In just a few short weeks, at parades, parkways, and street fairs, the Schools & Arts Together campaign has received overwhelming support for our plan to restore arts and music education to Portland schools and improve access to the arts in every classroom and community.
As word spreads that a solution to the rapid decline of arts education in our schools is on the November ballot, Portland residents from every corner are joining the campaign in support. As Val Ellett, a teacher at Gilbert Park Elementary, put it, “Music and the arts are the most powerful force a community can invest in.”
In a public opinion poll on The Oregonian web site OregonLive.com 91% said they would pay $35 a year to support arts education by indicating “the arts are a valuable part of child development and learning.” We could not agree more! With Portland elementary schools lagging so far behind the nation, we must act now to ensure that our schools reflect our city’s values of creativity and community.
We are thrilled to share that more than 700 Portlanders have already pledged their support by joining the Schools & Arts Together campaign and those numbers continue to build. Across our diverse city, people are finding common ground in their support for the arts. “The arts are like sports,” Portland Timbers COO Mike Golub said. “They bring people together, they mitigate differences, and they create shared experiences for disparate groups of people regardless of age, socioeconomic background, gender, or ethnicity.”
If you haven’t yet said YES! to arts education for our kids by joining the Schools & Arts Together campaign, show your support now!
Please donate $15 or whatever you can to the Schools & Arts Together campaign, today. Visit us on Facebook. And join us at parades, parkways, back-to-school nights, and arts events to help spread the word as a campaign volunteer.
