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In This Issue
- California to Reconsider Teacher Evaluations in Race for Fed Funds
- Study Demonstrates the Economic Value of Arts in California
- Sacramento Mayor Secures New Funds for the Arts
- Performing Arts High Schools Open in Los Angeles
- California Schools Delay Upgrades to Instructional Materials
- Gates Foundation Offers Help to States That Meet Reform Criteria
- National Arts and Humanities Month
- The Problem Facing the Arts
- Tell Us What You Want to Hear This Year
- New Tools for Advocates
- Achieving Balance in Districtwide Arts Assessment Systems
- Disney Environmental Challenge
- Third Year Report: Evaluation of the Artful Learning Program
CONFERENCES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- California Art Education Association Annual Conference
- New York Conference on Recession-Era Art Education
RESOURCES, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
- VSA Arts and MetLife Foundation Arts Connect All Grant
- Grammy Foundation Jazz Ensembles and Signature Schools Program
- Using Music to Teach Math Grants
- NEA Masterpieces
September 23, 2009
ArtsEdMail provides all the latest information to connect the Arts Education community in California. Our free e-newsletter is published every two weeks.
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Prioritizing,
Funding and Positioning the Arts for Success
Over the summer, the Alliance undertook an informal survey of the 30 largest school districts in California, to ascertain how the budget crisis has impacted visual and performing arts education.
We spoke with visual and performing arts coordinators, advocates, teachers and others. Most reported deep cuts to arts education. In some districts, teaching positions had been lost – though not as many as we originally feared last spring. In most districts, unspent arts and music block grant funds-- which many districts have been holding on to since the inception of the grant in 2006-- were lost, absorbed into the general fund. Moreover, the fate of ongoing state funds is uncertain, as most categorical funds are now available for other purposes. The bottom line is that arts education spending – specifically the block grant funds – has been dramatically reduced, often by as much as half or more.
If there is a silver lining in all of this, it is that many districts also reported that their arts teaching positions survived. We also heard numerous anecdotes about community advocates who made a real difference, going before their school boards to help prevent even more severe losses. Many districts we talked to had a strategic plan for arts education in place, and expected to resume some measure of progress toward those goals once the current emergency subsides.
All of this suggests an agenda for arts education advocates statewide. To read my full comments on our findings and how they affect our work in the coming year, I hope you’ll visit our new blog. Beginning this month, each issue of ArtsEdMail will introduce a topic for debate and link to the blog, where we’ll feature a point of view from a guest commentator and invite your comments. I hope you’ll visit this space and lend your own thoughts to the debate.
In the meantime, be sure to visit our online toolkit for advocates. We recently added some new tools, including a guide to media strategy, organizing advocacy networks, and outreach to the business community. We hope they’ll be useful to you in your advocacy work.
California
to Reconsider Teacher Evaluations in Race for Fed Funds
The Obama Administration’s education reform initiatives mean stimulus
funds may not be available to California schools unless the state changes
the law that bans linking test scores to teacher evaluations. Read
more.
At a rally in Los Angeles last week, the Governor pushed for the swift
passage of his education reform bill to help the state reach eligibility
for federal Race to the Top funds. Read
more.
Study
Demonstrates the Economic Value of Arts in California
The California Arts Council reports that a new Creative Vitality Index report
analyzes how California’s creative sector compares with that of other states.
California has the third highest score in the nation for 2006 and 2007, according
to the results. Find
out more and access report.
Sacramento
Mayor Secures New Funds for the Arts
Mayor Kevin Johnson is making the arts a priority – most recently, by
securing $100,000 in donations to help launch For Art’s Sake, a fledgling
initiative to support the arts. At least one corporate donor responded
to the potential to encourage student success by introducing young people
to the arts. Find
out more.
Performing
Arts High Schools Open in Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, two new performing arts high schools opened recently. The LA
Times compares the two schools and their unique approach to education. Read
more.
California
Schools Delay Upgrades to Instructional Materials
Some California schools are shifting money intended for textbooks and
materials to meet staffing costs. Education Week reports that as the
state allows districts to put off upgrades in instructional materials,
some fear the quality of instruction may suffer. Read
more.
Gates
Foundation Offers Help to States That Meet Reform Criteria
Education Week reports that The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which provided
funding to help 15 states prepare Race to the Top applications, is now offering
assistance to the remaining states, if they meet education reform criteria that
mirror those of the Obama administration. Read
more.
National
Arts and Humanities Month
October is National Arts and Humanities Month. From arts center open
houses to mayoral proclamations to banners and media coverage, communities
across the United States join together to recognize the importance of
arts and culture. Find
out more.
The
Problem Facing the Arts
Michael Kaiser, President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
writes in the Huffington Post about the lack of trained managers in the arts
and the risks to arts organizations. Read
more.
