Why Oppose AB 1330? Questions and Answers
What is AB 1330? This bill is an almost exact replica of last year’s AB 2446, which was vetoed due to cost concerns. The legislation will change California high school graduation requirements resulting in an “either / or” choice between Career Technical Education (CTE) and the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA).
Why Oppose 1330? There is a better way to advance CTE. Last year we published a white paper that advocates a ‘Both / And’ approach to CTE and VAPA, in which these disciplines work together to create the best benefit for students. Pitting one subject area against another will accelerate the damage to arts education in recent years:
- In 2000, more than one million students were enrolled in school music programs. By 2008, that number had dropped by 57% to to 470,000.
- Inadequate funding is the main reason for these declines in arts education.
- With the state’s budget crisis, these numbers have worsened. In 2009, 60% of districts surveyed by the Legislative Analysts Office had shifted Arts and Music Block Grant funds away from arts and music programs. 20% of those districts cut programs altogether.
- According to a national study, African American and Latino students are impacted disproportionately by declines. There was a 49% drop among African Americans and 40% drop among Latinos.
In tough times, don’t certain programs need to be cut? Creativity and innovation are vital to student success and California’s economic recovery.
- 1500 CEOs surveyed by IBM ranked creativity as the number one trait they look for in employees.
- Arts education is linked to higher academic performance and standardized test scores, increased community service and lower dropout rates.