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SEPTEMBER
Quick Links:
21st Century Skills Map for the Arts | "The Creativity Crisis"
9-1-10
Race to the Top News/Opinions:
Race to Top: Gates Backs a Bunch of Winners (August 27, Education Week State EdWatch Blog)
Rural Schools Lose Out in Race to Top (August 30, Education Week Rural Education Blog)
N.J. Schools Chief Fired Over Race to Top Gaffe (August 27, Education Week Politics K-12 Blog)
AUGUST
8-27-10
NEA Proposes Strategic Plan Framework for 2012-2016. The National Endowment for the Arts’ proposed Strategic Plan Framework represents the cumulative efforts of NEA leadership, staff and stakeholders to frame the agency’s direction during fiscal years 2012 through 2016. The agency developed mission and vision statements as well as four actionable goals with outcomes, strategies, and performance measures that will inform and guide its future grant-making and administrative activities.
The NEA is contemplating conducting an evaluation of its arts education initiatives in 2011 and 2012. This evaluation would identify the agency’s future priorities for supporting lifelong learning in the arts and would yield a framework for understanding and leveraging relationships and strategic partnerships with entities that support arts education.
A background document about the Strategic Plan Framework, which provides a summary of goals and principal strategies, can be accessed here. The NEA plans to formally adopt the Strategic Plan Framework after it considers the comments received during the Framework’s recent public feedback period.
ATTENTION ART ACTIVISTS & ENTHUSIASTS: BRING COLLABORATIVE, PUBLIC ART INTO YOUR COMMUNITY. The 50/50 Project is a cross-country campaign to raise art awareness, community healing, and inspiration through collaborative art making! Imagine 50 large-scale artworks (one in each state) created collaboratively, publicly, by everyone from small children, to the elderly, to seasoned artists.
WHO ARE WE? Circle Painting wants to impact communities in a big way and we need your help! We are an established 501(c) 3 arts non-profit that facilitates events that bring people together to create art in community. We transform art spectators are transformed into participants by empowering people with or without an artistic background to create paintings based on a simple circle theme. Check out www.circlepainting.org for pictures and information!
HOW CAN YOU HELP? We welcome both organization and individual volunteers to host and facilitate Circle Painting projects in local communities! We have a well-developed process for facilitating these events--just contact us for more information.
Find us: www.circlepainting.org
Like us: www.facebook.com/circlepainting
Write us: circlepainting@gmail.com
little ART is looking for participating exhibitors to showcase the traveling exhibition in various countries. little ART, a non-profit organization that encourages the intellectual, emotional and artistic development of children, young people and adults all over the world, is initiating a travelling exhibit of artworks by children on the theme »What do children believe in?« This exhibit will show artworks by children from over 100 countries around the world. The purpose is to promote the ideas, creativity and imagination of children throughout the world. In addition to that, a book will be published which includes a selection of these artworks. The exhibit and the presentation of the book will be launched in February 2011 in Munich and simultaneously at the International Book Fair in Leipzig, Germany. There are diverse ways in which the exhibitions can take place:
» As paintings, drawings and texts
» In the form of modern media, photographs, installations, video art, three dimensional objects and texts » As part of another event, with a duration of one week
» As a central event with a duration of 1-3 months.
DoSomething.org, HP and AMD know that art is critical to a complete education. Art programs are being cut nationwide. We know you're passionate about keeping art in schools. Show us. Make Art. Save Art. You can make a difference and help save school art programs. Just create an awesome PC wallpaper, share it on Facebook and Twitter, and get your friends to share it with their friends. Share the most, and win!
Make Art.
1. From August 2 to September 30, create a PC wallpaper design to show your artistic talent. Photography, graphic design, and traditional visual art are all eligible.
2. Submit your wallpaper design and tell us about the importance of art education and why art should stay in schools! (You must be 25 years old or younger to participate)
Save Art.
