ArtsEd Washington eNews
September 2008
ArtsEd WA Co-Presents at King County Advocacy Meeting
Presenting Our New Program Manager
PAL Program Schools Receive WSAC Grants
Former ArtsEd WA Board Member Joins Seattle Public Schools
Teacher Professional Development
Advocacy Tip:
How to Enjoy a
Town Hall Meeting
The Town Hall Meeting is an American tradition that deepens citizen participation in the democratic process. These informal, open meetings are forums for public discussion before the private decisions of the voting booth and the eventual decisions of elected officials.
Town Hall Meetings can influence public dialogue, policy and practice. They present opportunities for our voices to be heard in support of arts education, in the form of leading questions. In a candidates’ forum, we only have to ask the questions and listen to the answers, no speech required from the advocates!
But no one said democracy would be easy, and making yourself heard in a room with people who are worried about their jobs and homes, fuel and food costs, health care and war and a long list of other concerns, requires savvy on your part.
Start with what you know. You know that without significant arts education, our country will not be equipped to conquer those other looming issues. You know that we will have no solutions without using considerably more innovation, imagination and empathy than we currently employ—that’s what arts education is about. You know that, because arts education has been buried in the budgets, our children are not being adequately prepared for the jobs and responsibilities of the 21st century.
Now prepare to lead with a question, and listen for the direction your advocacy must take.
Since your topic is education, you’d better do your homework. You have given yourself two assignments:
Attending the meeting: Tackle the meeting logistics first; it is the easier assignment and builds confidence. Assume nothing. Consider the date, time and place of the Town Hall Meeting carefully. Contact the event organizer and ask a few questions – What is the meeting format? How much time will there be for questions? Is it possible, or required, to submit a question in writing before the meeting? Will follow-up questions be allowed?
On meeting night, briefly introduce yourself to the organizers and, if possible, thank them for their help before the meeting begins. Bring along influential friends and supporters to sit with you and nod approvingly. Consider the kind of media coverage you might expect and prepare to be a highlight.
Presenting the question takes you back to what you know, and leads to what you need to know. Make sure you understand your own question. Start by stating it clearly in 25 words or less, with no frills. “How will we expand access to quality arts education so that every child in our schools can benefit from a complete education?” is a general question – there will be more specific questions in a local forum. Once you have the question formed, you will need to introduce it and put it in context.
A good introduction is a pertinent quote from a knowledgeable source (best case: you have access to the WSAA Candidates’ Survey beforehand, and can quote the candidate herself!), followed by a local statistic, and then, “My question is this….”
Take your turn and ask your question. Don’t be afraid to go first! It may be your best chance, and if you are well prepared you can set the standard for the rest of the meeting. Listen carefully to the answer, and unless you have a follow-up question prepared, thank the candidate and sit down. This is not a debate, and you have your answer. You will have time to work with it later, as you chart your strategies for effective advocacy for arts education.
This Advocacy Tip is provided by the Advocacy Committee of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network, of which ArtsEd Washington is a member.
Related sources: Arts Education Partnership, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, SupportMusic.com, America Speaks and TheImagineNation.net.
Click here to download a PDF of this ArtsEd Washington Advocacy Tip.
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ArtsEd Washington Staff
Una McAlinden, Executive Director
Erin Guest, Program Manager
Christine Bateman, Communications & Membership Manager
158 Thomas Street, Suite 16
Seattle, WA 98109
P 206.441.4501
F 206.441.3042 http://www.ArtsEdWashington.org
Dear ArtsEd Washington friends and members,
Welcome back to a new school year! I hope you feel refreshed and ready for a great year ahead. We didn’t have the quiet summer that I secretly desired, but it was energizing in many other ways:
- Landmark Arts Education Policy: With your help, and collaboration with many arts and education advocates, we encouraged the State Board of Education to pass their proposal for CORE 24, including a historic two arts credits required for high school graduation.
- Significant Program Progress: We received lots of food for thought from the preliminary evaluation work we carried out last year in our Principals’ Arts Leadership program. We have revised some of our program tools based on that input – we are always listening and responsive, as I hope you’ve noticed!
- Improved Office Logistics: We have expanded our office space and now have a more comfortable environment for our growing staff to work effectively.
