The National Art Education Association (NAEA) is committed to ensuring that all students have access to a high quality, certified visual arts educator in every K-12 public school across the United States, recognizing that effective arts instruction is a core component of 21st-century education. "Professional Standards for Visual Arts Educators" represents the knowledge, skills, and attitudes art educators should possess to provide high-quality art instruction for all students. They represent the threshold that all art educators--whether new to the profession or veterans--can pass, and as such can guide and support meaningful instruction and the continued development of arts educators. In addition, the "Professional Standards for Visual Arts Educators" are inclusive of those of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The Standards presented in this paper represent the professional judgment of the art education field about the knowledge and skills all visual arts educators should possess in order to provide high-quality instructional studies in the arts for every student. The Standards apply to both elementary and secondary art teachers, as well as arts educators who teach in museums, early-childhood programs, and other community settings. Users of the Standards should be careful to apply the standards that are appropriate for their setting.