To emphasize President Drescher, the arts are our future! That’s why I’m asking you to Vote YES on California Proposition 28 on the November 8 ballot. If passed, Proposition 28 will funnel nearly $1 billion annually in new funding to arts and music education in our PreK-12 public schools. All without raising taxes!
A well-rounded education might start with language and math, science and history. But it is not complete without the arts, and on that score too many California schoolchildren are getting shortchanged.
When the state budgets get tight, arts and music programs are often the first to go. As a result, barely 1 in 5 California elementary schools have a full-time arts and music program.
Children deserve an opportunity to discover and develop their creative talents. Plus, research shows that students in arts classes tend to do better in other subjects and are less likely to miss school. Arts education also correlates to better mental and physical well-being.
As a child who moved frequently, I was often in the position of being ostracized by students at a new school. Classes in the arts saved my sanity. I believe a well rounded education is not complete without music and the arts: they stimulate the imagination and open a world of possibilities.
Right now, we have the chance to make the biggest change in arts education right here in the home of the world’s creative economy.
Here’s what we are asking of you: Do your part to advance art and music education in California public schools by pledging to #VoteYesOn28.
Help spread the word. Check out our social media toolkit at sagaftra.org/yeson28.
Share YOUR story on social media. Tell us how arts and music enriched your childhood and include the hashtag #VoteYesOn28.
VOTE YES on PROP 28 and let’s make the future of California’s kids BRIGHT!
Sincerely,
Kathryn Howell
San Francisco-Northern California Local President