Advocacy Chairs: Heide Sheetz and Wendy Milne

"The arts must....contribute forcefully to the education of the public." -Jacques Louis Davis, 1793

Greetings to from your new Advocacy Chairs. We have been active members of PAEA for several years, presenting at both national and state conferences. We are also the Region One Representatives and we are elementary art teachers in Westmoreland County. Recently, our school district proposed changes to our middle school fine arts schedule that would drastically reduce the amount of time our students spent in art class. While we have always strived to communicate the benefits of a quality art education throughout our community, our district's actions propelled us to take our role in advocacy one step further. In a short period of time, we brought together the fine arts specialists. We did such things as asking parents to speak at board meetings or write letters to our administration and we provided research about the positive impacts of arts education to our administrators. We feel these actions helped keep our programs in tact -for now- and we hope to use this experience as the new Advocacy Chairs to help keep quality arts programs throughout Pennsylvania.

So what is an art education advocate? Here is our definition: An art educator becomes an advocate when he/she is not only an excellent teacher but also continually educates the community that the arts are essential. This connection with the community needs to be in place NOW so that if negative changes are proposed in your setting, you will have already established a strong foundation within your community. Make it unfathomable to cut the arts.

Now, how can we help you become a better advocate? While we have researched much of the literature, we recognize that we have only scratched the surface. On this site, we will provide information we have found to be most valuable during our struggle, as well as information others have shared with us. Information here will include things such as links, book reviews, research, tips on communicating with the public and how to develop a good rapport with your local government officials. Please check back with us as we will continue updating our resources.

Finally, how can you help us? We recognize that a group voice is louder than two individuals. Tell us what's happening in your setting, positive or negative, and actions you have taken. Remember, as Emma Lea Mayton said, "you are the future of your program."

Advocating for our future,

Heide and Wendy