5 Years of PAE!

5 years ago today, I officially registered Parents for Arts Education with the State of Texas.

I started this work after realizing how often arts programs were quietly at risk, not because they lacked impact, but because advocacy was fragmented, underfunded, and usually reactive. Parents cared deeply, but they didn’t have shared language, tools, or support. And they were separated, usually pitted against each other. Art versus band versus dance, etc. (fyi...you don't see biology fighting against math, they're STEM)

What began as a belief has grown into a real movement, powered by volunteers, community advocates… and yes, a founder who has worn all the hats without pay.

I don’t regret that. This work matters too much.

But if Parents for Arts Education is going to be sustainable, scalable, and able to serve communities long-term, it can’t rely on unpaid labor or personal sacrifice alone.

That’s why this year’s Amplify ATX campaign matters so much.

Your support helps fund the advocacy infrastructure that makes this work possible: - tools for parents and students  - shared messaging across arts organizations  - outreach and training before key school decisions are made

Arts programs don’t disappear because people don’t care. They disappear when support and advocacy are under-resourced.

If you believe arts education builds the human skills AI can’t replace. and that it’s worth protecting together, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting our Amplify ATX campaign or sharing it with your network.

Here’s to 5 years of showing up.

And to building something that lasts!