Tell
Us What You Want to Hear This Year
The Alliance recently launched a communications survey designed to find out more
about what we can do to help support your advocacy work in your community. Please
take a minute to share your thoughts. Survey.
New
Tools for Advocates
The Alliance recently updated our Advocacy Tips and Resources page to include
some new guides to advocacy networks and media strategy. View
toolkit.
Achieving
Balance in Districtwide Arts Assessment Systems
The California Alliance and the California County Superintendents Association
commissioned this report from SRI International. It examines issues and promising
practices in districtwide systems for assessing student performance in standards-based,
sequential K-12 arts education programs. Get
report.
Disney
Environmental Challenge
The California Department of Education and Disney’s Planet Challenge are
teaming up to offer a project-based environmental competition for 4th-6th
graders that may provide a great opportunity for collaboration between
arts and sciences. Students are asked to identify an environmental issue for
the project in their local community and come up with a solution that they
manage and document from start to finish. Enrollment deadline is December
18, 2009. Submission deadline is February 26, 2010. Find
out more.
Third
Year Report: Evaluation of the Artful Learning Program
The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing
(CRESST) evaluated the Artful Learning program, an arts-based school improvement
model developed from the work and philosophy of the late composer Leonard Bernstein.
This is the third-year report of evaluation findings. Get
report.
Conferences, Professional Development
California
Art Education Association Annual Conference
The CAEA conference will be held in Los Angeles at the Wilshire Grand Hotel,
November 12 - 15. The conference will have pre-conference and conference tours,
digital focus days, a one-day administrative strand, a one-day elementary strand,
master classes and workshops. Find
out more.
New
York Conference on Recession-Era Art Education
Educators and teaching artists will gather in Syracuse New York on Tuesday
October 27th for a conference about bringing arts into the classroom and
infusing all subject areas through the arts. Find
out more.
Resources,
Funding Opportunities
VSA
Arts and MetLife Foundation Arts Connect All Grant
VSA Arts and MetLife Foundation announce their 6th annual "Arts Connect
All" grant opportunity for arts organizations to strengthen partnerships
with local public schools by creating or enhancing inclusive educational programs.
A maximum of ten grants of up to $15,000 each will be awarded to selected programs.
Grammy
Foundation Jazz Ensembles and Signature Schools Program
The Grammy Jazz Ensembles and Signature Schools programs are both open for applications,
due October 22, 2009. The Grammy Jazz Ensembles program selects top high school
instrumentalists and singers for opportunities to attend the Grammys, compete
for scholarships, perform in Grammy week events and record a CD. The Grammy Signature
Schools, supported by the Gibson Foundation, recognizes and rewards public high
school music programs with grants between $1,000 and $10,000. Find
out more.
Using
Music to Teach Math Grants
Grants are available through the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
for teachers who incorporate music to teach Pre-K through 2 math skills.
The maximum award is $3,000. Application deadline: Nov. 13, 2009. Find
out more.
NEA
Masterpieces
Through American Masterpieces, the National Endowment for the Arts will sponsor
performances, exhibitions, tours, and educational programs across all art forms
that will reach large and small communities in all 50 states. Applications October
8, 2009.
- Performance, Exhibitions, and Tours. Find out more.
- Arts Presenters. Find out more.
- Chamber Music. Find out more.
- Dance. Find out more.
Communications
Manager, California Alliance for Arts Education
We are hiring a Communications Manager at our Pasadena headquarters to oversee
the Alliance’s media and outreach efforts. Find
out more.
Irvine
Foundation, Program Manager for the Arts
The James Irvine Foundation is hiring a Program Director for the Arts to
provide principal leadership for the Foundation’s Arts program, one of
Irvine’s three core grantmaking programs. Find
out more.
Cal
Performances, Director of Development
Located at the University of California, Berkeley, the Director of Development
has primary responsibility for the success of Cal Performances' fundraising
program. The position is responsible for spearheading substantial annual
growth in individual giving, corporate philanthropy, government and foundation
grants, and campaigns for gifts to support and sustain a comprehensive
performing arts center. Find
out more.
Americans
for the Arts, Director of Local Arts Agency Services
The Director of Local Arts Agency Services, based in Washington, DC, leads
a team of professionals responsible for serving and advancing the nation’s
5,000 LAAs—the core membership and field service area of Americans for
the Arts. Find
out more.
California
Council for Humanities, Director of External Affairs
The director of external affairs, based in San Francisco, is responsible
for developing, implementing and managing the day-to-day execution of CCH's
fundraising and communication plans. Find
out more.
Executive
Director, Inside Out Community Arts
Based in Venice, CA, Inside Out Community Arts is a nationally recognized
not-for-profit
organization that supports and inspires inner-city middle
and high school
youth to develop social, communication and life skills
and take ownership
of their own lives. Read
more.
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