As art education has been taken less seriously in school systems such as budget cutting or even loss of programs completely, we need to find ways of advocating for it and giving it the priority it deserves to have. 

In a poll from Arts Education Advocacy Tool Kit, they discovered that “American voters indicated that 80 percent of the respondents felt it was important or extremely important for schools to develop students’ imagination, innovation, and creative skills.” If this is true, why is it that the arts are the first subject on the chopping block? The National Art Education Associate has also said, “Without your help, your member of Congress may not realize the ability of the arts to support jobs, engage kids in school, and change lives in your district.”

The two quotes I’ve chosen both signify the importance of the arts because they show how many different people the arts affect. In the first quote, it talks about how the general American population tends to value the implementation of arts education. It especially sticks out because of the high percentage of people who value the arts in schools yet we see it being the first subject to go. In the second, a variety of different groups are represented such as the workforce, students, and the community around us. The arts allow us to be more creative as a whole and it is vital we advocate for them in schools more. 

From the presented evidence, it goes to show that the arts are highly valuable in a variety of different settings. We need to advocate and keep the arts around for not only ourselves, but for jobs, the community, and peer engagement. We need to show people that the arts are a valuable subject and should not be cut out of schools. 

-Kaylin Hunt, a Saratoga Springs resident