Sample Letter - Executive Director, Local Arts Agency

(your address)
(date)
(LAA's address)

Dear (Mr. or Ms.) ______,

I am the parent of a __ grader 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 of not learning and for bad behavior. The arts help narrow the gap between low socioeconomic status (SES) students who are not highly involved in the arts and their higher SES peers. The arts bring families, communities, and schools together through a common sense of pride.

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 (p.11). The report revealed how important community support and cultural institutions are to ensure meaningful arts education.

Thank you for all that you do on behalf of (your town/city's name).  Please support a strong arts education program based on national or 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 local arts agency for providing arts opportunities for your child or for taking a strong public stand in support of arts education.)