By Ursula Hessenflow, CAAE Program Coordinator
In these hard economic times, when many schools across the state are losing their arts programs or struggling to keep them alive and the CA Dept. of Education Arts Work grant program is at risk yet again, we searched for an inspiring story from an exemplary district that could offer lessons learned and strategies for institutionalizing arts education at the district-level. Encinitas Union School District rose to the top. Located outside San Diego, Encinitas Union School District is an award-winning district of nine K-6 elementary schools: two National Blue Ribbon and nine California Distinguished Schools and a member of the Model Arts Program Network, a professional development network of over 50 schools state-wide supported by CA Dept. of Education Arts Work grants. The district includes three Title 1 schools that support a significant number of English language learners whose primary language is Spanish.
We asked Kathie Jenuine, Arts Specialist for Encinitas Union, what the recipe is for growing a strong standards-based arts program district-wide.
CAAE: In terms of your district's arts education efforts, what do you see as the greatest strengths?
Jenuine: The strengths of our district's arts education program are two-fold. The first would have to be the powerful leadership support of the arts district-wide. From our School Board members to our Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, the school principals, our district-wide VAPA Instructional Improvement Committee; district classroom teachers - all are convinced of the positive power of the arts on the success of our students.
The other strength we feel most proud of is our committed community arts partnerships. Our students' days are filled with professional artists-in-residence, including Class A.C.T., the SUAVE Art Coach from the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, Liaisons from the Lux Art Institute, docents from the Carlsbad Cultural Arts Office, Cannon Art Gallery, the Museum of Making Music, and student performances and art displays at Barnes and Noble Booksellers, among others. Our arts-rich community has embraced our school district and has provided professional development for the teachers and student field trips to art galleries and theatre performances; all closely-tied to the California Visual and Performing Arts Standards.
CAAE: What are your greatest challenges?
Jenuine: The challenge we face is time. Finding more time to teach all four areas of the arts as discreet subjects within a demanding curriculum-filled school day is a challenge for all K-6 grade teachers.
CAAE: What are the specific benefits of the Arts Work grants and Model Arts Program (MAP) Network for your district?
Jenuine: Specific benefits of the Arts Work grant and the MAP Network have been like magic beans. We planted seeds by creating our 9 district LiaisARTs (one from each of our schools) who were provided extensive professional development through The California Arts Project (TCAP). The "beanstalk" began to sprout and grow as the LiaisARTs provided arts training for their own school site staff. The MAP Network kept that beanstalk growing through professional development in the arts for our administrators. Our involvement in the San Diego Arts Network allowed for more extensive professional development for our principals and Assistant Superintendent. Another crucial benefit of the Arts Work grant is the powerful Arts Education Program Toolkit, A Visual and Performing Arts Program Assessment Process. By using the Toolkit, we have been able to develop our district's visual and performing arts standards and to refine our district arts education program. The Toolkit is also a driving force behind our VAPA Instructional Improvement Committee work.
CAAE: What strategies have been most successful in your work?
Jenuine: The most effective strategy our district uses is the continued implementation of professional development in the arts. Professional development is offered during our modified days, after-school, Saturdays, evenings, and with release-time during the school day. Supported by TCAP, the San Diego County Department of Education, the California Center for the Arts, the Carlsbad Cultural Arts Office, and Class A.C.T., teachers and administrators are kept abreast of arts research and a deeper understanding of the VAPA standards, as well as the VAPA Framework.
CAAE: What lessons have you learned and what advice would you give to other districts that want to do this work?
Jenuine: We can see strong evidence of the importance of professional development for our district administrators. Without the support of the arts from the district office, Board members, and school principals, the inspired arts teachings of the classroom teacher would not be possible. Our district administrators agree that the 4th R in 'readin', 'ritin' and 'rithmetic is for the aRts! Thus, the most important advice we would share with other districts is to "plant the seeds" of arts education at the administrative level. The Encinitas Union School District motto is: Children First. Keeping that in mind, we emphatically believe that what's best for our students is to create arts-rich classrooms, which, in turn, enrich all other core subjects. In the words of author Lucy Micklethwait, "By opening up our children's eyes to art, we can help them understand the world in which they live and the people with whom they share it."
Additional Information
Encinitas Union School District
Impact of the CA Dept. of Education Arts Work grant program