ArtsEd Washington eNews

December 2007

ArtsEd eNews is an e-mail news bulletin dedicated to informing and connecting all segments of the arts education community in Washington State. ArtsEd eNews is brought to you by ArtsEd Washington, the Washington Alliance for Arts Education www.artsedwashington.org. To view this eNews as a webpage,  click here: http://www.artsedwashington.org/Frame_Newsletters.html

In This Issue:

Letter from the President

ArtsEd Washington UPDATE
Introducing our 07-08 Principal Leaders
Advocate for Arts Education with your local School Board
Principals' Program at the Washington State School Directors' Conference (WSSDA)
Creativity Matters Campaign Launched
National Symphony Orchestra's Summer Institute

Washington State Arts Commission Update from Lisa Jaret

OSPI Update from AnnRené Joseph, Program Supervisor, The Arts, OSPI

Introducing the new WSAA Executive Director

Recent Publications and News, Professional Development and Funding

 Join ArtsEd Washington

Sponsor an eNews in 2008!

Letter from the President


Dear Friends and Members of ArtsEd Washington;

With the close of another year come the reflections on all that has happened during the year, where we’ve been, what we’ve accomplished, what more we want to be doing in the world. As human beings, it seems, we’re driven to take stock of our lives, to measure, to evaluate, and to move forward. This is something our kids learn very early, especially once they enter school and become accountable for their progress in each subject area.

Grade level assessments have been the focus of the conversation about school reform for a number of years. Today, there is a new word on the tips of tongues in the education world: creativity. These days, nearly every book on education or business you read touts the importance of creativity and innovation. The Washington Learns report even highlighted the need to put creativity back into the classroom as one of the five guiding principles to overhaul the education system. There was a clear recognition by Governor Christine Gregoire and the WA Learns Task Force that “people who are creative and imaginative will thrive in the knowledge economy” and that “in the new economy, many skills can be outsourced, but creativity and imagination cannot.”

For 25 years, ArtsEd Washington has been very concerned with helping our children to be able to make progress in school and in life. At the heart of our mission is the belief that all children benefit from the inclusion of the arts in their school curriculum. Research into the arts’ impact on learning has shown us that students with high levels of consistent arts participation outperform students with limited arts exposure by virtually every measure, including academic performance. Our challenge has been convincing schools and legislative leaders to listen to the research and make the arts a higher priority in the curriculum.

When I step back and take stock of what ArtsEd Washington has been able to achieve this past year, the thing I feel most proud of is the fact that those who have the authority to make policy decisions about our children’s education are now including the word “creativity” in their discussions. That sound you just heard may have been the sound of a door opening...

Andrea Allen, Board President

P.S. I hope that as you think about making end-of-year gifts, you will keep ArtsEd Washington in mind. If you haven’t yet joined as a member, now is the perfect time to add your voice to the collective call for greater arts resources for our kids. And if you are already a member, why not consider giving a year’s membership as a gift to a friend, or else making a special tax deductible gift in the name of a child? Every dollar we raise goes toward helping all of Washington’s schools provide the complete education every child deserves. Please join today http://www.artsedwashington.org/Frame_Membership.html

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ArtsEd Washington Update
Una McAlinden introduces our 07-08 Principal Program Leaders!
It seems obvious to me that the arts will have better traction in a school with the principal’s blessing and leadership than without – and that’s not just because my parents were both elementary school principals! As we know, principals are uniquely positioned to influence the culture of the school to ensure that the arts are built into school staffing and budgets and to articulate the value of the arts to parents, district administrators, and school boards.

So, we are proud to introduce our new cadre of principals stepping up to the challenge of making the arts part of the complete education they are providing to the children in their school communities. Please join us in welcoming them to the Principals’ Arts Leadership program - now serving 30 schools in 12 districts and 3 counties!

Ellen Challenger, Dickinson Elementary and Paul Luczak, Juanita Elementary bring our Lake Washington School District participants to five.

