It's hard to believe it was just four years ago that I was working in the basement of Grand Performances, plugging in the phone lines, building our first website and membership campaign.

Tis the season. Budget season. With all the advocacy campaigns we have launched in recent weeks, I think it's safe to assume that anyone reading this blog has probably taken action on one of our recent campaigns, whether it be for your school district, municipality, or the County.

I have to admit, when we embarked on this process last fall it was hard to imagine that just a few months later, five teams in five school districts would be leading their own advocacy campaigns, and that so many individuals would be taking on leadership and figuring out how they can sustain their arts ed programs and their advocacy efforts into the future.

Close your eyes and envision a quality arts education experience. What do you see? 

This is the question posed last week by Steve Seidel from Harvard's Project Zero to the 270 attendees who attended the Arts Education Roundtable at Central High School #9 and hosted by Arts for All. 

Last month I attended a plan-of-action meeting addressing the proposed devastating cuts to elementary art and music programs for LAUSD's 2010-11 arts education branch budget. The proposed cuts will eliminate 50% of elementary arts teacher positions, equaling roughly 173 of 345 teachers.  If enacted, these cuts will decimate arts education in LAUSD.

It's Happening: Community Advocacy Teams

Hello Arts Advocates,

It's happening.  We are organizing community advocacy teams in school districts, and people are excited about it.