Advocacy Priority Strategies

 

Advocacy  Priority  Strategies   NAEA’s  mission  is  to  advance  visual  arts  education  to  fulfill  human  potential  and  promote  global   understanding.  Advocacy  is  one  of  five  goals  that  provide  the  framework  for  NAEA’s  2015-­2020   Strategic  Vision.   Strategic  Vision  Advocacy  Goal:  NAEA  influences  stakeholders  and   decision  makers  to  support  visual  arts  education.   Priority  Objectives  to  address  the  Advocacy  goal:     1.   Engage  non-­traditional  allies  to  create  a  national  advocacy   campaign  touting  the  importance,  benefits,  career  opportunities,   and  contributions  of  the  visual  arts.   2.   Evaluate,  develop,  and  promote  resources  that  will  increase   member  capacity  to  advocate  for  visual  arts  education.   Historically,  NAEA  has  viewed  advocacy  as  key  to  advancing  its  mission;;  NAEA  was  founded   on  the  premise  that  a  professional  community  of  national  prominence  would  garner  the  stature   and  influence  needed  to  influence  public  policy  on  visual  arts  education.  In  fact,  if  NAEA  no   longer  existed,  there  would  be  little  to  no  representation  focused  exclusively  on  the  essential   benefit  of  visual  arts  education  for  our  nation’s  learners.  While  NAEA’s  many  efforts  may  not   always  be  visible  to  members,  a  void  of  NAEA’s  representation  would  quickly  be  felt  by  the   94,000  certified  art  educators  and  the  50.4  million  students  attending  our  nation’s  pK-­12   schools.  NAEA  is  currently  addressing  the  2015-­2020  priority  objectives  for  the  Advocacy  goal   through  multiple  strategies.   Strategies  for  Advocacy  Priority  Objective  #1—engaging  nontraditional  allies  to  create  a   national  advocacy  campaign  touting  the  importance,  benefits,  career  opportunities,  and   contributions  of  the  visual  arts:   The  collective  voice  of  all  visual  arts  educators  is  represented  through  NAEA’s  advocacy  efforts   to  influence  the  legislative  agenda  and  shape  public  policy  that  impacts  federal  and  state   policies.   Strategy:  NAEA  Represents  Visual  Arts  Education  Through  Active  Leadership   Participation  in  National  Policy/Legislative  Work.   •   Arts  Education  Partnership  (AEP,  www.aep-­arts.org)  and  its  parent  organization,   Education  Commission  of  the  States  (ECS,  www.ecs.org)   o   Advisory  Council  member  –  NAEA’s  Executive  Director  provides  guidance  on   AEP’s  priorities  and  work  in  support  of  national  and  state  policy  regarding  visual   arts  education.  NAEA  officers  participate  in  AEP  Policy  Forums  annually.  

