The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee began marking up a draft education reauthorization bill co-authored by HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-WY).
A bipartisan team of members of Congress have launched the Congressional STEAM Caucus. The STEAM Caucus, a popular acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math, which "aims to change the vocabulary of education to recognize the benefits of both the arts and sciences—and their intersections—to our country's future generations.
Reps. Suzanne Bonamici and Aaron Schock hold a briefing to launch the STEAM Caucus (science, technology, arts/design, and math) promoting a policy which seeks “to increase understanding of the importance of arts and design to STEM subjects, to spread the word about STEAM, and to prioritize STEAM education” in the House of Representatives.
Education leaders in Congress have begun another attempt to reauthorize the Elementary & Secondary Education Act, now years past its authorized timeframe. In the Senate, education committee chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and ranking member Lamar Alexander (R-TN) have both introduced separate pieces of legislation that pursue divergent solutions to approaching Title I funding for disadvantaged students, teacher evaluation, student assessment and
The Senate education committee passed S.1094, the “Strengthening America’s Schools Act” introduced by Chairman Tom Harkin, by a vote of 12-10. This bill includes a number of positive developments for arts education. Find more details here.
Last week, the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee approved education reform legislation introduced by Chairman John Kline (R-MN). Ranking Member George Miller (D-CA) had proposed a substitute amendment which included several new pro-arts provisions that failed along a party-line vote, but we expect Mr. Miller to continue pushing for these changes through future consideration on the House floor.
As a part of the College, Career, and Citizenship Readiness Coalition, Americans for the Arts has signed onto a letter to Senators Harkin (D-IA) and Alexander (R-TN) in support of the language in the Strengthening America’s Schools Act (S.1094), which supports a well-rounded education.
Even with arts education on the wane in many public schools, a new study by The Wallace Foundation suggests that digital technologies are changing the artistic landscape for many young students. "New Opportunities for Interest-Driven Arts Learning in a Digital Age" offers a new take on arts learning based on innovative efforts to bring kids, the technology they are constantly using, and the arts together. In the age of do-it-yourself and tell-your-own-story, this is a new approach - technology-based arts learning.
Brunswick Acres Elementary School in Kendall Park, NJ was very dedicated to winning the third annual "Art of Education" contest sponsored by KRIS Wine and Americans for the Arts.
As a Vans Custom Culture national charity partner, Americans for the Arts is proud to work closely with the brand to reinforce the importance of arts education in schools across the country.
Looking for those great nuggets from Yo-Yo Ma's invigorating speech? The speech as written is now available for download.
As a Vans Custom Culture national charity partner, Americans for the Arts is proud to work closely with the brand to reinforce the importance of arts education in schools across the country.
Americans for the Arts is saddened by recent news that Beverley Taylor Sorenson, advocate for arts and education, passed away peacefully at age 89, surrounded by loved ones at her family home. Sorenson devoted much of her time and energy to restoring arts education to elementary schools throughout the state of Utah, especially through the work of the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, which she founded with her late husband, James LeVoy Sorenson.
Americans for the Arts has joined the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) leadership team revising the national voluntary learning standards for dance, music, theatre, visual arts and media arts for grades preK-12. The new standards will be released in March, 2014.
