The journey to a comprehensive arts education policy for all children in North Carolina just got shorter. The North Carolina General Assembly passed H758 in 2011 calling for the appointment of an Arts Education Commission to review, prioritize, recommend, and implement findings of the Comprehensive Arts Education Plan.

Because of Legislative Champions Representatives Linda Johnson (Cabarrus) and Becky Carney (Mecklenburg) and Senators Pete Brunstetter (Forsythe) and Tom Apodaca (Henderson/Buncombe, Polk), action has been taken to establish the Commission which will meet January – April and present a report to the full General Assembly by May 1, 2012.

The bill is structured to include Commission appointments of 3 representatives each by Governor Beverly Perdue, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, and House Speaker Thom Tillis.

Governor Perdue’s appointments include Representative Becky Carney, Noel Grady-Smith (Curriculum and Leadership Development – Davie County Schools), and Bill Myers (retired administrator/musician, civic leader – Wilson).

President Berger’s appointments are Senator Pete Brunstetter (Forsyth), Governor Jim Martin (1985-93) (Mecklenburg), and Dr. Linda Combs (Forsyth).

Speaker Tillis’s appointments are Representative Linda Johnson (Cabarrus), Noelle Scott (Executive Director – Cabarrus Arts Council), and Dr. Assad Meymandi (philanthropist – Raleigh)

Arts North Carolina will let you know as soon as there is a meeting schedule. All arts education advocates should adopt a “heads up” position as this Committee’s work and recommendations should roll out prior to May 2012.