We use cookies to make your site experience better. Tracking cookies enables us to provide a functional Accessibility Toolbar, and easily log into your account (if you have one). For more information on how we use your data, read our privacy policy.

NYC Arts in Education Roundtable

Testimony Letter for New York State Arts Day 2025

Re: Support for Arts Education in New York State (FY 2026), Arts Day 2025
February 11, 2025

Thank you Senator Serrano and Assemblymember Kim for the invitation to testify today on the vital importance of arts education to the quality of life and development of all New Yorkers. 

My name is Kimberly Olsen, and I am proud to be the Executive Director of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable. We are a nonprofit service organization working to improve and advance arts education across New York schools and communities.

Engagement in the arts provides students with an avenue for learning, social, and career development that is not measured by standardized tests. Instead, the arts create a safe environment for students to learn essential life skills to help them reach their full potential. These skills are more important now than ever, as our students navigate a complex and ever-changing world.

The past few years have underscored the profound need for spaces where young people can process their experiences, think critically about the world around them, and build resilience. Arts learning opportunities provide precisely that space. These are not merely “soft skills”; they are the very foundation upon which future success is built.

Research consistently shows that arts programs equip students with the skills necessary to thrive in the 21st-century workforce. These competencies, honed through artistic practice, include problem-solving, attention to nuance, eye contact, adaptability, empathy, visualization of goals and outcomes, and effective decision-making. Moreover, arts competencies themselves can be highly marketable skills in today’s economy, opening doors to careers in creative industries and beyond.

However, despite these undeniable benefits, access to arts education remains inequitable for New York’s 2.5 million students. While the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) recognizes the arts as a core component of a well-rounded education, New York is one of only 18 states that does not formally consider arts a core curriculum subject. This puts New York behind our regional partners, as 7 out of 10 northeastern states have already codified arts education in public education law — we are now falling behind in an area we once led. 

The current state of arts education in New York City exemplifies the challenges we face statewide. The data reveals a stark reality: arts education is underfunded, inconsistent, and inequitable. Only 29% of NYC middle school students meet state arts learning requirements, and arts instructional hours vary drastically at the elementary level. Alarmingly, a recent arts report from NYC Public Schools to the NY City Council revealed that 379 NYC public schools lack a certified arts teacher (about 1 in 5 schools) — leaving thousands of students without a dedicated arts teacher in their school.

The consequences of this disparity are significant. Students without access to robust arts education taught by certified arts teachers and cultural organizations are denied opportunities to develop essential skills, explore their creativity, and connect with their communities. This inequity perpetuates existing disparities and ultimately limits the potential of our young people.

Investing in arts education is an investment in our future. Investment in quality of life. And investment in the development of our youngest New Yorkers. Therefore, I urge the New York State Legislature to take decisive action to ensure that all students have access to high-quality arts education. This includes: 

  • Support legislation (formerly Senate Bill S285 and Assembly Bill A1502 – to be reintroduced later this month) which would add arts and music education into the public-school curriculum outlined in NYS education law. Given the lack of compliance with current arts education teaching requirements, this sets a baseline for greater equity and opportunity across the state. It also ensures that more students have exposure to arts education as a means of bolstering the workforce development pipeline in addition to building foundational life skills needed across career paths.
  • Restore arts staffing at NYSED Arts Education is grossly understaffed at NYSED. We support the Regents request to restore at least one of the eliminated arts associate positions in the office of Curriculum and Instruction.
  • Improve data transparency by allocating $300,000 to study gaps in arts education, echoing the Board of Regents call to benchmark and analyze arts education access statewide.
  • Restoration full funding ($2M) for New York Summer School of the Arts 
  • Fund the NY State Council on the Arts at a baseline of $200M in order to fully support the thousands of arts organizations doing critical work across the state. The NYSCA baseline hasn’t been increased for 15 years, and for decades it has been far below levels of funding in the 1970s in real dollars! This increase is long overdue and much needed if we are to build a stable cultural economy in every community in this state. 

We want inviting, colorful, vibrant, and thriving communities — that starts with the arts. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Olsen
Executive Director, NYC Arts in Education Roundtable
Email: kolsen@nycaieroundtable.org