty schools. The cause of the lack of arts education offerings in California, despite the state serving as the arts and entertainment capital of world, is directly linked to inadequate and unstable funding of such programs.
To fix that, this coalition of educators, entrepreneurs, artists and musicians, under the leadership of Austin Beutner, are seeking to make arts education a priority for the State of California. This proposed measure, intended for the November 2022 general election, would:
- Provide the equivalent of 1% of Prop 98 funding which would be dedicated each year to arts education programs – roughly $800 million a year in new funding that can’t be touched by politicians.
- Protect existing Prop 98 funding – the proposed new funding for arts and music education would be in addition to existing Prop 98 funding.
- Provide increased funding to all public schools K-12 statewide, with an additional allocation for schools that serve low-income students to address the lack of equitable access to arts and music education.
- Include strong accountability and transparency measures, including requiring school districts submit annual, public reports to verify the funds are spent as intended.
- This new funding will increase the number of arts and music educators in the classroom by more than 50%.
“This effort will make sure every child in California has a chance to participate in music and the arts, creating the foundation to help them succeed in school and in life,” said Austin Beutner, Proponent of Ballot Initiative. “As a shy student entering my fourth new school in February of 5th grade, I didn’t know anyone and was without friends. A teacher suggested I join his music class at lunch and learn to play the cello which kicked off a lifelong passion for music. This is a passion project for me and in a time of record state budgets, we must make the kids in our public schools a priority.”
Studies on educational achievement show that arts education improves student learning, social emotional development, and overall mental wellness. Music education has been shown to improve cognitive development and spatial reasoning, while the dramatic arts improve reading comprehension. Experiencing arts and music contributes to ongoing school readiness and educational outcomes, with studies finding strong correlations to both math and reading skills. Arts education is also linked to developing students who are more engaged and resilient, building skills that support them in and outside of the classroom for lifelong healthy success. Students from low-income backgrounds with an arts education are less likely to drop out of school, more likely to receive a research degree, and more inclined to pursue a professional career.
A recent Tulchin Research poll of likely November 2022 voters finds strong support for the ballot measure:
- 76% of voters saying they support increasing funding for arts and music education;
- 81% of voters support increasing arts and music education funding without raising taxes.”
The ballot initiative has received endorsements from some of the top artists and educators in California:
“I’m all in on giving kids more access to music and arts education because creativity saved my life. I want to do that for every kid in California,” said Dr. Dre. “Our recent school program in South LA is just the start. We have the opportunity to do something that is truly transformative that hasn’t been done before. That’s’ the goal in this effort.”
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"Thanks to Arts and Music education classes, students can learn crafts and computer skills that turn into careers in fields like animation, graphic design, video gaming, video production, and audio engineering. Arts and Music education also teach collaboration and creative thinking that are essential in life and virtually every job," said will.i.am, Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, and tech entrepreneur. "California schools must do more to put contemporary arts programs into classrooms, which is why I support this effort to increase funding for arts and music in schools."
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“This ballot measure will help define the promise of the next generation of storytellers by ensuring all California students get the high-quality arts and music education they deserve,” said Issa Rae, actress, writer and producer. “It will especially benefit students from communities of color, who often experience a lack of access and equity in access to arts and music education. I have directly benefited from arts education.”
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"California is an enormous part of the world’s creative economy – in arts, music, entertainment and entrepreneurship,” said Jimmy Iovine. “This effort will help prepare every student in California public schools to be a part of this future. This is a pure win for everyone."
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“Fender’s home is California and our commitment to music has endured for 75 years,” said Andy Mooney, CEO Fender Musical Instruments Corp. “This initiative expands on the commitment Fender has made to music teachers and students in Los Angeles Unified schools through the Fender Play Foundation.”
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“Kids love art and music! The school day is that much better and more engaging when kids have the chance to be creative and social through the arts. It also increases kids’ confidence and so much more,” said Richard Lovett, Co-Chairman, CAA. “I am so proud to support the initiative and look forward to the positive impact it will have.”
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“Equity and access area among the biggest challenges we face in public education in California,” said Pedro Noguera, Dean of the Rossier School of Education at USC. “For too long, students from low-income communities, in particular children of color, have lacked access to education in music and the arts. This initiative is an important step in addressing the issue.”
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“Given the importance of creative industries to California, it is inexcusable that we are denying over 6 million public school students education in music and arts,” said Chris Meledandri, Founder and CEO of ILLUMINATION.
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“Arts education is essential to our human future,” said Michael Govan, CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director, Los Angeles County Muesum of Art. “It not only inspires and motivates students to enjoy learning, but it also supports the development of motor, language and social skills. And yet, despite the impressive benefits of arts education, not every student has access to these quality learning experiences. As one of the largest museum in-school arts programs in the country, we hear firsthand from schools asking for more support. We all understand students' lives are changed for the better by the arts in schools. Creativity is key to our human future. The arts aren't optional in education.”
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"Access to arts education validates the unique, individual lens through which young people see the world, giving them the agency to cultivate their engagement in their communities and our democracy," said Ravi Rajan, President, California Institute of the Arts.
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“The goal of our work at California Community Foundation is to make sure every child, in particular those from underserved communities, are provided with a safe and supportive learning environment and a great education,” said Antonia Hernández, President and CEO, California Community Foundation. “This effort to provide more students with access to arts and music education will go a long way towards making that possible. We hope others will join us in helping turn this dream into a reality.”
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“School is the place we nurture young minds. I never forget my humble beginnings playing trumpet in middle school with my music teacher Mr. Simon. He had so many instruments and we were so many students. It seemed like the resources were there, all we had to do was show up and take advantage of them,” said Eloy Adame, Secondary Instrumental Music Teacher at Elizabeth Learning Center. “I am a Los Angeles native and product of the Los Angeles Unified school system, as a professional trumpet player, I have toured around the United States and abroad. Now, in present time, I find myself teaching in the community that I love and grew up in. I see, along with my colleagues, first had the meager resources allocated to arts education in our public school system. This is why I want to get involved in a ballot initiative that would allow teachers like myself guide more students and help them find their creative potential in all the arts.”
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“As an art teacher, I see firsthand how students build confidence, strong friendships and take ownership of their schools as they learn to express themselves through art,” said teacher Jesus Sotelo Martinez. “When we speak of personal empowerment, nothing comes close to the power of art. We can do so much more for students if we have additional resources, and this effort will also allow us to reach many more children.”
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