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Save Arts Education in Massachusetts
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May 19, 2007

Dear Friends,

The Massachusetts Department of Education is proposing to designate arts education as an elective rather than one of the core subjects in the Department's recommended curriculum for high school students. Arts education should be a graduation requirement. Designating arts education as an elective means that many schools may drop arts education, which robs students of the opportunity to engage in creative work - skills that are critical to succeed in today's global economy.

Our e-mail alert yesterday incorrectly stated that the Department of Education (DOE) was proposing to drop arts education as a graduation requirement. Local school districts establish graduation requirements, not the DOE. However, the DOE recommended curriculum sets a statewide standard that most school districts will follow.

Please write a letter in your own words asking the Department of Education to include an arts education requirement in the recommended core curriculum, also known as MassCore. (If you have already written a letter, thank you very much.) Short thoughtful letters are the most effective. Until May 24, you can write your letter through the MAASH web site. MAASH will then print all the letters and deliver them to the Commissioner. All letters must be received by the Department of Education by next Friday, May 25. To write a letter click here or paste the web address into your browser:

http://capwiz.com/artsusa/ma/issues/alert/?alertid=9770396&type=CU&azip=02140&bzip=1301&show_alert=1

Writing a letter is the most important. You can also urge the Department to save arts education by completing the following web survey. Be sure to write in your support for arts education on questions 11, 12, and 13.

http://vessunapp3.doe.mass.edu/surveys/take.do?n=141640359

Thank you for your support on this critical issue.

Sincerely,

Dan Hunter

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