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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Kimberly Olsen, Executive Director of New York City Arts and Education Roundtable on Arts Education Transparency and Equity
2:54:54
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3 min
Kimberly Olsen, Executive Director of the New York City Arts and Education Roundtable, testifies on the urgent need for transparency in arts education funding and implementation across NYC public schools. She highlights the importance of accurate data collection, funding allocation clarity, and addressing delays in contract processing for arts organizations partnering with schools.
- Calls for more detailed reporting on student access, participation, and quality of arts instruction beyond broad statistics
- Emphasizes the need for clear data on funding distribution at the school level and comparison to recommended per capita spending
- Highlights issues with delays in contract approvals and payments for arts organizations, impacting educational opportunities and teaching artists' livelihoods
Kimberly Olsen
2:54:54
Chair Joseph and Chair Rivera, esteemed committee members and council staff for your championing of arts education.
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My name is Kim Olson and I'm proud to be the executive director of the New York City Arts and Education Roundtable.
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I'm here as part of the It Starts With The Arts Coalition echoing the urgent need to prioritize transparency in arts education across our city schools and communities.
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We deeply appreciate the commitment of this council to ensuring equity and access in the arts, and we want to commend the work of New York City Public Schools Arts Office for their ongoing initiatives to support arts education across the five boroughs.
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We also recognize the essential role of the Department of Cultural Affairs in enabling hundreds of organizations to deliver essential arts education services.
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However, New York City cannot provide equitable access, meaningful participation, or quality arts instruction for all students without greater transparency in terms of how money arts funding is being spent and how student engagement is measured.
2:55:46
Currently, our understanding is impeded by a reliance on broad reporting that doesn't always accurately reflect the reality on the ground.
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For example, the most recent Arts in Schools report states that 99% of schools provide arts instruction in at least one discipline.
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Yet, that statistic doesn't really verify actual access or participation for students.
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The current reporting methods also lack clarity on how quality arts education is defined and measured in our schools.
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The insufficient transparency also applies to funding allocations and spending, making it unclear how arts education dollars are distributed and utilized at the school level, and how it compares to recommended per capita spending.
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Furthermore, the lack of transparency extends to arts partnerships.
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While over 700 arts organizations partnered with schools last year, delays in award contracts, contract processing, and payments significantly hinder the good work happening.
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Organizations are waiting years for MTech contract approvals, leading to lost educational opportunities for students, financial hardships for both organizations, and thousands of dedicated teaching artists who rely on this income to live and work in New York City.
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Even the months long delay of CDF award letters can have a devastating impact when you are living paycheck to paycheck like so many teaching artists in our community.
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The reality is this, what gets measured gets done.
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We need a clear, comprehensive, and publicly accessible understanding of the current state of arts education in every school, and accountability on the cross agency plan to move towards universal access.
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This includes data on access across all art forms, student participation, enrollment rates, the number of certified arts teachers and cultural partners per school, resources being allocated at the individual school level alongside clear benchmarks for goal setting and measuring success.
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Without this, it's impossible to effectively identify and address existing inequities.
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Let us move beyond broad statistics and reports to gain a clearer understanding of the challenges and successes in arts education across our diverse school system.
2:57:46
By prioritizing data transparency and investment in the arts, we can truly begin to build a stronger, more creative, and more equitable future for all of our students.
2:57:54
Thank you for your time and consideration.