E-Newsletter for March 7, 2007
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- Update On Arts Education Funding
- Governor Declares March 2007 as Arts Education Month
- Arts Education Resolution from the California State Legislature
- Study Recommends Schools Offer More Instruction In Art
- Compton Band Gets An Instrumental Gift
- SFUSD Focuses On The Arts
- Arts May Suffer Under ‘Fair' School Plan, Some Educators Say
- Toward An A+ In Creativity
- CT Schools Look For N.C.L.B Arts Balance
- An Unfinished Canvas Summary Report Available Online
- The Insider’s Guide to Arts Education goes Digital
- Plan Your Arts Learning in Action Event Today
- Annenberg Institute Launches Equity and Excellence Website
- Creative Industries Drive The Los Angeles Regional Economy
CONFERENCES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Discounts for Groups: State of the Arts: Leadership in Education Conference
- Americans for the Arts Annual Convention
- Free Tickets Available For U.S. Solo Debut
- Professional Development For Performing Arts Teachers In Rural Communities
SCHOLARSHIPS, CONTESTS & AWARDS
- Theater In Our Schools Month Essay Contest
- For Excellence In Teaching
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News
Update On Arts Education Funding
The $500 million funding for Arts Education and Physical Education continues to move through the administrative process within the Department of Education. The letters from School Fiscal Services to county superintendents are now expected to be sent out in late March/early April. These letters will let superintendents know that they may inform districts, charters and the county office of education about the apportionment they will be receiving. The checks from the controller's office to county treasurers are expected to be sent out two to four weeks after the letters are mailed. At that time the apportionment list will be posted on the CDE website, as it was posted for the $105 million.
The $105 million funding for Arts Education has had its first payment made to all districts, charters and county offices of education programs. That payment is a 75% payment based upon 2005-2006 school enrollment data. The remaining 25% payment, scheduled to be disbursed late June, 2007 will be based upon 2006-2007 school enrollment data. If a charter is new for 2006-2007 they did not receive a January 75% payment. They will receive 100% payment when the June 2007 disbursement is made. If you would like to check the apportionment to a particular district, go to www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/. Then click on “Arts and Music Block Grant”, “Program Funding Results”, and “Schedule”.
Governor Declares March 2007 as Arts Education Month
Governor Schwarzenegger issued a Proclamation on March 5, 2007, proclaiming March as Arts Education Month in California.
"By investing in arts education in our K-12 schools, we improve not only our children’s cognitive skills, but also give them new means to discover, explore and appreciate the beauty of the world around them. I am a strong believer in the tremendous impact that the arts can have on the young minds of our children, and I am committed to making sure that they are an integral part of every child’s education. In support of the arts, California has budgeted hundreds of millions of dollars to needed programs for the benefit of our children. Through the efforts of federal, state and local governments, non-profit organizations and concerned individuals, we will ensure that every student will be exposed to the benefits of arts education." To read the full text, please click here.
Arts Education Resolution from the California State Legislature
Assembly Concurrent Resolution 18, authored by Assemblyman Ira Ruskin (D-Redwood City) is now in print. It states that “the Legislature proclaims the month of March 2007 as Arts Education Month and encourages all educational communities to celebrate the arts with meaningful activities and programs for students, teachers, and the public that demonstrate learning and understanding in the visual and performing arts, and urges all residents to become interested in and give full support to quality school arts programs for children and youth. For the full text of the resolution, click here.
Study Recommends Schools Offer More Instruction In Art
In a statewide survey of 1,123 California schools, researchers at SRI International found that 89 percent of schools fail to meet state standards for arts education. Funded by the Menlo Park-based William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the survey discounted art activities that did not meet state standards. Six years ago, the state recognized the importance of arts by adopting standards for teaching them. Just as algebra and geometry form the building blocks for trigonometry and calculus, taking recorder and music theory classes leads to playing in the jazz ensemble or marching band. But the state doesn't impose penalties on districts for not meeting the arts standards. To read this article in full, please click here.
