How Arts Education and Modernized Funding Can Transform Alabama Schools: Editorial

This is a guest review column

My family has lived in Alabama for as long as Alabama has existed. On a dusty rural state road in Pike County, a traveler can still see the graveyard of land where my family originally settled in 1807. We were farmers, preachers, and teachers who scraped by as best we could. When I was born, my parents lived in a trailer park in Montgomery, and like my parents, I attended local public schools. Despite our financial constraints, I was fortunate that they valued education and understood the implications of providing me with opportunities that my school sometimes couldn’t afford.

As a child, I was also an avid participant in arts and crafts. I drew, painted, danced, and played guitar. I was fortunate that my parents sacrificed and saved so that I could afford the lessons, materials, and time to invest in these things. But as a former teacher, I also witnessed students who did not have access to arts and crafts in their schools or homes. I taught students who could not shower or eat because their electricity was cut off. I supported students who had experienced unimaginable trauma and abuse in their lives. I lost at least one student to suicide and two to gun violence. As a student, teacher, and mother, I have seen what happens when students are not always provided with equal opportunities and resources to succeed. Now, as the Executive Director of Amp Up Arts, it is my responsibility to make sure that we do our part to ensure that students have these opportunities.

Amp Up Arts is a statewide 501(c)3 nonprofit arts education organization with a strong commitment to promoting increased access to arts education and nurturing artistic talent in our communities. We believe in equitable access to the arts for all students in Alabama and facilitate this through art teachers, teaching artists, and arts organization partnerships. We focus on statewide advancement of K-12 arts education through networking, advocacy, and professional development, and support local collaborative spaces throughout the state.

The arts not only play a role in achieving accountability measures such as student achievement, engagement, and school climate and culture, but also by building more effective and highly skilled teachers. According to ESSA, the arts are an essential component of a well-rounded education, equal to reading, math, and science. Increases in academic achievement are closely tied to the implementation of the arts, but that is only the beginning.

Low-income students who pursue the arts have a 4 percent dropout rate—five times lower than their peers—and are twice as likely to graduate from college. Arts experiences also increase attendance and reduce the number of students receiving disciplinary infractions. For teachers, arts integration training provides differentiated teaching methods and encourages teachers to create lessons that require deeper levels of critical thinking and meaningful interdisciplinary connections.

Beyond its educational benefits, the arts are a significant economic driver in Alabama, generating $6.4 billion annually, and business leaders increasingly value creativity as a critical skill. Without the development of sustainable arts education programs, these numbers will remain stagnant. Despite the proven benefits of arts education, funding for the arts in Alabama remains disproportionately low compared to other subjects. To ensure that all students have access to these important opportunities, we must reform our funding system to better support arts education and address resource disparities.

That’s why we’re proud members of the Every Child Alabama Coalition. Created by the A+ Education Partnership, the coalition is comprised of organizations, business leaders, educators, students, families, and community members who prioritize modernizing Alabama’s school funding.

Our current funding formula has not been updated in over three decades and does not take into account the individual needs of local school districts and students. Alabama needs a per-student funding formula that provides flexibility and allows policymakers to address the unique challenges of the community. By taking into account individual student needs, we can ensure that the state provides adequate funding for every child.

Through our work at Amp Up Arts, we have seen what funding can do for schools; as partners in the Governor’s Office Turnaround Schools Initiative, we have been able to provide some of the most needy students in our state with arts education and experiences they would not otherwise have received without additional funding. In just a few years, these schools have seen significant gains in school climate and academic achievement.

Our students who engage in the arts represent the creative creation of places where they will want to grow up, work, and stay. The arts are a vital component of a well-rounded education not only for college- and career-ready students, but also for students who will contribute in significant and innovative ways to the success and growth of Alabama communities. A modernized school funding policy will open the doors for schools to make this happen.

Growing up, I thought I would one day leave Alabama, but the potential for opportunity and growth kept me here. By modernizing our school funding policies and expanding access to arts education, we can continue to provide that opportunity and growth for our children today.

Ashley Lucier is the Executive Director of Amp Up Arts, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supported by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts.