May 12, 2010

Secretary Arne Duncan

U.S Department of Education
Washington, D.C

Dear Secretary Duncan:

We are a group of arts educators from the Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE) deeply
committed to our students and to our profession. As teachers we have a strongly held conviction that we
know you share that the educational development of any student must include a meaningful arts
education. We write to bring to your attention recent policy decisions at the PRDE that severely diminish
the already limited availability of arts programs to students attending Puerto Rico public schools. We
have made every effort to reach out to PRDE leadership and our Governor to request a dialogue that
could lead to a revision of these recent and sudden changes enacted at PRDE to no avail. We ask for your
assistance and respectfully request that your Office take specific steps to ensure that it is known to the
PRDE leadership that reducing the availability and access of students to a meaningful arts education runs
contrary to the Obama Administration’s national education policy of ensuring that a meaningful arts
education is provided to all public school students as part of a well-rounded curriculum.

On March 10th, 2010, PRDE Secretary, Dr. Odette Piñero Caballero published Circular Letter 9-2009-
2010 (CL -9). Among other directives, CL-9 sets forth curriculum and graduation requirements for all
grade levels. With regards to arts education, CL-9 almost completely eliminates arts education as
requirement for PRDE students. CL-9 sets forth that for:

K through 6th grade

There are no Arts class graduation requirements for these grade levels. CL-9 provides that the
Arts “may” be taught for one semester of the school year if the school has a certified arts teacher
as some elementary schools do have Highly Qualified Arts Teachers. However, CL-9 has
established strict time requirements for other core subjects that take up the entire school day
leaving no room for any arts courses to be offered. In schools without a Highly Qualified Arts
Teacher, Arts education may be “integrated” as part of other core subject courses.

7th through 9th Grade

Arts education will comprise of a ½ credit or the equivalent of one semester in that three year
period in order to graduate. That is down from the 1 full credit in Arts education requirement
currently in place this academic year.

10th through 12th Grade

1
 Arts education will comprise of a ½ credit or the equivalent of one semester in that three year
period in order to graduate. That is down from the 1 full credit in Arts Education requirement
currently in place this academic year.

PRDE’s CL-9 does not incorporate the arts as a graduation requirement for K through 6 th grade and
lowers further the credit requirements for Intermediate and Secondary levels at PRDE. PRDE is treating
arts education as a frill. That the First Lady Michelle Obama has said is something our society can no
longer afford to do when she has said, “the arts are not just a nice thing to have or do if there is free time
or if one can afford it…Paintings and poetry, music and design…they all define who we are as a people.”

In an April 9th speech before the Arts Education Partnership National Forum you stated the Obama
Administration’s view that an: “arts education is essential to stimulating the creativity and innovation
that will prove critical to young Americans competing in a global economy”. On that occasion you also
spoke to specific extensive research that shows that a meaningful arts education has proven to
significantly increase student achievement, reduce discipline problems, and increase the chances that
students stay in school and graduate. And that in seeking ESEA Reauthorization your administration will
go: “much further than existing law in supporting a well-balanced curriculum. Our ESEA proposal will
allow states to incorporate assessments of subjects beyond English, Language arts and math in their
accountability systems.”

PRDE is moving in the opposite direction of what has proven to work to help our students increase
academic achievement as well as grow up to be well-rounded individuals. PRDE’s CL-9 runs contrary to
the Obama Administration’s national education goals and policy. We ask your assistance in ensuring that
the PRDE is made aware that they are on the wrong side of what works to help our students achieve
academic excellence. Thank you.

Name School Discipline

Cc:
Pedro Pierlusi, Resident Commissioner, United States House of Representatives
Juan Sepulveda, Director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans
Eric Waldo, Special Assistant, Office of the Secretary, United States Department of Education