Advocacy Tips & Resources
Take Action Now: Become a Squeaky Wheel for Arts Education
Your voice is needed more than ever to ensure "All the Arts for All California Students!"
TELL a friend why the arts are important to you, your children and to the future of California.
BRING a local elected official to visit a school arts program.
VISIT your elected state representatives in their home offices (Fridays are best) or in Sacramento.
WRITE letters to your elected officials in support of arts education and any specific message.
CALL the local media and invite them to an arts event in your school or community.
SUBSCRIBE to ArtsEdMail, the Alliance's free bi-monthly e-news bulletin.
JOIN the California Alliance as a member.
What you should know before contacting your legislators...
When you visit or write your legislators, be prepared to discuss:
- Why is arts education important to you?
- What are the benefits of a complete education, including the arts?
- What is your compelling story that illustrates the value of providing arts education for all students?
- What are you asking for?
The Legislative Process: A Citizen's Guide to Participation
This booklet is published by the California Senate Publications and includes a very comprehensive and easy to understand overview of the legislative process including:
- How the legislative process works
- How to communicate your position
- Guidelines on letter writing and e-mailing
- Understanding committee hearings and sample committee analysis reports
- Understanding the parts of a bill
- Path of a bill from idea to the Governor's signature
- List of all Senate Standing Committees
- Glossary of Legislative Terms
You can view or download the PDF version [PDF: 1.4Mb] of this booklet or for hard copies contact Senate Publications at 916-327-2155. Hard copies are free and they will ship as many copies as you need.
Lobbying, Advocacy & Non-profits FAQs
Many tax-exempt 501(C)(3) non-profit organizations don't understand that they are able to do a good amount of lobbying under IRS regulations, but most importantly that much of what people misconstrue as "lobbying" is actually "advocacy" which non-profit organizations can and should do! For an overview of Lobbying and Advocacy by Nonprofits, go to the Center for Nonprofit Management website.
Finding Your Legislators & Tracking Legislative Bills
Looking for your state legislators? Go to Leg Info and type in your zip code.
Interested in following the progress of a legislative bill? You may subscribe to specific bills in order to track their progress through the legislature by going to Leg Info. Click on "Bill Information" and follow the directions to subscribe. You will receive periodic email updates on the status of the bill, any amendments, hearings and votes. This is a good way to stay informed and receive up to the minute information.
Resources
Arts Education in Public Schools Resource Center
Americans for the Arts and the National School Boards Association have teamed up to compile a very comprehensive online resource center, Arts Education in Public Schools, which covers topics such as arts and academic achievement, arts education policy, assessing the needs of your district, making arts education a priority, funding resources and other valuable resources.
Arts Education Partnership (AEP)
AEP is a private, nonprofit coalition of education, arts, business, philanthropic, and government organizations that demonstrates and promotes the essential role of arts education in enabling all students to succeed in school, life, and work. The AEP web site has a wealth of research and advocacy resources available in print and as PDFs.
Arts Learning in Action Toolkit
A product of the California Alliance's Arts Learning in Action initiative, the toolkit is a step-by-step guide that includes sample letters, suggested activities, a simple check list to help you easily and effectively coordinate events and classroom visits for elected officials and policymakers. Click here.
Art Works: An Arts Advocacy Video
This video features students, educators, parents, and business leaders giving reasons to support the case for arts education. Available from Glencoe McGraw-Hill.
Insider's Guide for Arts Education
This publication is designed to help parents, local schools and school districts to work together to determine the current status of arts education. It will help provide communities with accurate information about arts education and enable parents to advocate for quality arts programs in their schools. Click here.
SupportMusic
A national coalition, co-sponsored by the International Music Products Association (NAMM) and the National Association for Music Education (MENC), the SupportMusic.com website has a wealth of advocacy materials and tools, including a Community Action Toolkit.