- Exciting Staff Addition: This week we welcomed on board Erin Guest, our new Program Manager, who will lead our PAL program through a second, more in-depth phase of evaluation so we can develop a replicable model to be used in other parts of the state.
- Passionate, Dedicated Board: We are pleased to introduce this year’s officers on our Board of Directors:
Mike Sandner – President
Andrea Allen – Immediate Past President
Bob Cooper – Secretary
Bryce Van Parys – Treasurer
Along with many parents across the state, I thought back-to-school might be a chance to rest… But somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen. ArtsEd Washington is in high gear for the year ahead, with a full cadre of principals signed on to our Principals’ program, plans afoot for Community Conversations in other regions of the state, and more!
There’s never been a better time to be connected with ArtsEd Washington, so please spread the word! The first step is easy: Forward this issue of ArtsEd WA eNews to your friends and colleagues, and invite them to subscribe directly at http://www.artsedwashington.com/Frame_Newsletters.html.
And, as always, please contact us at 206.441.4501 or info(at)artsedwashington(dot)org with your ideas and questions. We’re here to help you advance arts education for all K-12 students in Washington State!
Sincerely,
Una McAlinden, Executive Director
ArtsEd Washington Will Co-Present
“Ensuring the Future Audiences of Washington's Cultural Organizations”
Please join us this Friday, September 26, as ArtsEd Washington Executive Director Una McAlinden co-presents at this week's Washington State Arts Alliance King County Arts Advocacy Meeting, 8:30-9:30 a.m., at Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Phelps Center on Mercer Street in Seattle.
Una will be joined by two other influential arts education leaders – Lisa Jaret of the Washington State Arts Commission and AnnRené Joseph of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction – as they discuss what is happening at the state and local levels regarding arts education programs, as well as the State Board of Education's recently passed CORE 24 proposal for high school graduation requirements, including an increase to two arts credits.
Be informed and able to inform others! That is what arts advocacy is all about. Feel free to share your thoughts or just listen. No RSVP required. We hope to see you there!
Presenting Our New Program Manager
This month we bid a fond farewell to Gail Frasier and warmly welcome Erin Guest as our new Program Manager for the Principals’ Arts Leadership program.
We’ve been very fortunate to have Gail with us, and all of you who worked with us this year have seen her talents and passion for putting the arts into the classroom. With that in mind, it likely will not surprise you that Gail has decided to focus her efforts back toward working in the classroom full-time as a theatre teaching artist and consultant.
“Working for the PAL program has been an honor,” said Gail. “I value and admire the work of our Executive Director, board, principals, teachers and communities to make art happen in schools. The PAL program is doing ground-breaking work in Washington State for sustainable arts programming and needs a program manager that will grow to meet future demands and expansion. “
We will miss Gail’s creative energy, organization, and dedication to ArtsEd Washington and the advancement of arts education in our state. She has taken our Principals’ Program to a new level, and for that we are truly, deeply thankful.
We are also excited to have found our new Program Manager, Erin Guest. She comes to us with more than 10 years of experience in non-profits and public schools, specializing in program management and evaluation, which we know will help us move the Principals’ Program into the next level of growth. Erin previously served as an internal program evaluator for Seattle Public Schools; she has also worked as the Foundation and Grants Manager for the Alliance for Education, and as the Director of Writers in the Schools, a literary arts program which places writers in the classroom for year-long residencies.
We look forward to another successful year of the PAL program under Erin’s guidance and coordination. She can be reached at erin(at)artsedwashington(dot)org or 206.441.4501.
PAL Program Schools Awarded WSAC Grants
Congratulations to the following PAL program schools, recipients/beneficiaries of Arts in Education grants from the Washington State Arts Commission to advance the strategic
all-school arts plans they created as part of our Principals’ Arts Leadership program:
--Riverview School District, including Eagle Rock Multi-Age Program, Stillwater Elementary, Carnation Elementary, and Cherry Valley Elementary
--Rocky Ridge Elementary School, Bethel School District
--City of Enumclaw, including Southwood Elementary, Westwood Elementary, Black Diamond Elementary, Byron Kibler Elementary, and Sunrise Elementary
--South Kitsap School District, including Sunnyslope Elementary, East Port Orchard Elementary, and Orchard Heights Elementary
We know that each school’s arts leadership team has worked hard to develop and implement their plan, and we applaud their continuing efforts to ensure long-term success and sustainability.
