Guest Opinion: Click “Send” to Support Arts Education in Orcas Schools!

By Andrea Cohen

Orcas Island is a community that loves the arts, and our public school administrators have a strong commitment to including arts education as an integral part of the curriculum from elementary through high school. In the words of Randy Dorn, Washington’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction, “The Arts – dance, music, theatre and visual arts – are basic and core subject areas, and are essential to the well-rounded education of the whole child. We know that arts education allows students to learn and practice skills and behaviors that foster out-of-the-box thinking and creative problem solving. Those skills will be crucial to innovation in the 21st century. If we are dedicated to preparing all students, we must be sure that all schools have access to a well-rounded arts program.”

In the absence of funds for a full roster of art, music, drama and dance teachers, Orcas schools have partnered with the community in finding ways to bring arts education to its students. For four years, a grant from the Washington State Arts Commission to the Orcas Center has funded in-school arts instruction, the purchase of art curriculum materials, and the establishment of the Orcas Arts Education Consortium, which continues to seek creative ways to bolster arts education on Orcas.

All this may now be in jeopardy, as Governor Gregoire, in her proposed 2011-13 budget has called for the elimination of the Washington State Arts Commission. Calling for an 80% reduction in funds and incorporation into the Department of Commerce, this would drastically impair the State’s ability to support arts education and a myriad of arts organizations throughout Washington.

It important for our elected officials to receive messages of support for the Washington State Arts Commission…NOW!  February 2^nd is Arts Day in Olympia. As advocates for the arts are making their voices heard in person, please help by sending the following email to our elected state officials:

Thank you for your support of arts education for all public school students in Washington. On Orcas Island, funding from the Washington State Arts Commission is critical to the delivery of arts education programming in our schools. Please save WSAC so that it can continue to make arts education possible in schools on Orcas Island and all over the state.

Please send your message to the following: governor.gregoire@governor.wa.gov, kevin.ranker@leg.wa.gov, kristine.lytton@leg.wa.gov, jeff.morris@leg.wa.gov

Thank you for your support of arts education for all Orcas kids!

Andrea Cohen is Orcas Center’s Arts Education Grant Coordinator