On Monday, March 21 at 9am ET, the New York City Council’s Committee on Education will host a virtual Preliminary Budget Hearing, chaired by Council Member and educator Rita Joseph. 

The 2022-2023 draft city budget currently projects funding cuts that would impact arts in schools. This is a critical moment for our community to share about the impact of arts education now and beyond the pandemic. Specific results and examples of successfully providing arts and cultural education will be the most impactful during your testimony. 

We also encourage naming the value of baselining at least $100 per student in dedicated funding to support sustainable arts education for all (à la Project Arts back in the early 2000s).

We are calling on YOU (yes, YOU!) to testify live or submit written testimony to raise awareness for the importance of funding arts education in NYC schools in next year’s budget.

Teaching artists, students, cultural workers, arts administrators, artists, teachers, and arts education champions — your voices matter! Thank you in advance for your attention to this vital issue. Let us know if you plan to testify by contacting Roundtable Executive Director, Kimberly Olsen at kolsen@nycaieroundtable.org. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!

I’m Interested, What Next?

The most important thing to do right NOW is register to testify. You must be registered by Sunday, March 20 at 9am ET in order to participate live.

You do NOT have to submit testimony now, though there is a part of the sign up that asks for it. Simply register your info and submit testimony when you are ready. Directions on how to register are included below. You will be sent a Zoom link for you to sign on that morning. You will be limited to two minutes of speaking time.