For the full list of WSAC Arts in Education grant recipients, please visit http://www.arts.wa.gov/education/grants-2009.shtml.
Former ArtsEd Washington Board Member Kathleen Allen Joins Seattle Public Schools
ArtsEd Washington is pleased to announce that former Board member Kathleen Allen recently joined Seattle Public Schools as the new Cultural Arts Liaison. She is the second member of the district’s arts leadership team taking shape under the Arts Education Partnership Initiative launched this year by the city of Seattle and Seattle Public Schools.
Kathleen will be the primary contact for cultural groups interested in working in Seattle schools. She will solicit and manage grant funding, provide support to teachers and administrators, develop opportunities to showcase student work, and increase communication with arts education stakeholders.
Kathleen brings 15 years of experience developing educational programs and resources for cultural organizations. She most recently served as a research associate with Baker Evaluation Research Consulting, Inc., where she conducted a primary evaluation of our Principals’ Program and completed exploratory research for our Curricula Bank.
All of us at ArtsEd Washington wish Kathleen the best of luck in her new position, and we look forward to the many new ways that we can work together to bring arts education into every Seattle classroom.
Washington State Arts Commission Update
by Lisa Jaret, Arts in Education Program Manager
In January of 2006, we released the Arts for Every Student publication, part of our Arts Education Research Initiative (AERI). You can find the PDF of that booklet, along with the full research report, on our website: http://www.arts.wa.gov/education/aeri.html. I’m pleased to report that we are embarking on our second AERI effort this year, which will provide us with current data to update the baseline information that is now several years old. Later this fall a survey will go out to all K-12 principals. We are working with OSPI, ArtsEd Washington, the Association of Washington State Principals, and other partners to make this project a success. ArtsEd Washington will send out a notice when the survey is released, so that all of you non-principals out there can support survey participation among the principals you work with, and can help gather data as appropriate.
We are gearing up for the fourth year of Poetry Out Loud in Washington State. This is a national poetry recitation contest for high school students (grades 9-12); more information about the national program is at www.poetryoutloud.org. We have added new regional partners again this year, with Clark County and Skagit County joining Pierce, Thurston, Spokane, and Yakima as our regional hubs. This year, public schools outside of these regions are also eligible to participate, and will be connected to the closest regional final. For more information about this program, you may contact me, or our new Poetry Out Loud coordinator, Mary Lane, at poetry(dot)out(dot)loud(at)arts(dot)wa(dot)gov. The school registration deadline is November 20.
As always, I welcome questions and comments regarding WSAC’s Arts in Education programs. I can be reached at 360.586.2418 or lisaj(at)arts(dot)wa(dot)gov.
OSPI - The Arts Update
by AnnRené Joseph, Arts Program Supervisor
Welcome back to a new school year! This is a historic year for arts education. Please read, use, send, and support the information that you will find on the OSPI Arts website: http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/Arts/default.aspx.
Thank you to all who partner, advocate, support, celebrate, promote, and provide arts education to all learners – for life. Washington State is leading the nation in the development of a systemic structure to sustain, support, grow, celebrate, promote, and offer arts education K-12 (P-20) to all learners in all 295 school districts. We are doing a great job, and we have a lot more to do to ensure that all students and learners have access to arts all the time, everywhere, from birth to life. MORE ARTS!
Join in the celebration, attend our conferences, and keep up the great work! All of us agree- MORE ARTS makes life better for all of life. If you email me at AnnRene(dot)Joseph(at)k12(dot)wa(dot)us and receive an “out of office” reply, open it up and read it. The response is full of information, research, and links to current events.
COMING SOON:
- New and Revised Arts Classroom-Based Performance Assessments (CBPAs) for use beginning in Fall 2008!
- Washington State Reporting Form for The Arts, Health and Fitness, and Social Studies beginning in Fall 2008 - Worksheet for Teachers - Official form for district reporting will be sent through iGrants.
- Arts Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) - "Official Draft" will debut at the OSPI January Conference
Washington State Arts Alliance Update
by Mary Langholz, Executive Director
The Washington State Arts Alliance (WSAA) is a statewide advocacy organization that works to promote public funding, legislation and policy favorable to the arts.