Also at five are our Bethel Schools with the addition of Tamara Wright at Centennial Elementary

Keri Marquand at Westwood Elementary, is our second leader from Enumclaw School District

The addition of Judy Kay Harris at Eagle Rock Multi-age Program in Riverview means that all Riverview elementary school students are benefiting from our program.

We celebrate our first Kent school with the leadership of Kyle Good at East Hill Elementary.

In Tacoma, we have added Scott Rich at Birney Elementary and Cynthia Horner at Larchmont.

Kristi Smith of East Port Orchard Elementary is our second South Kitsap leader.
If you live in one of these communities, offer them your support and encouragement as they work with their School Arts Teams to build and implement a multi-year Arts Plan.

Continuing in our program, and working on implementation of their School Arts Plans, we have our Alumni principals - part of an evergrowing network of school arts leaders, many of whom are sharing their arts leadership at state level, attending the Creativity Matters summit, presenting at the Washington State School Directors' Conference and meeting with state policymakers to promote the need for arts learning in Washington's schools. We are very proud to assist and support them in this program.

• Cynthia Evans, Helen B. Stafford Elementary in Tacoma School District (Pierce)

• Mike Merrin, Elk Plain School of Choice, Brad Graham, Evergreen Elementary with Jay Brower (Assistant Principal), Ellen Eddy at Rocky Ridge with Leita Earl (Assistant Principal) and Machelle Beilke at Kapowsin Bethel School District (Pierce)

• Janice Heid, Redmond Elementary, Jeff Newport, Rosa Parks Elementary and Steve Roetcisoender at Thoreau Elementary, Lake Washington School District (King)

• Susan Arbury, Southwood Elementary in Enumclaw School District (King)

• Nilsa Sotomayor, newly appointed principal of Saltar’s Point Elementary in Steilacoom School District (Pierce)

• Robert Leslie, Sunnyslope Elementary in South Kitsap School District (Kitsap)

• From North Kitsap School District – Claudia Alves, Richard Gordon Elementary; Lynn Rasmussen, Breidablik Elementary and Ben Degnin at Wolfle Elementary. (Kitsap)

• Joanne Hill, newly appointed principal at Alki Elementary, Seattle (King)

• Laura Ploudre, Parkwood Elementary in Shoreline School District (King)

• Michael Sellers at Armin Jahr Elementary in Bremerton (King)

• And the three other elementary principals in Riverview School District: Amy Wright at Stillwater; Darcy Becker at Cherry Valley and Doug Poage at Carnation Elementary. (King)
In all of these schools we are seeing increased teaching and learning through and in the arts, increased community involvement, and increased teacher enthusiasm in the classroom. The participating schools have embarked upon an intentional path to build teacher capacity to teach the arts and have embraced professional development opportunities to this end. The principals tell us that participating in our program has helped them shift from “outsourcing” their arts education to temporary guest artists (old model) to building their own infrastructural capacity to teach the arts (new model) and is leading to systemic and sustainable change supported by their communities.

If you would like to learn more, or if you are a principal who would like to participate, please email info@artsedwashington.org  or call me at (206) 441-4501. Click the Principals' Program link on our homepage for our program overview.

Advocate for Arts Education with your local School Board!
On October 18th, despite the blustery weather, ArtsEd Washington members enjoyed an inspiring evening with Andrea Peterson, recently named National Teacher of the Year! A Granite Falls music educator for over ten years, Andrea talked about her role as a music teacher and described specific examples of how an arts education has personally affected her students. Among the applauding feedback we received about the event was this comment: "We were inspired by her energy and progressive approach as a young arts/music teacher and felt hopeful that there are more like her in the field." At ArtsEd Washington, we believe it’s an extraordinary testimony to the growing recognition of the arts’ powerful role in learning that this high honor was given to a music teacher and we know that Andrea wears that mantle on behalf of all of Washington's excellent teachers.

