WHEREAS, Washington state's greatest asset is the creative, collaborative, and innovative people in its workforce, and Washington schools are an important factor in preparing young adults for the global workforce; and
     WHEREAS, Nearly 20,000 arts related businesses in Washington State employ close to 64,000 people; and
     WHEREAS, The arts make a tremendous impact on the developmental growth of every child and have been proven to help level the "learning field" across socioeconomic boundaries; and
     WHEREAS, Young people who participate in the arts are more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, elected to class office within their schools, and have strong school attendance; and
     WHEREAS, The arts can teach and inspire students about different cultures through dance, music, theatre, and visual art; and
     WHEREAS, The arts are core subjects as defined by state and federal law; and
     WHEREAS, Students with high arts involvement are more than three times less likely to drop out of school by their sophomore year;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize teachers, instructors, and volunteers who bring arts to our children in public schools.