NDEO’s Guest Blog Series features posts written by our members about their experiences in the fields of dance and dance education. We continue this series with a post by Helen Buck-Pavlick, Doctoral Student, The Ohio State University. Guest posts reflect the experiences, opinions, and viewpoints of the author and are printed here with their permission. NDEO does not endorse any business, product, or service mentioned in guest blog posts. If you are interested in learning more about the guest blogger program or submitting an article for consideration, please click here.
In July, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies 2025 funding bill. The Committee recommended a discretionary funding budget of $67.9 billion for the Department of Education, cutting 13% ($11.1 billion) of the Department of Education budget from fiscal year 2024, returning funding to 2012 levels. If enacted, this bill would reduce or eliminate programs that strengthen and diversify the teacher workforce, and support our most vulnerable student populations. In addition to cuts to Title I funds, the appropriations bill eliminates Title II-A, a primary funding source for educator recruitment and professional development.
Before panic sets in, it is important to note that this is only one step in the budget process. Both houses must agree to a single version of the funding bill before the finalized budget is sent to President Biden for a signature. There are many discrepancies between the approved House and approved Senate budgets that need to be reconciled. There will be more negotiations, compromises, and changes before the budget is finalized. There may even be a continuing resolution passed before the FY25 budget is finalized. But the time to advocate is now - before September 30th, 2024: reach out to your legislators, share personal impact stories, and show why these programs are vital for dance education.
What are priority areas for dance educators to watch?
Title I - Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged
Title I aims to improve student achievement through evidence-based strategies (Sec. 1003), provide opportunities for all children to receive an equitable, high-quality education, and close educational achievement gaps (Sec. 1001).
Budget Allocation 2025: $14.6 million
Difference: - $3.8 billion from 2024
Implications: Title I funds ensure access to equitable educational opportunities through fiscal support to supplement schools and districts serving students from low-income backgrounds. “The Committee notes that despite annual increases in funding for Title I formula grants, student test scores continue to decline…Federal tax dollars have not been shown to result in meaningful improvement in student achievement” (p. 207). The House Appropriations Committee Democrats estimate that these cuts might result in 72,000 teachers being removed from classrooms serving low-income students. Funding cuts may reduce dance positions and access to professional learning for dance educators.
Title II-A - Supporting Effective Instruction
Title II-A aims to increase student achievement through the support, preparation, training, and recruitment of school teachers and leaders (Sec. 2001).
Budget Allocation 2025: $0
Difference: Eliminated funding
Implications: While the Committee notes that 75% of districts reported using funds to support teachers and 56% reported using funds to support principals or other school leaders, “[t]he Committee is concerned that school districts are using these Federal funds to train teachers in divisive ideologies” (p. 212). The loss of this funding program would eliminate federal fiscal support to prepare, train, and recruit teachers, principals, and school leaders serving in low-income schools and districts. Research has demonstrated that teacher quality and school leadership are critical factors for increasing student achievement (Learning Forward). Funding elimination would reduce access to dance-specific professional learning opportunities, curricular and instructional supports, and negatively impact student achievement.
Title IV-A - Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants
Title IV-A aims to improve student academic achievement by providing all students with access to well-rounded education (Sec. 4107), improved school conditions for student learning (Sec. 4108), and the use of technology to improve academic achievement and digital literacy for all students (Sec. 4109).
Budget Allocation 2025: $1.4 billion
Difference: + $10 million from 2024
Implications: Despite a moderate increase in funding, Title IV-A funds will likely be transferred to bridge the funding gaps from proposed cuts to Title I and II programs. This is worrisome as Title IV-A is a flexible block grant identifing arts education as an allowable expense. Transferring Title IV-A funds may reduce dance educator’s access to professional learning and travel-related expenses. Title IV-A transfers would also reduce available funding for supplies, staff salaries, teaching artists stipends, field trips, or other instructional support necessary for standards-based, dance education.