o   ESSA  Working  Group  member  –  NAEA  staff  participates  in  the  development  of   strategy  and  issues  briefs  to  make  compelling  cases  for  ensuring  that   opportunities  for  arts  education  are  included  in  federal  legislation.   o   Strategic  Planning  Working  Group  –  NAEA  staff  helps  set  the  direction  and   priorities  for  AEP.   o   NAEA  participates  in  panel  presentations  with  representatives  of  other  national   arts  education  associations  communicating  work  across  the  field.   o   NCCAS  (National  Coalition  for  Core  Arts  Standards)  –  As  a  founding  member,   NAEA  participates  in  Leadership  Team  meetings  with  ECS  and  AEP  to  identify   and  pursue  mutual  goals.  This  group  is  composed  of  the  national  arts  education   associations  and  the  state  and  local  infrastructure,  which  together  provide  the   “backbone”  of  national  leaders  in  arts  education  in  all  discipline  areas.   •   Arts  Advocacy  Day  –  NAEA  is  a  national  partner  (co-­sponsor)  of  this  annual  event   sponsored  by  Americans  for  the  Arts.   o   Legislative  Planning  Committee  –  As  a  member  of  this  committee,  NAEA  helps   create  the  agenda  for  addressing  legislative  action,  plans  the  focus  of  the   national  arts  advocacy  day,  and  develops  strategic  approaches  to  policy  and   funding  issues  across  the  entire  cultural  sector.   o   Arts  Education  Subcommittee  –  NAEA  contributes  to  the  writing  and  approval  of   issues  briefs  on  the  federal  support  for  arts  education:   •   Legislative  –  ESSA  (formerly  No  Child  Left  Behind)   •   Appropriations  –  for  Arts  Education  within  ESSA   o   NAEA  is  a  co-­presenter  of  training  on  arts  education  legislative  issues.   •   Arts  Education  Legislative  Working  Group  –  NAEA  monitors  federal  policies  and   appropriations  that  impact  visual  arts  education.   o   Efforts  to  support  reauthorizations  of  the  Elementary  and  Secondary  Education   Act  (currently  referred  to  as  ESSA;;  previously  known  as  NCLB)   o   National  Assessment  of  Educational  Progress  (NAEP)  –  NAEA  is  a  member  of   the  writing  team  for  national  assessment  that  measures  students’  knowledge   and  skills  in  the  visual  arts.   o   NAEP  Toolkit  to  support  art  educators  in  advocacy  efforts  –  NAEA  is  a  member   of  the  writing  team.   o   NAEP  National  Launch  –  NAEA  is  a  member  of  the  planning  team.   o   U.S.  Department  of  Education  Federal  Response  Survey  System  (FRSS)   Rollout  and  Toolkit  –  NAEA  is  a  member  of  the  planning/writing  team  to  collect  

issues-­oriented  data  for  the  National  Center  for  Educational  Statistics  (NCES)   and  to  support  the  legislative  agenda  and  congressional  hearings.   •   Cultural  Advocacy  Group  –  Monitors  Federal  policies  related  to  cultural   organizations  and  appropriations.   •   National  Endowment  for  the  Arts  –  NAEA  participates  in  quarterly  meetings   convened  by  the  NEA  Chairman  for  national  arts  and  education  service   organizations.  These  meetings  enable  the  Endowment  to  solicit  feedback  from  the   field  on  specific  initiatives  and  to  inform  organizations  of  future  national  initiatives   prior  to  their  release  to  the  field  at  large  and  to  the  public.   •   NAEA  National  Presentations  and  Forums  –  recent  and  upcoming  presentations:   o   National  Board  of  Professional  Teaching  Standards  –  the  Visual  Arts  Standards     o   NAEA  participates  in  ASCD’s  Whole  Child  Coalition   o   Joint  National  Convention  of  NAESP/NASSP,  July  2017,  Visual  Arts  Standards   and  the  NAEP  Arts  Assessment   •   Support  for  New  Potential  Pro-­Arts/Arts  Educator  Legislation  (new  2017)  –   NAEA  has  taken  a  leadership  role  in  working  with  a  Congressional  office  that  sought   NAEA’s  support  in  proposing  legislation  for  student  loan  forgiveness  for  individuals   employed  in  the  arts.  The  proposed  legislation  was  introduced  in  June  2017  as  an   amendment  to  the  Higher  Education  Act,  which  is  up  for  reauthorization  in  2017.   Strategy:  NAEA  Secures  Member  Engagement  in  Policy  Initiatives  and   Encourages/Supports  Advocacy  at  the  Local  and  State  Levels.   •   Formal  Position  Statements,  adopted  by  the  NAEA  Board  –  these  shared  beliefs   reflect  the  voice  of  NAEA  members  about  salient  issues  in  visual  arts  education.   NAEA  members,  State  Affiliates,  and  Interest  Groups  are  encouraged  to  use  these   statements  in  their  work  at  the  local  and  state  level  in  response  to  policy  work  and   media  inquiries  related  to  visual  arts  education.  NAEA  also  uses  Position  Statements   to  support  work  at  the  national  level.   •   NAEA  Platform  Working  Group  –  Regional  Vice  Presidents  and  Division  Directors:   o   Review  and  adopt  formal  Position  Statements  that  provide  the  foundation  for   the  work  of  the  NAEA  Delegates  Assembly   o   Members  generate  salient  issues  for  possible  new  Position  Statements,   reviewed  and  curated  during  the  Regional  Leadership  Conferences     o   Members  can  submit  topic  ideas  or  submit  draft  Position  Statements  at  any   time   o   Develop  draft  Position  Statements  and  review  existing  Position  Statements,   posted  on  NAEA  website  (under  Advocacy:  NAEA  Platform  and  Position   Statements)  