1. Starting September 1, share your design with your friends through Twitter and Facebook.
2. Get your friends to share your design with their Twitter and Facebook friends too.
3. You can also share your design with local representatives to advocate for art education!
4. Each "share" counts toward your chance to win.
Judging
1. The five wallpaper designs with the most "shares" will win sweet prizes!
2. A panel of expert judges will review the 5 most “shared" designs and choose the Grand Prize winner.
3. Winners will be announced October 12!
‘The Tribes’ mission is to allow creative people; Artists, Musicians and designers to share their ideas and creations and turn them into a commercial reality. The concept is to bringing together innovators, early adopters and investors to allow a unique opportunity for anybody to submit their ideas and gain guidance and security. Think of it as an online Dragons Den without the judgement and yelling! Everybody’s ideas are considered and can benefit from the advice of ‘The Tribe’ community. 'The Tribe' will be holding regular competitions covering all areas of creativity to encourage talented individuals to generate new ideas, concepts and artistic projects. The first competition launching on September 22nd will be a worldwide design competition. This will be a fantastic opportunity for designers, artists and creatives of all types to submit their ideas for; the first prize is an amazing £10,000! View details here.
8-26-10
Race to Top Winners Rejoice, Losers Parse Scores. The nine states and the District of Columbia will share $3.4 billion in Round Two of the federal competition, a cash infusion intended to fuel bold education reforms. (Education Week, 8/24)
• Race to Top: Duncan Dishes Out Praise, and Sympathy
• No Clear Teacher Narrative in Race to Top Phase Two Winners
States, Districts Mull How to Use $10 Billion in Jobs Aid. As governors gear up to apply for federal money from the $10 million Education Jobs Fund, states and school districts are wrestling with how they plan to spend the aid the Obama administration said was desperately needed to save what the administration said would be some 160,000 educators’ jobs that otherwise would be lost. (Education Week, 8/25)
Analysis on Race to the Top winners begins. Many states that did not win or apply for second-round Race to the Top grants are among those analyzing the results of the competition, which were announced Tuesday. With the exception of Hawaii, states that won grants are located along the East Coast. Some state officials and experts say there is more support for the Obama administration's vision of school reform in that region, giving those states an advantage. Officials in Colorado, which scored 17th and did not win the funds, speculated that its status as a "local-control state" hampered its success. (The New York Times, 8/24)
Senate Report Hints at a Definition for What Works. Language buried in a report on a Senate appropriations bill may provide a glimpse of the bar Congress will set for judging the effectiveness of school improvement interventions in the next iteration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. (Education Week, 8/26)
Fewer Americans Back Obama’s Education Programs. Support for President Barack Obama’s education agenda is slipping among Americans, according to a poll released today of the public’s attitude toward public schooling. (Education Week, 8/25)
Poll shows waning support for Obama education agenda. Results of a poll show support for President Barack Obama's education-reform policies is waning. The survey, from Phi Delta Kappa International and the Gallup Organization, shows 34% would give the president an A or B on education, compared with 45% last year. When it comes to turning around struggling schools, 54% of respondents favored outside support rather than the replacement of principals and teachers. Replacing school staff at struggling schools has been a key reform initiative of the Obama administration. (Education Week, premium article access, 8/25)
8-25-10
PBS President and CEO Paula A. Kerger today announced the launch of PBS Arts, a new website that offers Americans the opportunity to experience the arts and explore the creative process through special virtual exhibits, videos from PBS national and local programs and interactive features. The website is part of PBS’ ongoing commitment to strengthen public engagement in all forms of artistic expression and performance – in front of the camera and behind the scenes – and to bring more of the arts into the lives of millions of Americans. PBS Arts’ initial offerings include four concurrent virtual exhibitions.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS – 21ST CENTURY STYLE - Welcome back to school!
Sample Text for Back-to-School Columns, Speeches, or Other Communications For Learning First Alliance members. While you educators are at various stages of the back-to-school process--you may have been getting to know students for weeks now, or met students yesterday, or be setting up your classroom or office--we know that many of you are preparing back-to-school presentations, columns, and other communications. So they wanted to remind you that they have sample language available for use in back-to-school communications. Feel free to steal their words. Take them all, or take only a few. Whatever your needs dictate. This language outlines an emerging vision for 21st century public schools, a vision that is already taking shape in schools from coast to coast.
