CAE Testimony

• Remarks to the New York State Legislature on the Arts Education Compliance and Equity Act
  Provided to Joint Meeting of the Committees: Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation Assembly Committee on Tourism, Arts and Sports Development
  
  “As you may be aware, New York State has a comprehensive set of educational requirements for arts instruction—which have the effect and power of law—yet lack of compliance with these mandates is widespread…as a result, hundreds of thousands of children are being denied the benefits and opportunities derived from a quality arts education.”
   
• Remarks on the Reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
  Provided to the U.S. Department of Education
  
  “The reauthorization ESEA is the perfect opportunity…to send a loud and clear message to everyone that arts education: is not an expendable subject; is not best left for out of school time; and will not be denied for the children that need it the most.”
   

 2009 Testimony

• Consideration of Council Resolution Calling for Dedicated Arts Funding in City Public Schools
  Provided to a Joint Hearing of the New York City Council’s Committee on Education and the Committee of Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations
  
  “We are here today to share the results of a two year study we conducted that looked at the relationship between arts education and New York City graduation rates…and to express our support for the passage of Resolution # 837 calling on the New York City Department of Education to ensure a minimum amount of funding for arts education at schools across the city.”
   

• The Impact of Potential Budget Cuts to the Arts Industry
  Provided to the Joint Meeting of the Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks, and Recreation Assembly Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development.
  
  "I am here today to share our organization’s concerns with the Governor’s proposed budget and the impact it would have on arts and arts education in New York State. While we applaud the Governor for proactively addressing the state’s fiscal challenges, we urge the State Legislature to balance any cuts that might be necessary across sectors and not disproportionally distress New York’s arts and education sector."
   
• Governance of the New York City School District
  Provided to the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Education.
  
  "CAE’s concerns with the governance structure as it exists now speak directly to the simple fact that our children are not receiving the education they are entitled to under state law. The impact of the continual loss of arts education access and availability is felt on every level —from the economy to graduation rates to the culture of a school, and, most importantly, to each student’s personal fulfillment and well-being."
   

• Education & School Construction Authority Capital Budget Hearing
  Provided to the Joint Hearing of the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Education.
  
  "The central concern of The Center for Arts Education as it relates to the capital budget grows out of our years of experience working in public schools in New York City and our knowledge of the lack of adequate space that exists for arts education in schools across the five boroughs."
   
• Addressing School Overcrowding and the Loss of Arts Spaces in Schools
  Provided to the Joint Hearing of the Committee on Education and Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting, and Maritime Uses
  
  "CAE is here today because we believe that as the city tackles overcrowding issues in public schools it is critical that due attention be paid to the maintenance, expansion, and reclamation of spaces dedicated to arts learning in public schools."
   
• Proposed 2008-09 Contracts for Excellence Plan
  Provided to the New York City Department of Education
  
  "Based on our experience in schools as well as research in the field, investing in our children’s future through the creation or expansion of quality arts education learning opportunities can help meet the goals laid out for the Contracts for Excellence and should be vigorously pursued by principals and staff and encouraged and facilitated by the Department of Education."
   
• The State of Arts Education in New York City Public Schools
  Provided to Joint Hearing of the Committee on Education and the Committee of Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations
  
  "What we are seeing today in the city’s public schools is a profound new shift away from the arts, and the other elements of a well-rounded education, including subjects such as history, foreign language, physical education—all content deemed expendable for test preparation. This is to the detriment of the city’s school children. As new data we will share today shows, arts offerings and instruction have a positive impact on school culture and New York City’s troubling graduation rate—one of the worst in the nation.
   
• The Impact of the Economic Crisis on the State Budget
  Provided to the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Ways and Means
  
  "While we applaud the Governor for proactively addressing the state’s fiscal challenges, we urge the State Legislature to balance any cuts that might be necessary across sectors and not disproportionally distress New York’s arts and education sector. "
  
  

• Department of Education’s Progress Reports for Schools
  Provided to the New York City Council Committee on Education
  
  "School Progress Reports only offer an incomplete picture of what is happening in our public schools. In fact, 85 percent of a school's grade came from results on the state’s math and English/language arts exams. The other 15 percent of a school’s grade was based on attendance and school “learning environment” surveys, with questions on the arts having a negligible impact on a school’s grade."