Sample Letter - School District Superintendent

(Your Address)
(Date)
(School District's Address)

Dear (Dr. or Mr. or Ms.) ___________,

I am the parent of (your child's name) at (name of school). I am concerned that s/he is not getting a strong enough education in the arts.

Research studies (Champions of Change, 1999) show that students with high levels of involvement in the arts improve their performance at school in many ways, and that the arts are also a means of reaching students not currently being reached, such as those at risk. The arts help narrow the achievement gap between low socioeconomic status (SES) students who not are highly involved in the arts and their higher SES peers.

For a district-wide view of arts education success stories, you may be interested in the report Gaining the Arts Advantage: Lessons Learned from School Districts that Value Arts Education. The report revealed that a superintendent's strong vision for arts education is one of nine critical success factors for supporting arts education throughout a district.

Thank you for all that you do on behalf of (your child's name) and the other students. Please support a strong arts education program based on national and state standards and let me know how I can further support this effort.

Sincerely,
(sign and print your name)

(Remember, you can also write to thank a superintendent for including the arts in your child's education or taking a strong public stand in support of arts education.)