In recent years, public funding for school arts programs has dramatically decreased. Boy, did my mom know all about that when I was in A.P. Art in high school. For the big end of the year art show, it was important (at least to Mr. Marshall, my favorite art teacher) that student masterpieces were matted and framed in order to properly highlight our efforts. My school didn't have extra dollars lying around for this artsy kind of thinking, so luckily parents like my mom were able to foot some of the bill--along with quite a few bucks that came directly from Mr. Marshall's pockets.

A new report by the Foundation Center and Grantmakers in the Arts indicates that foundation funding for arts education has picked up some of the slack in recent years. According to the report, foundations have contributed to a wide range of projects for kids of all ages -- from incorporating the arts into school curriculum, to expanding arts education facilities, to supporting the education of emerging artists, to advancing programs that foster a life-long appreciation of the arts for all age groups.

Foundation support for childhood art education programs grew faster than arts giving overall between 1999 and 2003. In 2003, programs serving youth received over 40 percent of the $208.8 million given for arts education by the biggest U.S. foundations.

I hope that I can deduce from this info that the pockets of teachers like Mr. Marshall have a little more money in them today. Because they deserve it.