Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee Senate Bill SJR0042 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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2	2	<BillNo> <Sponsor>
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4	4	SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 42
5	5	By Lowe
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7	7
8	8	SJR0042
9	9	002131
10	10	- 1 -
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12	12	A RESOLUTION to commemorate "Arts in Education Week" in
13	13	Tennessee.
14	14	WHEREAS, arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines, including dance,
15	15	media arts, music, theatre, visual arts, and more, is a well-rounded subject and an essential
16	16	element of a complete education for all students; and
17	17	WHEREAS, arts education enables students to develop critical thinking and problem-
18	18	solving skills, imagination and creativity, discipline and collaboration, alternative ways to
19	19	communicate and express feelings and ideas, and cross-cultural understanding, which supports
20	20	academic success across the curriculum; and
21	21	WHEREAS, arts education contributes to increased attendance and graduation rates;
22	22	elevates academic achievement; enhances social and emotional learning; and prepares
23	23	students for college, career, and citizenship readiness; and
24	24	WHEREAS, arts education contributes to personal growth outside of the classroom,
25	25	including increasing students' likelihood of volunteerism, altruism, and community engagement,
26	26	and participating in civic life; and
27	27	WHEREAS, to succeed in today's economy, students must masterfully develop skills
28	28	that business leaders demand of a twenty-first-century workforce, including the ability to be
29	29	creative, communicate effectively, collaborate with peers, and think critically; and
30	30	WHEREAS, the provision of arts education in elementary, middle, and high school,
31	31	including the designation of arts education as a graduation requirement, is found in
32	32	Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-1025, and Tennessee Compilation of Rules and
33	33	Regulations (0520-01-03-05 and 0520-01-03-06); and
34	34	WHEREAS, new content standards in Fine Arts were adopted by the State Board of
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36	36
37	37	- 2 - 002131
38	38
39	39	Education in 2016; and
40	40	WHEREAS, the State of Tennessee is committed to providing all students with equitable
41	41	access to a quality education, one that includes the arts; and
42	42	WHEREAS, the Tennessee Arts Education Data Project, conducted in partnership with
43	43	the Department of Education, Country Music Association Foundation, Tennessee Arts
44	44	Commission, and Quadrant Research, shows that, while ninety-three percent of all students
45	45	have access to arts instruction, only seventy-nine percent have access to both music and visual
46	46	arts, as required by State policy; further, while seventy percent of students are enrolled in at
47	47	least one arts course, thirty percent are not enrolled in any arts course; and
48	48	WHEREAS, the arts are an integral part of life in the United States and Tennessee and
49	49	are an integral part of a complete education, contributing to the vibrancy and vitality of
50	50	communities and the nation; now, therefore,
51	51	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH
52	52	GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF
53	53	REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, that we join with ArtsEd Tennessee in commemorating
54	54	March 2-8, 2025, as "Arts in Education Week" in Tennessee, a week during which professionals
55	55	in the field of arts education come together in communities across the State to tell the story of
56	56	the impact of the transformative power of the arts in education.
57	57	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
58	58	for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
59	59	the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
60	60	without House or Senate designation.