Attn. Floridians- Bill in FL Legislature re: Arts Education needs action!

[demo dutch]

Currently Jeb Bush has put a bill forward in the Florida Legislature that would eliminate the requirement of a credit in the arts for a high school diploma in Florida. If you believe that eliminating this requirement is ok please disregard this post. If you believe that an education in the arts is part of a quality education, I urge you to take action on this immediately!

Please take a few minutes and call and e-mail your legislators and express how unacceptable this legislation is. See the email below.

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Center for Fine Arts Education
Legislative Action Alert Posted: March 3, 2006

A vital Legislative Alert has been posted to the FMEA and FAEA websites. The Alert does require a response prior to Tuesday, March 7, 1:30 p.m. The House of Representatives Pre-K-12 Education Committee will be hearing the bill that omits Fine Arts credits from the proposed middle school and high school reform legislation.

You may go to either www.flmusiced.org or www.faea.org and click on the banner referencing the legislative alert, or you may go directly to http://capwiz.com/flmusiced/state/main/?state=FL.

Action Items:

Using one of the links above, send emails to the Governor and members of the House PreK-12 Education Committee. This needs to happen before 12:00 noon on March 7.
Please call the Governor's office (850-488-4441) to voice your support for Fine Arts credits in the curriculum. Be aware that March 7 is the first day of the Legislative Session and on Monday, staffs will be moving into their offices. Phones may only be answered sporadically and if you are unable to talk to a "live" person, be sure to leave a voice mail that identifies yourself as a local constituent who wants support for the amendment that adds Fine Arts credits to the high school and middle school reform plans. Be very polite, but persistent!!

If you are a constituent of Rep. Farkas (Pinellas County), please THANK HIM for his support in offering the amendment to restore the full credit for HS Fine Arts, and ensure a requirement in MS for the Arts.

Please forward this email to any and all association members, other Fine Arts teachers at your school (music, art, theatre, dance), booster parents, community arts supporters, and friends.

Thanks,

James Perry

The Center for Fine Arts Education
Florida Music Educators' Association
Florida School Music Association
Florida Art Education Association
Florida Alliance for Arts Education
402 Office Plaza
Tallahassee, FL 32301
www.flmusiced.org
www.faea.org
www.faae.org
800-301-3632

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. What next?

Why don't we just drop the whole curriculum and send all HS students off to the military? :sarcasm: