CAE 10th Anniversary: Reflection And Renewal
By Laurie M. Tisch
It seems not that long ago my dear friend and colleague Schuyler Chapin, then New York City’s Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, asked me to head a new organization focused on restoring arts education in public schools. What seemed like such a basic part of learning had been missing from most classrooms for nearly 20 years. As a former teacher, I felt getting arts back into the schools was more than just a request for assistance: it was a rallying cry.
In the years since, CAE has become an important part of my life, and, I’m proud to say, changed the lives of more than 400,000 students in our public school system.
Yet, as we celebrate our achievements, CAE recognizes that there is much more work to be done. Arts education has improved, but has not yet been restored. Our mission for the next decade is to continue towards ensuring that every student has access to quality arts education.
We are striving to build a stronger community in support of restoring the Arts in our classrooms. This will include educators, parents, cultural organizations, and students, as well as politicians, and community leaders, and anyone else interested in building a brighter future for our children.
We will also work hard to improve the quality of teaching and learning by expanding our professional development offerings and fostering new, more expansive partnerships with the Department of Education, the United Federation of Teachers, and other partners.
I hope you will join us as we continue to move forward. Our ultimate goal is to make New York City not only the Arts capital of the world, but the Arts Education Capital. Our children, and our city, deserve it!#
Laurie M. Tisch is the Chairman of the Center for Arts Education.