Compton Band Gets An Instrumental Gift
"Jaime, you feel like tapping on the desk a little bit, you and Jonathan?" he asked his drummers. "Flute players, can you hold your flutes like this, pretend you're holding them?" He raised his hands in the flute position. The flute players raised their flute-less hands too. "Trumpets? Let's see the trumpet-player hands." And so it went, until he had an entire marching band marching in place, imaginary instruments in everyone's hands, heads occasionally straying to glance at the growing number of strange men and women in pinstripe suits gathering outside the band room window. Moments later, the pinstripe suits, belonging to Smith Barney bankers, began to march into the band room. Each carried a brand new instrument, 42 in all, tucked into a brand new case. And the children stared, quietly at first, until the strangers began to hand them the instruments. And then bedlam erupted. The money for the instruments donated to Roosevelt Middle School in Compton — $56,000 — came from Citi Smith Barney, whose regional director, Jerry Eberhardt, presided over Thursday's surprise delivery. To read the entire article, please click here.
SFUSD Focuses On The Arts
"While schools throughout California struggle to maintain arts education programs, the San Francisco Unified School District is beginning to see the effects of a massive plan to beef up its arts curricula across The City. District educators are in the first year of implementing the Arts Education Master Plan, an ambitious road map to give arts education to each student at every school. . . . This year, $2.2 million has been allocated for 15 middle school art teachers and 76 elementary art coordinators’ stipends. Those funds have also stocked art supply cabinets and trained the district’s middle and high school principals. That’s only the beginning." To read the full article please click here.
Arts May Suffer Under ‘Fair' School Plan, Some Educators Say
In New York City, "supporters of arts education say it could suffer under Chancellor Joel Klein's new 'fair' school funding formula, which may dissolve funding previously dedicated to arts spending into principals' general budgets. . . . The fund, known as Project ARTS, was created in 1997 under the Giuliani administration to give principals incentives to increase arts education in their schools." To read the full article please click here.
Toward An A+ In Creativity
A Boston Globe editorial speaks in favor of a new bill in the Massachusetts state Legislature that would "create a new measuring stick" for school performance "that charts the chances students have to engage in creative activities. That might mean acting in the school play or being in the science fair. . . . Filed by Representative Daniel Bosley, a North Adams Democrat, the bill would set up a commission of cultural and business people as well as educators and legislative representatives to devise an index of creative and innovative education." - shared by Gregory Liakos of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. For the full article please click here.
CT Schools Look For N.C.L.B Arts Balance
Michael Blakeslee of the National Association for Music Education says Congress should "hold schools accountable for producing well-rounded students by making districts place information about their arts programs on yearly report cards." For the full article please click here.
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Announcements
An Unfinished Canvas Summary Report Available Online
A landmark study from independent research institute SRI International and funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, for the first time systemically examining the status of arts education in California, reveals that the vast majority of California's schools fail to meet state standards for teaching the arts, and that access to arts instruction varies widely among the state's schools. To read the summary report, please click here. To read the full report, please click here.
In conjunction with the release of the report, KQED’s Forum with Michael Krasny hosts a show featuring guests Katrina Woodworth, principal investigator and researcher of the study, Moy Eng, program director of the performing arts at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Laurie Schell, executive director of the California Alliance for Arts Education. To listen to a podcast or download a MP3 of the March 5 show, click here.
The Insider’s Guide to Arts Education goes Digital
CAAE’s Insider’s Guide is both a guidebook and a hands-on technical assistance process that enables districts to assess current arts learning programs and funding allocations, identify gaps in delivery, and create long range plans that will ensure equitable access for all students in each of the four arts disciplines. The Insiders Guide to Arts Education Planning offers field-tested best practices, innovative ideas, templates and strategies as a guide to navigate the challenging terrain of arts education planning. To visit the Guide, please click here.
Plan Your Arts Learning in Action Event Today
The California State PTA and CAAE are jointly sponsoring a statewide campaign to bring elected officials into our schools to witness the power of learning in the arts during arts education month in March. First-hand experience with the arts is a powerful tool; having the opportunity to witness students’ engagement, joy, enthusiasm and learning has great impact on any observer. One of the goals of Arts Learning in Action is to bring EVERY state legislator into a school during March. Make the most of your arts activities during the month of March by using this toolkit to plan and organize your own Arts Learning in Action event. Click here to get started!
