The state fiscal crisis continues to impact cities and school districts throughout our region.  While our individual goals may be to maintain our own organizations' solvency, our collective goal must be to retain the critical infrastructure that has been built over the past ten years, especially in arts education.

In response to the news of LAUSD's proposal to cut 50% of the elementary arts teachers in FY 2011 and the remaining 50% the following year, yesterday Arts for LA launched a major advocacy effort to maintain elementary arts teachers in LAUSD, the 2^nd largest school district in the country. 

Your active participation in this campaign is critical. Our initial goal is to generate 700 letters to the LAUSD School Board members in the next 30 days.  LAUSD has been the torchbearer for reinstating arts education in the country. Losing elementary arts teachers in addition to the arts community partners cut last year will effectively gut a program that has taken ten years to build. 

The other 80 Los Angeles County school districts, also facing huge deficits, will no doubt watch how LAUSD negotiates their financial affairs.  We must send a powerful message to the superintendent and school board that arts education is a critical component to every student's complete education and that cutting elementary arts teachers is not an option.

Will you join us? 

•   Send a letter to your school board member (CAMPAIGN NOW CLOSED)
• Forward the call to action out to your networks (Facebook, Twitter, email lists) and add it to your organization's monthly e-newsletter.
• Adopt a board resolution (see sample)     
• Join the LAUSD arts education advocacy team and get ready to be mobilized (get a log in).

Our strength lies in our numbers, in our ability to take collective action and our passion for the work we do to enrich the lives of everyone in Los Angeles County.

Onward!