NOTE: Title IV-A is a block grant with flexibility for local control over how funding is allocated between the three identified areas (well-rounded, safe and healthy students, and use of technology). If the proposed cuts are enacted, dance education programs will have increased competition for funding.
Title IV-F - Arts in Education
Title IV-F aims to promote arts education for students, including disadvantaged students and students who are children with disabilities, through activities such as professional development, development of instructional materials and arts-based programming, and community and national outreach (Sec. 4642).
Budget Allocation 2025: $0
Difference: Eliminated funding
Implications: Arts in Education (AIE) is the only dedicated federal funding source for arts education through the U.S. Department of Education. AIE supports organizations that provide dance education opportunities to students across the country. Elimination of this program would reduce further access to dance education. “The Committee believes that considering the continued decline of public-school performance and student achievement across the country, funding provided by the Department should be focused on core education such as reading, writing, and math” (p. 220). This rationale ignores ESSA’s focus on well-rounded education (reintroducing language not used in federal policy since No Child Left Behind), and the precedence of the arts as a ‘core’ (now well-rounded) subject established in 1994.
NOTE: Title IV-F is a federal-level discretionary grant meaning that arts organizations apply and compete for funding.
Other programs recommended for elimination:
- Training and Advisory Services
- English Language Acquisition
- Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need
- Teacher Quality Partnership Grants
- Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence
- Regional Education Laboratories
Read the full bill report.
What can I do?
Contact your state’s Senators and Representatives to express your support for these federal programs. Tell your legislators your personal stories and experiences, highlighting how these program funds benefit students within their state. Describing how your students have grown in your dance class can frame why these federal programs are vital to the well-rounded education of ALL children. Compelling requests include data and anecdotes (e.g., a quote or impact from a student or parent) along with the ask.
Consider the equation:
Statistic + Anecdote + Ask = Compelling Request
You can find your legislators using the Americans for the Arts Action Fund.
Sample Letter to Your Legislator1
Dear [Insert name of US Senator or US Representative]
As a constituent, advocate, and community member, I ask you to support funding for federal programs impacting dance education. The recently passed FY 2025 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill proposes drastic cuts to several federal education programs, affecting students, teachers, and communities. Cuts to Title I and II programs would reduce support for students in low-income communities and stem efforts to bolster and diversify the teacher pipeline. These proposed cuts would subject dance programs nationwide to reductions in funds, lowering capacity to provide students with a space to express themselves creatively, collaborate with classmates, and, for many, catalyze engagement in other subject areas. As Congress continues to move through the appropriations cycle, I urge you to support revisions to the funding allocations made to the U.S. Department of Education. Additionally, I encourage you to take the following actions to support equal access to dance programs:
- Increase funding for Title I, Part A to $20.5 billion in FY 2025.
- Increase funding for Title II, Part A to $2.4 billion in FY 2025.
- Direct the U.S. Department of Education to issue guidance to states and districts on the use of Title I and Title II funds to support music and the arts.
- Increase funding for Title IV, Part A to $1.6 billion in FY 2025.
Want to learn more?
Learn more about the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) and types of federal funding that can support dance educators by reading NDEO’s Dance Education Blog: How to Leverage the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for the NDEO National Conference
1 Adapted from NAfME Grassroots Action Center
Helen Buck-Pavlick (she/her) is a dance educator and researcher with over 20 years of combined experience teaching in K-12, higher education, and the independent sector; and has worked for two different state education agencies. She currently serves on the Policy Board of Directors for NDEO and as the Vice President of the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education. Helen holds an M.F.A. in Dance from Arizona State University, an M.Ed. in Educational Foundations from Northern Arizona University, and is a Ph.D. student studying Educational Policy in the School of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University. She is also a Registered Somatic Dance Educator, 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, STEAM Certified Educator/Administrator, and holds an Ohio P-12 license in Dance. Helen is passionate about ensuring all students have access to well-rounded, high-quality dance education.
Photo Credits: featured photo, Noah Gelfman, dance photo by Tracy Whiteside