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