Funding for public information would be used to develop, print and distribute brochures, flyers and other materials to promote arts education in Wisconsin. Arts education has lagged behind other fields in the use of technology. Arts education has progressed well beyond ceramic ashtrays and children s songs. The state Model Academic Standards and the state curriculum guides in the arts now include preparation for the world of the arts in the fields of architecture, urban planning, media production, music composition, and in interdisciplinary applications of hypermedia, web design, streaming audio and video. For our cultural and economic well-being, Wisconsin needs to produce some of the artists, performers, and producers of the future.
Professional development is critical to a successful arts education initiative.
The world has changed much in the past 20 years. Many arts teachers, and even many teacher preparation programs, require significant retraining and retooling to meet the needs of new arts technology and media forms. There is a critical need for the colleges, universities, technical colleges, and CESA staff development centers to help develop the skills and provide experiences needed for teachers and pupils to succeed in the arts jobs of today and the future. Wisconsin will find it difficult to retain its competitive edge in the future if its teachers and pupils are not learning the arts skills needed in today's media society. Web development, media production, the recording industry, the tourism industry, and technology fields need increasing numbers of artists, designers, performers, and creators to satisfy growing needs.