The Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts are being revised!
Public Comment Period: November 1-20, 2007.

Send this information to your networks of parents and educators
concerned about arts education.

You can impact the new academic standards for the arts in Minnesota. During the 2007-08 school year, a committee, appointed by the Commissioner of Education, is reviewing and revising the Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts (dance, literary arts, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts). 

The first draft is available now, and the public comment period is from November 1 - November 20.

You can provide input by doing the following:

1. Review the draft standards
   
   
2. Share your input in one of the following ways:
   
   a.  An Online Feedback Form (preferred).
   
   b.  A Comment Form is available to download, complete and mail.
   
   c.  Go to one of five Town Hall Meetings where the Arts Standards will be discussed. They are being held in:
   
   ■  Bemidji (Mon, Nov 5)
   ■  Marshall (Thurs, Nov 8)
   ■  Rochester (Mon, Nov 12)
   ■  Golden Valley (Tues, Nov 13)
   ■  Duluth (Thurs, Nov 15). 
   
   All meetings are from 6pm - 730pm.
   
   
3. Ask members of your booster group, members of the PTA/PTO, parents of your students, administrators, school board members and other interested community members to attend one of the town hall meetings.

Ask everyone to show their support of arts education!

Input (online or via mail with the comment form)
must be received by 4:30pm on Tues, Nov 20.

Any interested person (parents, community members, administrators, school board, educators and so on) can provide input on the document.

All of the above information is available at the MDE Arts Standards page.

Additional Resources

• October 2003 - Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in the Arts, Minnesota Department of Education (MS Word). Familiarize yourself with the current standards now so you're better prepared to respond to the draft revisions.
  
  
• August 11, 2007 - Humanities matter, just like arts and sciences - Without attention to them, the 'haves' will get a better education than the 'have-nots,' Star Tribune.
  
  
• Standards-Based Reform at Parents United.