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Vermont Arts Council asks Senate Education Committee to set statewide arts-education standards
Summary
The Vermont Arts Council told the Senate Education Committee Feb. 12 that arts education improves student outcomes and urged a statewide assessment, minimum K–12 standards and updated enforceable benchmarks; a high-school violinist described personal academic and social benefits of music programs.
On Feb. 12, the Senate Education Committee heard a presentation from the Vermont Arts Council on the role of arts education in K–12 schools and the council’s request that the state adopt clearer, statewide arts-education benchmarks.
The Vermont Arts Council, represented by Executive Director Susan Evans, told the committee that the council’s work “is to cultivate and advance the arts and creativity throughout Vermont” and said arts learning boosts student engagement and academic performance. The council asked the Legislature to (1) conduct a statewide assessment of arts learning, (2) establish minimum K–12 arts-education standards statewide, and (3) update the state’s education quality standards to include enforceable arts benchmarks.
The request reflects the council’s argument that access to arts experiences varies by district. “If where you go to school ends up determining the kind of level of arts experiences that you are getting, which becomes really problematic,” Evans said, urging a statewide solution and partnership with the Agency of Education. The council noted it awarded just over $3,200,000 in grants in FY2023 and that roughly 40–45% of its funding is federal dollars that require a dollar-for-dollar state match; private fundraising supplements state and federal funds.
A student witness, Maddie Messier of Phillips Creek Academy in St. Albans, described more than a decade of music study and the personal effects of participation. “Music has made such an impact on my life, especially at an early age, and it can similarly influence other students, even giving them a purpose to go to school,” Messier said, describing participation in the Vermont Youth Orchestra program, district- and all-state ensembles, and the time commitments and opportunities those programs provided. Committee members asked about program size and access; Messier said the youth orchestra has about 75 students and the overall program serves more than 200.
Council staff and the student highlighted equity concerns in rural districts, where administrators and presenters said recruiting and retaining arts teachers is often harder and local nonprofits are less likely to be available to fill gaps. Evans told senators that many arts positions are now open across the state and that arts teachers are sometimes split across multiple schools, limiting consistent access.
The council and witnesses also pointed to broader economic and community impacts: they said the creative sector produced about $1.2 billion in Vermont’s economy in 2022 and emphasized arts programs’ role in social connection, mental-health support and educational outcomes. The council said it provides direct grants for early-childhood arts, school residencies and creative-aging programs, and that it trains teaching artists and arts organizations to increase sustainability.
No formal committee action or vote was recorded on Feb. 12. The council invited legislators to a Creative Sector Day reception at 3:30 p.m. in the Cedar Creek Room following the hearing.