Following Andrea's keynote, our great friend, Nancy Amidei of the Center from Civic Engagement talked about the ways we can engage our School Boards as partners in the work to ensure that all students receive a complete education. Thank you to Andrea & Nancy for their engaging presentations.

From ArtsEd Washington's perspective, we believe that it is our shared responsibility as arts education advocates to ensure that School Board directors have the information they need to address these issues. Nancy provided five ideas for fitting school board advocacy into our busy lives and she urged us to remember that ADVOCACY JUST MEANS SPEAKING UP. View the ArtsEd Washington program handout http://www.artsedwashington.org/Documents/Arts%20Ed%20SchBdAdvocacy2007.pdf

Following the event, one member told us "It was great to be among people who feel the way I do about arts education." Next time, we hope to see even more of you!

Principals' Program Leaders at the WSSDA Conference
The Washington State School Directors' Association held their annual conference at the Westin in November. ArtsEd Washington, in collaboration with Arts Impact, presented a breakout session. Una McAlinden of ArtsEd and Sibyl Barnum, Program Director of Arts Impact (part of Puget Sound ESD) facilitated a panel of principals in a session called "The Arts are Basic: Successful Models for Integrating the Arts."  Opening the session, Sibyl Barnum led the district leaders in an exercise of arts-infused learning before Principals Susan Arbury of Southwood Elementary in Enumclaw, Laura Ploudre of Parkwood Elementary, Shoreline and Doug Poage of Carnation Elementary, Riverview shared their motivations for ensuring the arts are taught in their schools with a packed room of School Directors and several superintendents. They described the difference it makes when they, as instructional leaders, make the arts a priority through planning and strategic professional development. Una McAlinden applauded the School Directors for their interest in and leadership of the arts in their districts, reminding them of the importance of enacting the district level policies that will ensure the arts for all students and not just a few. She connected the programs of ArtsEd Washington and Arts Impact to one of the guiding principles of Washington Learns - bringing creativity into the classroom.

Creativity Matters Campaign Launched
On October 30th, Tacoma's Broadway Center hosted the first, and hopefully annual, event on the importance of creativity and imagination in the education of Washington’s students. ArtsEd Washington's Board members, Julia Garnett and Lisa Jaret, and Executive Director Una McAlinden served on the Steering Committee under the leadership of Eric Liu and, together with the superb team at Seattle International Children's Festival, helped pull off this astounding event in just five months.

The summit was attended by Washington’s top business, community, government and education leaders, some from our Principals' Program - Jeff Newport (Rosa Parks Elementary), Ben Degnin (Wolfle), Lynn Rassmussen (Breidablik), and Susan Arbury (Southwood). ArtsEd Washington Board members participated also and of course, our ex officio Board members were there in official capacity: AnnRene Joseph from OSPI, Lisa Jaret of WSAC and Charlie Rathbun from 4Culture.

The summit marked the beginning of a yearlong campaign to promote creativity in schools and communities across the state. As one of the first major initiatives of Creativity Matters, Eric Liu announced a partnership with Lincoln Center Institute (LCI) of New York. LCI has pioneered the Imagination Award, which is given each year to a New York City public school that, in its leadership and its teaching practice, best demonstrates the spirit of imagination and creativity. Now, for the first time ever, LCI is bringing the Imagination Award to a location outside of New York and has chosen Washington State.

Visit the Creativity Matters website http://www.creativitymatters.net/ to see more of the commitments made that day and in the weeks since. On behalf of ArtsEd Washington, Una McAlinden pledged to find ways to extend the Principals' Program to other communities beyond the Puget Sound area. ArtsEd Washington is actively seeking partnerships that will bring this effective program to other regions of the state.

