This ballot measure would create a dedicated funding stream for art and music education not by raising taxes, but by requiring the state to match 1 percent of California’s prekindergarten-through-12th-grade school dollars from the general fund.

All kids deserve the quality arts education that California promises but has failed to deliver at many of its public schools. Voters have a measure before them to start living up to those ideals and they should support it.

Involvement in music and arts leads to overall higher GPAs, higher scores in math and reading and a reduced risk of behavioral problems and suspensions.

Support for [Prop 28] is high, largely due to it not raising taxes and helping students prepare for careers centered around Californian industries.

Proponents say exposing students to the arts can keep them engaged in school and arm them with skills that could lead to careers.

[Students] deserve to have an enriched education that might otherwise be available only to students whose parents can pay for private instruction in the arts.

Prop 28 is an opportunity to enrich the lives of 6 million public school students.

Just as math teaches [students] two plus two and how to get along in life, the arts teach them how to have empathy, how to be better people, how to have confidence and interact.” 

[Prop 28] gives voters the opportunity to bring music to the classroom. Let’s lift up our civic voices and sing out a hit for California’s students.

Only 1 in 5 public schools in California have a full-time arts or music program. Our kids deserve better.” -San Diego arts and music teachers Russ Sperling and Jeanne Christensen