Showing Up! This is just the beginning. Read all about it. The groundbreaking collaboration between John Legend and The Roots has culminated in a forthcoming album, "Wake Up!" Not only is the music solid, the album is a philanthropic endeavor that will go on to raise funds and awareness for Arts and Arts Education in a new way. Soon they will post an exclusive pre-order link that will allow you to secure the album in advance and put a percentage toward Arts and Arts Education Advocacy.
Alabama: MAKING IT HAPPEN: Request for Presenters. Statewide Arts Education Summit 2010, October 6-8. They are looking for presenters willing to go out on a limb to offer “Happenings” that will engage them in advocacy for arts education. That advocacy should include excellent teaching in the arts both sequential and integrated; building awareness in communities through strong partnerships with schools, and building legislation in our government to create policy stating the arts are essential for every student. They encourage you to envision a “Happening” structured to encourage learning about what you have to offer. That structure should engage a community of learners attending our summit, and enhance their capacity building for our schools, our communities and/or our government. Please send your proposals immediately to Diana Green at the Alabama State Council on the Arts. You may email proposals to diana.green@arts.alabama.gov. If you have questions or would like to brainstorm by phone, please call Diana at 334-242-4076, ext. 241.
Sotheby’s Institute of Art announces new Fall Courses Starting September 21, 2010 in New York. Open for Enrollment. The Professional Studies and Public Programs offered by Sotheby’s Institute of Art – New York provide unique opportunities for participants to gain professional skills, knowledge and insight into the international art world. They are designed for those wishing to strengthen their existing experience, as well as for those enthusiastically pursuing a passion for the arts. Courses are led by accomplished faculty actively engaged in art and the art market.
8-24-10
9 states and D.C. win Race to the Top funding. Washington, D.C., and nine states -- Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Rhode Island -- will split $3.4 billion in Race to the Top funding awarded in the second round of the grant competition. Tennessee and Delaware were awarded funding during the first round and are sharing $600 million. The Obama administration's Race to the Top program has used federal stimulus funding to spur states to make education reforms. (Yahoo!/The Associated Press, 8/24)
9 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WIN SECOND ROUND RACE TO THE TOP GRANTS. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced today that 10 applicants have won grants in the second phase of the Race to the Top competition. Along with Phase 1 winners, 11 states and the District of Columbia have now been awarded money in the Obama administration’s groundbreaking education reform program that will directly impact 13.6 million students and 980,000 teachers in 25,000 schools.
2nd round of Race to the Top Winners:
• District of Columbia: $75 million. Score: 450.0
• Florida: $700 million. Score: 452.4
• Georgia: $400 million. Score: 446.4
• Hawaii: $75 million. Score: 462.4
• Maryland: $250 million. Score: 450.0
• Massachusetts: $250 million. Score: 471.0
• New York: $700 million. Score: 464.8
• North Carolina: $400 million. Score: 441.6
• Ohio: $400 million. Score: 440.8
• Rhode Island: $75 million. Score: 451.2
Applications, by state
The Race to the Top state competition is designed to reward states that are leading the way in comprehensive, coherent, statewide education reform across four key areas:
• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace;
• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals how to improve instruction;
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
• Turning around their lowest-performing schools.