Check out the Creativity Matters Press page to watch the summit's keynote presentation and panel discussion. For a principal's perspective, read the community letter sent to school families by one of our Principals' Program leaders, Ben Degnin of Wolfle Elementary in North Kitsap, after attending the event. http://www.artsedwashington.org/Documents/ben's%20november%20topic.pdf


National Symphony Orchestra's Summer Institute - Applications invited
Every year, Washington's best instrumental students are invited to apply for the National Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Institute. The Kennedy Center has asked ArtsEd Washington to lead a statewide review process to select an outstanding student of instrumental music from Washington State to participate in the NSO's four-week summer institute in Washington, DC.

The Kennedy Center/National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute is a 4-week summer music program at the John F. Kennedy Center for the performing Arts in Washington, DC, for student instrumentalists between the ages of 15 and 20. The program is designed for serious music students who are considering music as their career. Materials must be submitted to ArtsEd Washington or postmarked no later than Friday, February 8, 2008. Students will be notified of the results by March 21, 2008.

For full details and eligibility, or to download the application, visit the ArtsEd Washington Program's page http://www.artsedwashington.org/Frame_Programs.html


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Washington State Arts Commission Update by Lisa Jaret, Board member and Arts in Education Program Manager, WSAC
December Updates from Washington State Arts Commission / Arts in Education Program:
 
WSAC's New Website
If you have not yet seen WSAC’s newly updated website, check it out at www.arts.wa.gov. In the Arts in Education section, you will find information on our grant programs, and you can check out the new Roster of Teaching Artists.

Updated application information for our First Step and Community Consortium grants, including deadlines and revised guidelines, should be posted on our website by January.

The Poetry Out Loud program, a national poetry recitation contest for high school students, is getting underway in four counties this year: Pierce, Spokane, Thurston, and Yakima. The State Finals will be held on March 1 in Tacoma. Please contact me if you’d like further information.

WSAC was a sponsor for a one-day summit called CREATIVITY MATTERS: Teaching Creativity, Transforming Education. I had the honor of serving on the steering committee for this project, (along with ArtsEd Washington E.D. Una McAlinden and board member Julia Garnett, WSAC E.D. Kris Tucker, and many other talented folks,) which was based on a recommendation from Governor Chris Gregoire’s Washington Learns Task Force. While the arts and arts education were well represented at this event, this was not an arts conference – it was about promoting and developing creativity across all disciplines – it’s as important in technology and bio-sciences as it is in painting and choregraphy. We heard from business leaders who talked about the importance of creativity in all professional sectors, and we experienced creative education in various sciences as well as various arts disciplines. The summit marked the beginning of a Creativity Campaign – a statewide effort to engage leaders from all sectors in supporting creativity as a critical and transformative component of education in Washington State.

To learn more this project, and the commitments that have already been made towards this campaign, please visit www.creativitymatters.net. We in the arts community have long understood the value of creativity, and how creativity is developed through arts learning. And now, as the broader community is recognizing the importance of the creative process and creative thinking, we in the arts sector have an important role to play as leaders and partners in this effort.

 
As always, I welcome questions and comments about WSAC's Arts in Education programs. I can be reached at 360-586-2418 or lisaj@arts.wa.gov -- Lisa Jaret Arts in Education Program Manager WSAC

The Washington State Arts Commission cultivates a thriving environment for creative expression and appreciation for the arts for the benefit of all. For more Information: http://www.arts.wa.gov/ / lisaj@arts.wa.gov

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Update from AnnRené Joseph, Program Supervisor, The Arts, OSPI

December 2007,

Here's to a great school year with MORE ARTS for all learners! Dance, music, theatre and visual arts are core and essential academic subject areas in state and federal law in Washington State!

View the recently released “Arts at the Heart of Learning” interview and listen to the pod cast on the OSPI Center for the Improvement of Student Learning (CISL) site at: http://www.k12.wa.us/cisl/K-12/TheArts.aspx

View arts information available 24/7 at the OSPI Arts Education links below.
Find out about Arts Education in WA State and view the many arts professional development opportunities at: http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/arts

The OSPI Memorandum for CBPA district implementation and reporting is at: http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/arts in the Highlights box and at http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/Arts in the Resources section with an updated Letter of Support from Dr. Bergson for this essential work!

