How We Got Here

• The Ryan Act eliminated art-course training requirements for elementary school teachers, shifting teacher preparation away from the arts.
• This marked the beginning of a systemic devaluation of arts education in California’s public schools.

as an affiliate of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education. 1976 is an approximate estimate.

• Prop 13 capped property taxes, drastically reducing local funding for schools.
• California’s per-student funding plummeted from 5th to 47th in the nation.
• Arts programs were among the first to be cut, leading to the loss of music, dance, art classes, and school-funded field trips.

• A 1983 law passed required high school students to take either one year of foreign language or visual/performing arts.
• Counselors often steered college-bound students away from arts courses, further marginalizing arts education.

• 1989-90: Assembly Speaker Willie Brown’s Arts Education Task Force emphasized the importance of arts education and recommended bringing artists into schools.
• 1992: The Local Arts Education Partnership Program and arts license plate funding provided limited support for arts education.
• 1997-98: State Superintendent Delaine Eastin launched a task force and grant program to restore arts in schools, but funding remained insufficient.
• 1999: UC and CSU systems added one year of visual or performing arts as an admission requirement, signaling a renewed recognition of the arts’ value.

• 2001: The No Child Left Behind Act prioritized standardized testing, narrowing the curriculum and further sidelining the arts.
• 2000: Gov. Gray Davis increased the California Arts Council’s budget, earmarking $10 million for arts education.
•  2001: The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing added training in visual and performing arts, effective in 2004.
• The state Board of Education adopts content standards for the arts.
• 2003: One year of arts education, foreign language, or Career Technical Education (CTE), instated as a requirement for high school graduation.

• In 2005, California Alliance for Arts Education published a briefing paper, “Quality, Equity, and Access: A Status Report on Arts Education in California Public Schools Grades Pre-K through 12” that raised the issues of equity and access in arts education.
• In 2006, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sponsored and signed legislation that included $105 million in ongoing funding for arts and music education and a $500 million one-time block grant for arts, music, and physical education equipment and supplies for California students. California Alliance for Arts Education was instrumental in garnering support for this budget item.
• 2007: SRI International released An Unfinished Canvas, the first of many reports, which found most California students do not receive adequate arts education.
• The 2008 recession led to additional budget cuts in education, exacerbating the underfunding of arts programs.
• California Alliance for Arts Education created a program in 2009 to build local advocacy coalitions throughout the state called Arts Now.

• 2012: Create CA was established as a partnership between The California Department of Education, California Arts Council, California Alliance for Arts Education, California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, and at large members
• 2013 LCFF was approved by the California Legislature. The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs) aimed to address inequities in school funding, but arts education remained underfunded and unevenly distributed.
• 2013: The Joint Arts Education Task Force Report titled A Blueprint for Creative Schools: A Statewide Plan outlines strategic recommendations to expand equitable access, strengthen educator training, and secure sustainable funding for high-quality arts education in all schools.

•  2015: Patricia Wayne was hired to be the Director of Create CA. She used the collective impact model to steer the Leadership Council until the merger with the Alliance for Arts Education in 2021.
• 2016: The Theatre and Dance Act (TADA SB 916- Sponsored by Senator Ben Allen) established single-subject teaching credentials for theatre and dance, addressing a gap in arts education. This allows for teachers to be credentialed specifically in these areas, rather than relying on English or Physical Education credentials with limited authorizations. This effort capped 25 years of lobbying by the California Alliance for Arts Education after vetoes by two previous governors. This bill was developed and championed by Create CA, CDEA, CETA, CMEA, CAEA
•  2017: The Public Will Campaign was launched: a comprehensive strategy for communicating with the public, providing easy ways for people to get involved and to change the narrative around arts education
• 2019: The State Board of Education adopted the California Arts Standards – Established new arts standards for K-12 education.

adopted an updated version of the California Arts Education Framework for Public Schools, Transitional Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve.

to strengthen statewide advocacy and programming in support of arts education.  

which Create CA helped to distribute to partners and the general public. This report found that only 11% of California schools were meeting the arts education mandate, which emphasized the need for increased advocacy efforts across California. Create CA was an essential supporter and major distributor of the report, hosting several webinars spotlighting the data.

• Prop 28, also known as the Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) Act, was passed to provide dedicated annual funding for arts education. The first year of funding was $938 million in the 2023-24 school year.
• This landmark measure seeks to address decades of systemic underfunding and ensure equitable access to arts education for all California students.
• Create CA was instrumental in elevating the campaign message, brand, and influence within key arts education networks of parents, administrators, agencies, and regional partners.

Historical Context: Decades of policy decisions—from the Ryan Act to Prop 13 and No Child Left Behind—have systematically underfunded and devalued arts education in California.
Systemic Inequity: Schools in low-income communities have been disproportionately affected, leaving generations of students without access to the transformative benefits of the arts.

The Solution: Prop 28 represents a critical step toward correcting these inequities by providing stable, ongoing funding for arts education. It acknowledges the role of the arts in fostering creativity, critical thinking, and empathy—skills essential for a well-rounded education and a thriving society.

• Advocate’s Toolkit Link
• Planning Toolkit