§   Writing  Teams  of  individual  NAEA  members  prepare  new  draft  Position   Statements  (5-­8  people  for  each  statement)   §   Two  Vetting  Processes  (includes  all  State  Affiliates,  Interest  Group   Chairs,  and  Delegates  Assembly):   •   Nov/Dec  for  reflection  on  existing  Position  Statements   •   February  for  drafting  new  Position  Statements   •   NAEA  Communications  to  keep  members  updated  on  legislative  and  organizational   policy:   o   Regular  e-­mail  blasts     o   Website  postings  under  News   o   Website  content  areas  developed  specifically  for  primary  policy  items,   including:   §   ESSA   §   NAEP  Assessment   o   Updates  shared  in  NAEA  News   o   Sessions  related  to  current  and/or  emerging  policy  featured  at  regional  and   national  leadership  conferences   o   Invited  sessions  on  new  and/or  emerging  policy  and  legislation  at  NAEA   National  Convention   o   Learning  in  a  Visual  Age  (Case  Statement  for  Arts  Education)   o   Arts  Education  Week  activities  (new  September  2017)   o   Standards  and  assessment  posters  created  and  used  as  advocacy  tools  that   demonstrate  the  rigor  of  learning  in  visual  arts   •   NAEA  will  continue  efforts  to  secure  national  partners  in  support  of  funding,   developing,  and  executing  a  national  advocacy  campaign  that  highlights  the   essential  value  of  visual  arts  to  a  21st-­century  education.   Strategies  for  Advocacy  Priority  Objective  #2—evaluating,  developing,  and  promoting   resources  that  will  increase  member  capacity  to  advocate  for  visual  arts  education:   Strategy:  Advocacy  Working  Group   •   President  Kim  Defibaugh  will  appoint  an  Advocacy  Working  Group  (fall  2017)   composed  of  NAEA  members  to  carry  out  the  following  charge:  to  provide  guidance  

in  the  development  of  resources  to  support  community-­  and  state-­level  advocacy   efforts.   o   Advocacy  Working  Group  charge:  With  a  focus  on  timely  resources  that   support  members  in  their  efforts  to  effectively  advocate  for  visual  arts  education   within  their  community  and  state,  the  NAEA  Advocacy  Working  Group  is  charged   with:  (1)  reviewing  all  current  NAEA  advocacy  resources  and  recommending   what  might  be  kept  as  is,  revised,  and/or  archived;;  and  (2)  providing   recommendations  for  new  resources  and  guidance  in  the  development  of  related   content  to  support  effective  advocacy  efforts.   o   Timeline:  The  Advocacy  Working  Group  will  convene  virtually  between   November  1,  2017,  and  November  1,  2018,  to  complete  its  charge.  The  Working   Group  will  also  meet  during  the  2018  NAEA  National  Convention.  A  Chair  will  be   appointed  to  provide  leadership  to  the  Working  Group  through  coordination  and   oversight  of  the  charge.  Reports  will  be  provided  to  the  NAEA  Board  of  Directors   to  inform  the  Board  of  progress  in  carrying  out  the  charge.