Learn about The Arts Classroom-Based Performance Assessments (CBPAs) and view the current bank of 60 Arts CBPAs at: http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/Arts/CBPAentireset.aspx


Artistically yours, AnnRené Joseph, Program Supervisor, The Arts, OSPI, Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment 
Please note: I have a new agency email address: annrene.joseph@k12.wa.us Please update your records. 

OSPI Arts Mission -"The Arts-Communicating and integrating life, literacy, and learning through experience for all learners." http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/arts

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Legislative Update - Introducing the new Executive Director
Mary Langholz (Washington State Arts Alliance)
Hello, ArtsEd colleagues!

I am the new Executive Director of Washington State Arts Alliance (WSAA) and Washington State Arts Alliance Foundation (WSAAF). I am pleased and excited to head these leading state organizations that have kept the arts strong in Washington and at the center of community life and education over the past 30 years. Our office looks forward to continuing the wonderful working relationship with ArtsEd Washington and supporting its efforts.

My 25 years of experience in arts administration (John F. Kennedy Center, Ruth Eckerd Hall and the Seattle Symphony), combined with a great appreciation for the legislative process, have prepared me for the exciting work ahead, including Arts Day 2008 on Tuesday, February 19 and the Cultural Congress, a popular three-day arts conference at Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat near Leavenworth, WA, scheduled for April 28-30 this year.

Please visit our website at http://www.wsartsalliance.com for more information on each. There are great possibilities to get involved on both fronts. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and hope that I am able to meet many of you along the way. Please give me a call at 206.448.1909 if you have any questions or wish me to speak on advocacy at your school or association.

Best regards, Mary Langholz

SIGN UP FOR ACTION ALERTS!!  WSAA Action Alerts will give you the tools to contact your legislators from your office or home, on issues that you care about, and in a timely fashion. To sign up go to: http://capwiz.com/artsusa/wa/mlm/signup/

The Washington State Arts Alliance is the statewide advocacy organization that works to promote public funding, legislation and policy favorable to the arts. Visit their website at http://www.wsartsalliance.com/ for more information.

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Recent Publications and News, Professional Development and Funding
Professional Development and School Outreach Opportunities
Professional development opportunities through our member organizations are posted on our website. Visit the Professional Development Calendar to explore the options and plan your professional development in the arts this year.


Reports, News and Other Resources
We strive to collect the latest research reports, news and information impacting arts education, both locally, at state level and around the nation and to share with you in one central location. Visit our Resource HQ to read this month's latest listings.


Funding Opportunities
New funding opportunities have been added to our website. Click here to find the right fit for your arts education program.


ArtsEd Washington is your Resource Headquarters!
Bookmark the ArtsEd Washington website and check back regularly for news and information at the national, state and local level.
 

Local News and Selected Highlights:
How do you turn STEM into STEAM? Add the Arts!
From our sister organization, Ohio Alliance for Arts Education
" You may have noticed in the media the increased use of the acronym STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. There is a frenzy of activity at the national and state levels to increase student involvement and achievement in the STEM content areas. Educators, businessmen, economists, politicians, and pundits are driving these activities, because they believe that American students are not adequately prepared in science and mathematics to be competitive in the “global economy”.

So...what is the role of music and arts education in STEM initiatives? OAAE has examined this question locally and nationally. Read their article http://www.oaae.net/projects.php?id=9 and then consider the oft repeated priorities of Washington State's policymakers. They need our help to add the arts, so let's build up some STEAM!


