WHAT IS IT and WHAT CAN YOU DO? 

​Senate Bill 5878

It is The Arts Education Equity Initiative, formerly I-1681, brought to the Washington Legislature as a bill! Get on the horn to your senators and tell them how important this bill is and how important it is to you, their constituents, that they vote yes on the entire bill, as introduced. Call today...email too...then maybe call again, just to make sure.

Leave comments on the bill's page. Let's work together to make sure this bill makes it through committee and passes, overwhelmingly!! If this bill is new to you, take a second and have a read--This bill easily represents the biggest advance for Arts Education this state has ever seen. It requires real equity of Art instruction for ALL Washington students, no matter where they live or what their socio-economic status is. In a time when Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is so desperately needed, this bill brings it to them in its most effective and most authentic way--through The Visual and Performing Arts!! Be a part of making good on the promise of real comprehensive, sequential Arts instuction for our kids!

   

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Above is a quick list of points to drive home. The "unfunded mandate" cry is already starting from administrators and probably presents the biggest danger to this bill's passage. Really pound the fact that this is NOT another unfunded mandate--This is core and basic education and as such, is the stuff which taxpayer funds are supposed to go to FIRST! It has always been funded--our administrators have simply mismanaged taxpayer funds and intentionally marginalized the Arts. There is no hierarchy of "core-ness" among the core subjects. Arts are not extra ---they get funded along with the other core subjects.

We've got this, WAEA Family! Let's work together to get this important legislation over the finish line!

In Summary, if Senate Bill 5878 is approved: 

• The state will require that all public school students get "regular instruction" in a visual or performing art, at least one class THROUGHOUT their K-8 education and the classes must be offered all school year. 

 

• Students in 9th - 12th grade must be offered a visual or performing arts class each year. The class must be offered during the regular school day, and cannot be waived except for special education requirements.

 

• Schools can use existing teachers or hire new ones for the explicit purpose of teaching the visual or performing arts. 

​WHAT IS THE PROCESS? 
Write and call your Representatives to let them know you want them to loudly support SB 5878

Need help finding your representative? Follow this LINK and enter your address to find your legislative or congressional district.