Over the past two decades, the opportunity for Massachusetts students to access and participate in arts education has decreased. A focus on standardized testing and a federal education law emphasizing “core subjects” helped crowd out the time and resources devoted to music, dance, theater, and visual arts instruction.

The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) by Congress last year provides an opportunity for Massachusetts to increase participation and the quality of arts education for all our students. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is holding public forums across the state over the next month to discuss its new accountability system on what determines a successful school. These workshop-based sessions will allow attendees to insert arts education into the conversation.

Take this opportunity to tell our state leaders that arts education matters and should be a part of every child’s education.