S.T.E.M. ADVOCATES HEAR ABOUT ARTS EDUCATION from ELLEN WINNER
From John Abodeely, Manager of Arts Education, Americans for the Arts
Nearly 2,000 college faculty and administrators responsible for the education of the nation's most academically talented students met in Denver at the National Collegiate Honors Council's National Conference. On one hand, you hear a familiar tune. STEM fields are prime -- programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- for America's globalized, green, ethanol-dependent future. But Ellen Winner delivered the "wow" moment of the day. She has spent her lifetime studying how people think when doing art. Her conclusion: art classes teach skills demanded by the science, technology and math professions, but not taught in those classes. It was one of those high-pitched, record needle "urrrt" moments. Everyone stopped, looked and listened. "Playing guitar doesn't make you smarter," she said, "but it teaches you a different skill set necessary for life. Art may not save lives, but they make you a better inventor, evaluator, writer or radiologist." http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=407531 (Paid subscription required)

Learn more about the research of Ellen Winner http://www2.bc.edu/~winner/


“Powerful Learning through the Arts”
What happens in an arts classroom? What are children learning? Over the last two years, seven Seattle-based non-profit youth development and arts education programs worked together to strengthen their programs. The consortium members included Arts Corps, Coyote Central, Hugo House, Nature Consortium, Powerful Schools, Seattle Center Academy, and Youth in Focus. A product of their collaboration is this compelling video that speaks to the tremendous impact of arts learning —showing how the arts not only engage and inspire young people but also help them develop their capacity to learn. Through their participation in the arts, children are able to develop creative habits of mind such as risk taking, persistence, trusting uncertainty, imagining possibilities, making connections, critical thinking and reflection, abilities which will help them succeed in whatever pursuit they choose. View the video http://www.artscorps.org/Gallery/video.html


Port Townsend Schools are also "Making Art Happen"
PT Artscape, formerly known as the Port Townsend Community Consortium (PTCC), is a coalition of artists, parents, community members, businesses, and the Port Townsend School district. PT Artscape presents visual and performing arts in grades K-8 in the Port Townsend School District. Through this community consortium funded in part by a WSAC Community Consortium grant, Port Townsend schools have moved from a series of one-shot arts activities to build a deep culture of collaboration between the arts specialists, classroom teachers, local arts organizations and community artists. Watch a short video of their work http://ptartscape.com/index.html


Eastside Arts Education Fair needs a creative "Tagline"
The Eastside Arts Education Fair is looking for a fun and upbeat tagline for the 2008 Eastside Arts Education Fair. For example, Eastside Arts Education Fair- A Day with the Arts. The Fair is produced by the Eastside Arts Coalition, an alliance of more than 50 organizations and individuals who create, present, and support art in East King County. The purpose of the Fair is to promote the education services and opportunities Eastside Arts Coalition member organizations provide to the community. The Fair will be free and open to the public. It will provide information, performances, workshops and other activities. The winner of the contest will receive a free table at the 2008 Fair if they are already a member of the Eastside Arts Coalition OR a free one year membership of EAC for non-members. The Steering Committee is asking that submissions be sent to fairinfo@eastsidearts.org by January 11, 2008. Find more information


The Dance of Evolution, or How Art Got Its Start
This NY Times article reviews a theory on why we spend so much time on art-making. At a recent symposium, Ellen Dissanayake, an independent scholar affiliated with the University of Washington, Seattle, offered her sweeping thesis of the evolution of art, nimbly blending familiar themes with the radically new. What might that deep-seated purpose of art-making be?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/science/27angi.html?ex=1196830800&en=443f68340d998b85&ei=5070&emc=eta1

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Every Child. More Arts. Together We Can Make This Real!

Join ArtsEd Washington Today!
We depend on your membership dues to help us provide tools and programs to advance arts education and support you in your work by keeping you informed of the latest news and developments locally and nationally. Please support our efforts by renewing or beginning your ArtsEd Washington membership today! Visit the ArtsEd website at http://www.artsedwashington.org/ to support our vital efforts today. Thank you for your help!

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