During this election year, the Washington State Arts Alliance sent an arts survey to the State’s “top two” primary winners. WSAA worked with ArtsEd Washington and other state arts leaders on appropriate arts education questions to include in the survey. You may view the survey mid-October at www.wsartsalliance.com to see how candidates in your district responded. It is important that arts advocates learn about each candidate’s stand on issues related to the arts. Please let each of them know that arts education and community arts funding are important issues to statewide voters.
There will be many legislative issues on the horizon this year. If you would like to receive Action Alerts so that you can participate in advocacy effort relating to arts education, arts funding and other issues impacting the arts, please sign up on the WSAA Action Alert List. Also, don’t forget to register and to vote on November 4.
Those of you who live in King County are welcome to attend WSAA’s King County Arts Advocacy meeting this Friday, September 26, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., in the board room at Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Phelps Center on Mercer Street in Seattle. The theme of the meeting is K-12 arts education. The program includes guest presentations by AnnRené Joseph, OSPI’s Program Supervisor for the Arts; Lisa Jaret, WSAC’s Arts In Education Program Manager; and ArtsEd Washington Executive Director Una McAlinden.
Please note the new address for the Washington State Arts Alliance and Foundation: 1204 Minor Street, Seattle, WA 98101. Our phone number remains the same at 206.448.1909. WSAA
5th Annual Forum on Arts Education in Seattle Public Schools
October 30, 2008, 7 - 8:30 p.m., Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park
Hear from Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Chief Academic Officer Carla Santorno and District Arts Manager Carri Campbell, and meet the newest members of the Seattle Public Schools district arts team. Learn about the accomplishments of the first year of the Arts Education Partnership Initiative http://www.seattle.gov/arts/community/arts_education.asp and the next steps for arts in Seattle schools. Presented by the Seattle Arts Commission, Mayor's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and Seattle Public Schools.
Redmond Digital Arts Festival
October 4&5, 2008, Redmond Performing Arts Center and DigiPen Institute of Technology
Learn how artists use new digital technologies to create music, visual art, and video games at the Redmond Digital Arts Festival, an interactive weekend of workshops, guest speakers, film screenings, and a Digital Dance Party. Tickets, artist submissions, and registration online at www.redmondartsfestival.com .
Arts Impact Receives Two New U.S. D.O.Ed. Arts Education Grants
The U.S. Department of Education recently awarded two grants totaling $2 million to the Puget Sound ESD Arts Impact program. These two grants bring Arts Impact's total number of D.O.Ed. arts education grants to four, more than any other arts education program in the nation.
The 4-year Arts Education Model Development and Dissemination (AEMDD) grant partners with Tacoma School District to expand development of Arts Impact’s arts-infused training and curriculum into middle school.
The 3-year Professional Development for Arts Educators (PDAE) grant will work with grade level teams and district literacy coaches from elementary schools in the Seattle School District. Arts Impact will implement its Core 2-year teacher-training program with an emphasis on infusing arts and literacy concepts.
In 2006, Arts Impact and ArtsEd Washington received an AEMDD grant, titled Arts Impact/Arts Leadership, to study the impact of principal leadership training and arts-infused teaching on student achievement and sustainability of arts education within schools. Arts Impact/Arts Leadership began the third year of the four-year study this August.
Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Arts Education
September 18, 2008
While both the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates offer a clear policy statement on education (see below), neither candidate addresses arts education in their statement.
Democrat Barack Obama: "A World Class Education"
Republican John McCain: "Excellence, Choice, and Competition in American Education"
Obama does address arts education in his Arts Policy Statement, "Barack Obama & Joe Biden: Champions for Arts & Culture." At this time, we cannot find a statement regarding arts education on John McCain's website.
Mayors Aim to Strengthen Families, Emphasize Arts Education
August 29, 2008
The U.S. Conference of Mayors created a 10-point plan to be presented to the next President of the United States during his first 100 days in office, reports The Spectrum & Daily News (St. George, Utah). The mayors agree that every community should provide equal access to arts education for every child.
http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080829/LIFESTYLE/808290344
Cultivating Demand for the Arts: Arts Learning, Arts Engagement, and State Arts Policy
Author: Laura Zakaras, Julia F. Lowell /
Publisher: The RAND Corporation (September 2008)
This new study from the Wallace Foundation reveals the central role arts learning plays in ensuring children can benefit from the arts as adults and that America has a robust cultural life in the future. Synthesizing previous studies, researchers find long-term involvement in the arts is most likely to be stimulated by arts education that develops a range of individual capacities. According to the authors, a healthy demand for the arts is critical to a vibrant nonprofit arts sector and policies that focus on supporting the supply of the arts and broadening access to the arts are not sufficient for building that demand.