Annenberg Institute Launches Equity and Excellence Website
The Annenberg Institute for School Reform announces a new website on Understanding Educational Excellence and Equity at Scale. The site aims to address a crucial issue in education reform: different strategies currently in use have created pockets of excellence but have not created equity. They have not lessened large-scale, persistent academic achievement gaps based on race and income. This site provides text-based, audio, and video resources from important voices in education reform to support an ongoing dialogue on the twin goals of educational excellence and equity at scale in urban schools. The Annenberg Institute invites you to explore the site and would welcome your feedback through the interactive blog or the online user survey. To visit the site please click here.
Creative Industries Drive The Los Angeles Regional Economy
Otis College of Art and Design released today a Report on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region. Prepared by Jack Kyser, Chief Economist of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), the key findings are stunning—including one million direct and indirect jobs generated by the creative industries in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Far from being a “supporting player” in the LA Economy, the creative industries lead the pack, surpassing the two long time “traditional” leaders—International Trade and Tourism. “Now that we know definitively that creativity drives the regional economy, it is imperative that educators, business and cultural leaders, and elected officials work together to ensure that the creative fields are recognized as an economic engine and properly supported in the future,” says Otis President Samuel Hoi. “As leaders we must understand that by inspiring young people through arts-infused learning opportunities, we can help the next generation reach its highest levels of intellectual, civic, and economic empowerment.” To see a full copy of the report, please click here.
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Conferences, Professional Development
Discounts for Groups ~ State of the Arts: Leadership in Education Conference
California County Superintendents Educational Services Association Arts Initiative and California Alliance for Arts Education invite you to State of the Arts: Leadership in Education Conference. Sacramento, CA, May 15-16, 2007. Featured speakers include Eric Booth, nationally recognized author and speaker, and Dr. Katrina Woodworth, senior researcher at the Stanford Research Institute, who will share findings from a recent study of arts education in California. For more information and to download a brochure and registration form, click here.
Americans for the Arts Annual Convention
Americans for the Arts will hold it’s annual convention in Las Vegas on June 1, 2 & 3, 2007. The Convention will bring together a stellar collection of talent, intellect and dynamism. For more information please click here.
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Regional Highlights
Free Tickets Available For U.S. Solo Debut
Free tickets are available for the first 50 CAAE Readers to respond to see World Class Tenor Carlos De Antonis as he makes his U.S. Solo Debut at an invitation-only concert at Royce Hall, on the campus of the University of California at Los Angeles, Friday March 23rd at 8pm.
Tenor Carlos De Antonis will be performing songs from his new record DEL CUORE, which was produced by Kim Scharnberg. De Antonis appeared as the original lead for the “Hunch Back of Notre Dame” where he gave 300 sold out performances in the famed Luna Park, in Buenos Aries. Out of the many performances Carlos has done while traveling the globe and performing roles in the most prestigious Opera houses in the world, a few highlights include: the lead in “Dracula” where he was seen again in Argentina and Chile, the 2000 World Polo Championships in Berlin where he closed the ceremonies in front of 100,000 people, and his performances in the famous Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory theatre in Milan taking on lead roles in Gioacchino Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglio”, Giacomo Puccini’s “La Boheme”, and Giuseppe Verdi’s “La Traviata”, all with the famed orchestra Pommeriggi Musicale. To learn more about Carlos go to www.carlosdeantonis.com. For ticket information regarding the 50 giveaways to CAAE ArtsEdMail readers, email rsvp@carlosdeantonis.comor call 323.466.4732.
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Professional Development For Performing Arts Teachers In Rural Communities
The Dana Foundation Rural Arts Initiatives grant funds to professional development programs for performing arts teachers in rural communities. Deadline for the Letter of Intent for 2008 is June 4, 2007. For more information please click here.
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Scholarships, Contests & Awards
Theater In Our Schools Month Essay Contest
An essay contest for students in grades K-12 is being sponsored by the American Alliance for Theatre & Education in celebration of March’s National Theatre in Our Schools Month. For more information please click here. (Source: Arts Education Network Weekly News)
For Excellence In Teaching
The 2007 Butler-Cooley Excellence in Teaching Awards honor classroom teachers who have changed the outcome of students’ lives and the communities in which they live. Deadline: May 1. For more information please click here. (Source: Arts Education Network Weekly News)
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