The Department of Education has posted all Phase 2 applications online. Phase 2 peer reviewers' comments, and scores will be available on the website by Aug. 25; videos of states' presentations will be posted by Sept. 10. Phase 1 materials are available online. (U.S. Department of Education, 8/24)
8-23-10
States, Districts Mull How to Use $10 Billion in Jobs Aid
Some would use the cash to reverse layoffs, while others plan to hold onto the aid as the stimulus "funding cliff" looms. (Education Week, 8/25)
Pennsylvania: Graduate Studies @ Moore. Low-residency programs for men and women. Open House: September 16, 2010, 5 – 7 p.m., Moore College of Art & Design, 20th Street & The Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Programs offered: MA in Art Education with an Emphasis in Special Populations; MFA in Interior Design (*for those with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than interior design); and MFA in Studio Art. Application Deadline: February 1, 2011. For more information, contact gradstudies@moore.edu, call 215.965.4016 or visit www.moore.edu
Unions' Tactics Diverge in Engaging Obama Agenda. Forced into an uneasy balancing act between their members and the president they helped elect, the national teachers’ unions are responding to the Obama administration’s teacher-effectiveness agenda in notably different ways. (Education Week, 8/19)
From Americans for the Arts:
ARTS EDUCATION AND THE CREATIVE WORKFORCE
Massachusetts: New Law Aims to Measure Creativity by School. "It's a question that seems impossible to answer: How do you measure creativity? Yet that is what a new state commission, trumpeted by state Senator Stanley C. Rosenberg, will aim to do at every public school in the commonwealth. Thanks to ground-breaking legislation signed into law this summer, public schools in Massachusetts will be ranked not only on how they perform on standardized tests but also on whether their respective curricula encourage students to think outside of the box. 'Employers are increasingly saying that they don't just need people with basic job skills, but people who are creative (and) who can generate new ideas and new ways of solving problems,'" Rosenberg said. Last week, Gov. Deval Patrick made Massachusetts the first state in the country to call for the formation of a creativity index aimed at rating public schools statewide based on their ability to teach, encourage, and foster creativity in students." (Daily Hampshire Gazette, 8/18/10)
New York: City Spending for Arts Education Supplies, Partnerships Falls. "New York City public school principals have hired 139 new arts and music teachers over the past three years. Good news for students returning to school September 8, right? In fact, according to the Center for Arts Education, while the hiring of arts teachers has indeed inched up, spending on arts supplies, such as musical instruments, theater costumes, crayons, and construction paper, decreased by 68 percent, or $7.2 million, since the start of the 2006–2007 school year. Spending on partnerships with cultural institutions has fallen by 31 percent. So while the number of arts teachers is up, the means for doing their job have been slashed. Advocates for the arts argue that the decrease in spending is the result of a larger problem in the school system: increased (and understandable) pressure on principals to allocate resources for test prep and improving math and literacy scores, at the expense of a well-rounded education." (The New York Observer, 8/17/10)
Minnesota: University Launches Degree in Arts & Cultural Leadership. "Like many newcomers to the Twin Cities, Sherry Wagner-Henry recalls feeling 'fascinated by the richness' of the arts and cultural community after moving from Illinois in 1995. As she got to know the community through her role as managing director of theater and dance at the University of Minnesota, Wagner-Henry noticed that no post-graduate program existed to 'steward' professional arts leaders and managers. Some of these 'great thinkers' were leaving the state to continue their education and they weren’t returning, said Wagner-Henry, director of graduate programs for the University of Minnesota’s College of Continuing Education. This fall, she hopes to change that with the launch of the Master of Professional Studies in Arts and Cultural Leadership offered through the College of Continuing Education. 'We want to capture that talent base and keep them here,' she said. The program also aims to help these leaders become part of the larger 'community conversation,' she said, and have an impact on major decisions affecting the sustainability of the Twin Cities or the state as a whole through an 'arts and cultural lens.'" (MinnPost.com, 8/16/10)
New and free art education resource: www.TheArtStory.org. The website offers background and analysis on many modern artists, movements and ideas. The unique contribution of the website is content that is easy to understand, informative and provided in an enjoyable format. The site serves as a learning tool for the student or individual seeking basic information, as well as being a resource for the more advanced researcher and arts professional. The Art Story Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization, was established in February 2009 with the mission is grow appreciation in modern and contemporary art, and to provide free educational resources. Particular emphasis is placed on making resources easily available, providing well organized, professionally designed, and easy-to-understand information, and ultimately allowing people to better enjoy, understand and appreciate art.
8-18-10
From the Arts Education Partnership: Get Involved! FIND OUT what is happening in your state. What are the policies for including arts in education in your state? Visit the AEP Arts Education State Policy Database. This searchable database contains the latest information on arts education state policies and practices. Since 1999, AEP has gathered these data through an annual survey of arts education personnel in state education agencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Federal money to save jobs is too late for some teachers. For teachers in transition, the start of the new school year has been a bittersweet reminder of the jobs they lost. Some educators are still looking for work. A few are finding themselves in fields they never would have dreamed of in college. For others, it has been an adjustment. A change in mission as they switch from public school to parochial or private school to keep a steady paycheck. And peace of mind.(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 8/16)
Advocacy Tip of the Week (from ASCD). ’Tis the season . . . for state and county fairs, parades, and summer community events. Many elected officials on national, state, and local levels will attend these same events. Get involved in these summer activities: set up an information booth about your ASCD affiliate, student chapter, district, or school and share examples of using a whole child approach to education. If you can’t set up a booth, prepare and pass out information with your local education coalition or community action group. Introduce yourself to your representatives, invite them to your school for a visit, or express the value of a coordinated education system. These events will lead to higher visibility to all members of your community.