Click here to learn more and download the full PDF report.
The Surdna Foundation Fellowships to High School Art Teachers
Deadline: November 14, 2008 (Letter of Intent to Apply)
www.surdna.org/artsteachersfellowship
Maximum Award: $5,500 with a complementary grant of $1,500 for post-fellowship activities
Eligibility: Arts Teachers Working in Specialized Public Arts High Schools and Arts-Focused Magnet and Charter High Schools
The Surdna Foundation is pleased to announce the ninth round of the Surdna Arts Teachers Fellowship Program, a national initiative to support the artistic revitalization of outstanding arts teachers. Surdna's goal is to help arts teachers in public arts high schools increase their effectiveness as they guide and train young people for careers or advanced study in the visual, performing, and literary arts. The Foundation believes that if teachers can immerse themselves in their own creative work and interact with professional artist/colleagues, they will bring new ideas and practices into the classroom. Interested applicants may also contact Kimberly Bartosik, Program Director, at artsfellowship@surdna.org.
SBO Magazine’s 9th Annual Music Student Scholarships
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Students, you could win a $1,000 scholarship and another $1,000 in music products for your school’s music program when you answer this question: "How Does Music Unite Cultures Within Your School and Community?"
School Band & Orchestra Magazine will award ten $1,000 scholarships in two age categories as part of their Ninth Annual Music Student Scholarships competition. All public and private school students (including home school) in grades four through twelve are eligible. Essays must be 250 words or less. Submit your essay online at http://www.sbomagazine.com. Good luck!
Kennedy Center Announces New On Location Traveling Media Lab
Deadline: November 5, 2008
The Kennedy Center’s new initiative, On Location: Spotlight On Your Community, brings your students the opportunity to tell the story of the arts in their community—and share that story with the rest of the world through their own documentaries posted on the On Location Web site.
A Thomas Built Bus will be outfitted as a "media studio on wheels," visiting ten schools across the country for two weeks each. A trained, three-person team of theater and media professionals will guide students grades 5-8 and their teachers through the process of developing a short documentary about an artist or arts group from their community.
Each selected school will also receive a media equipment package (including a computer, software and video recording gear) as well as $1,000 to support further development of the new digital arts and humanities programs.
Visit http://www.onlocationproject.org to learn more about On Location and download the application. The bus will be "on location" at each school between January and June 2009. If you have additional questions, please email onlocation@artsedge.kennedy-center.org.
Professional Development Opportunities
Back to School Night for Tacoma-Area Educators
Wednesday, October 1 / Open House 5:30 - 8 p.m.
Back to School Night is an exciting opportunity for Tacoma-area educators to relax and mingle while learning more about the resources and programs offered by prominent organizations in the Puget Sound area. Discover engaging, innovative, standards-based ways to bring the arts, social studies, science and other subjects into your classroom – or to bring your students out into the community!
Please join ArtsEd Washington and more than 30 organizations for a fun, free evening at the Tacoma Art Museum. You'll also enjoy complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres, a private viewing of new exhibitions, and an entry to a raffle to win fabulous prizes! Learn more at http://www.museumofglass.org/education/back-to-school-night.
2008 WAEA Fall Conference: The Passion Within
October 10-11, 2008 / Richland, WA
"Every art educator shares a passion for making art," it reads on the Washington Art Educator Association Web site, "and that is what this conference is all about: developing the ‘artist within’ by offering hands-on workshop sessions by some of the best and most creative art educators in the state."
The Friday session features keynote speaker Harold Balaz, best known for his numerous public art works. The Saturday session features keynote speaker Kimberly Camp, artist and Executive Director of The Reach, an interpretive center in Richland scheduled to open in 2011 to share and celebrate the history of the Hanford area. Una McAlinden, Executive Director of ArtsEd Washington, will present a School Board Advocacy Workshop on Friday.
Pre-register by October 1 to receive an early-bird discount. For more information, please visit http://www.waea.net.
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.
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