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Concerned about the state of arts education in America? This is a great week to do something about it.

The U.S. House of Representatives has designated this, the second week of September, as “Arts in Education Week.” The goal is to showcase the important role that arts education plays in producing engaged and successful students. Their resolution, which passed last July, stated:

Arts education, comprising a rich array of disciplines including dance, music, theatre, media arts, literature, design, and visual arts, is a core academic subject and an essential element of a complete and balanced education for all students.

Of course, this isn’t necessarily news. A number of schools--Alabama’s Mary B. Austin Elementary and New Jersey’s Woodrow Wilson School come to my mind immediately--have recognized the importance of, and prioritized, arts education for years, to great results. But in an era of reading and math test score accountability, it can appear that in some places arts education has fallen by the wayside. This week presents an excellent opportunity for both educators and policymakers to reconsider its place in our public schools.

Looking for ideas on how to get involved? Check out the Arts Education Partnership website, where you can also use their state policy database to learn more about your state’s arts education polices and compare them with others.