GoArts News: May 22, 2009
- Conference Committee will Resolve Fine Arts Requirement Differences in HB 3/SB 3
- If your Representative or Senator is a member, contact their office to support Senate amendments
Quick facts:
- A conference committee has been formed to resolve language differences about school fine arts requirements in HB 3 and SB 3 (school accountability bills).
- If your representative or senator is on this committee, contact their office and urge them to support the Senate amendments to HB 3 that keep the current one-credit high school fine arts graduation requirement and add a middle school fine arts requirement. Talking points about the reasons for these amendments are below.
Click here to find who represents you
House Conferees:
Rep. Rob Eissler, Chair (R-The Woodlands, Dist. 15)
(512) 463-0797
Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston, Dist. 142)
(512) 463-0510
Rep. Scott Hochberg (D-Houston, Dist. 137)
(512) 463-0492
Rep. James Keffer (R-Eastland, Dist. 60)
(512) 463-0656
Rep. Michael Villarreal (D-San Antonio, Dist. 123)
(512) 463-0532
Senate Conferees:
Sen. Florence Shapiro, Chair (R-Plano, Dist. 8)
(512) 463-0108
Sen. Steve Ogden (R-Bryan, Dist. 5)
(512) 463-0105
Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston, Dist. 7)
(512) 463-0107
Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio, Dist. 26)
(512) 463-0126
Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands, Dist. 4)
(512) 463-0104
Details:
Click here (mp3 download) for an excellent message from Senator Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) regarding her amendment to HB 3 to keep one credit of fine arts and physical education in the minimum, recommended, and advanced graduation plans for Texas students beginning in 2011.
On Monday, May 18, the House refused to accept Senate amendments that specified the one-credit high school fine arts graduation requirement and the middle school fine arts requirement.
We are hopeful that both of these requirements will be included in the final language from the conference committee. Thus, contacting your representative if he is a member of this conference committee is the best opportunity you have today to help us protect fine arts opportunities for Texas students.
As this legislative session nears its end, it is more important than ever that your representative understands your concerns.
Reasons to keep the one-credit fine arts requirement for high school graduation
- If the Legislature removes the current fine arts requirement from the high school graduation plan, it will send a signal that music, art, theater, and dance are no longer considered an important part of a well-balanced education in Texas.
- While there are minimal requirements to offer fine arts in high school, the de-emphasis on the arts will potentially make fine arts courses the target of school district budget cuts, beginning the process of narrowing the course options available to students.
- Many students discover an interest or talent in music, art, theater, or dance because of the one-credit requirement. Decades of research have confirmed that studying music and the other fine arts develops learning skills that improve student performance in many other academic subjects.
- Music and the other fine arts promote the kind of creative, innovative thinking that employers consider vital to success in the 21st Century workforce.
Reasons to add a fine arts requirement in middle school
- There is currently no state fine arts requirement in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, an important time when students are making decisions about the subjects and activities they want to pursue in high school.
- Over the past 10 years, there has been a dramatic decline in middle school fine arts education because of increased pressure for middle school students to earn high school credits, increasing amount of time spent on TAKS test preparation, and because of the Legislature's middle school physical activity mandate.
Thanks for Your Support
Many thanks for your efforts to support fine arts education in our Texas schools. You may share this information with parent groups, booster club memberships, local arts councils, and other interested parties.