About the Arts Ed Accelerator Fund
The Arts Ed Accelerator Fund (AEAF) is a donor collaborative dedicated to supporting the successful implementation of Proposition 28, the Arts and Music in Schools Act (AMS Act), to provide all California students with access to high-quality arts education.
Vision
We envision a future where the ability to think critically and creatively are central drivers to every student’s academic, financial, and personal wellbeing. Essential to achieving this vision is increasing the number of diverse, highly qualified visual and performing arts educators and supporting the successful implementation of the Arts and Music in Schools Act.
Mission
Our mission is to facilitate the successful implementation of the Arts and Music in Schools Act by supporting long-term systems change that enables California public education administrators, decision-makers, and stakeholders to prepare, hire, and maintain a diverse and highly qualified arts educator workforce.
Arts education sets students up for long-term success in life. Low-income students who are highly involved in the arts are 5x more likely to graduate high school and 2x as likely to earn a college degree.
Challenges Limiting Successful Implementation
The Arts and Music in Schools Act demonstrated a clear investment of Californians in the power of arts education for all, but that has not yet been realized. School districts have experienced several challenges, such as:
A limited teacher workforce to meet the needs of schools, especially in rural communities, and unclear credentialing pathways to bring more teachers online
Unclear guidelines and limited capacity to implement are making it difficult for schools to compliantly and effectively use the resources available
Insufficient data to understand progress and know what’s working or what is getting in the way
There is a window in the early years of implementation to address near-term challenges and build long-term, sustainable solutions.