Art21 Announcing the Fall 2010 Film. Art21 is proud to announce the forthcoming broadcast of our latest film, William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible, the first film produced by Art21 for national television broadcast outside of the biennial Art in the Twenty-First Century series. The film is also Art21's first feature to focus on a single artist. The broadcast premiere of William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible takes place this October 21 at 10:00 p.m. ET on PBS. The film gives viewers an intimate look into the mind and creative process of William Kentridge, the South African artist whose acclaimed charcoal drawings, animations, video installations, shadow plays, mechanical puppets, tapestries, sculptures, live performance pieces, and operas have made him one of the most dynamic and exciting contemporary artists working today.
The Right Brain Initiative Traveling Exhibit Begins Its Tour. Installed into an 8x16' portable storage container, Show + Tell features diverse artifacts from our past year of programming, taking you through the annual process of a Right Brain partner school. In truth, it's an elaborate, multimedia ruse to get out into in the world and actually talk to the pubic about what Right Brain is doing on behalf of our kids. And they've been literally trucking it around the region since last month—including a successful stop last week at the public library in Milwaukee—with new dates set on the calendar each week. Learn more:
See our most up-to-date tour schedule and recent photos on the blog. | Watch a video of the exhibit in motion on YouTube. | Not able to make it to see the exhibit in person? See our online exhibit on Flickr. | To volunteer to "gallery sit" at our exhibit, please fill out our volunteer application online.
The Right Brain Initiative 2009-10 Scrapbook. Back in the office, we've been reeling over the incredible photography that has come in, portraying children of all ages and colors basking in new creative learning found through The Right Brain Initiative. And so, we continue to share this documentation of our work throughout the Portland area from the 2009-10 school year.
President Connects K–12 and Higher Education. President Obama made two major education reform speeches recently, one focusing on K–12 education to the National Urban League and one addressing higher education at the University of Texas in Austin. Both speeches connected the themes of college and career readiness to college completion. The president highlighted the adoption of the common core state standards by a majority of states (35 and counting), the Race to the Top grant competition’s success in making education reforms, and his administration’s commitment to develop the next generation of high-quality assessments benchmarked to the common core. See ASCD’s interactive map of the states that have approved the common core state standards.
The South Florida Community College Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC) announces its 2010-11 season of exhibits, programs, and workshops. MOFAC provides an exhibition venue for contemporary Florida regional artists and preserves Florida’s history and heritage through art. The museum also serves as a repository for the historical artifacts unearthed by members of the Kissimmee Valley Archaeological and Historical Conservancy. MOFAC is open to the public October through May, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 12:30-4:30 p.m., and by appointment for group tours.
8-13-10
CALL FOR ARTISTS: 2011 NAEA Women’s Caucus Exhibition: Creativity, Imagination, and Innovation
Districts Left in Doubt Over Federal Funds. When President Barack Obama signed an emergency education spending bill this week, supporters said it would almost immediately send $10 billion to states—including more than $600 million in Missouri and Illinois—to spare thousands of teacher jobs. Now some educators are puzzled over how and when the money will actually reach schools. (Education Week, 8/13)
MoMA Launches Free iPhone App on App Store Access The Museum's Renowned Collection, Exhibitions, Events, and More Through iPhone and iPod touch. The Museum of Modern Art today announces that the MoMA App is now available on the App Store. The new application for the iPhone and iPod touch provides users with instant access to 32,000 works of art in the Museum’s vast collection of modern and contemporary art; a dictionary of art terms and a database of artist bios; calendar information for exhibitions, film screenings, and events; and a variety of audio tours, including special tours for children, teens, and the visually impaired. (CNBC.com, 8/12)
Arkansas: Center Provides Arts Education for 2,500 Students. "When school resumes, 2,500 elementary school children will have the opportunity to learn about art through a program provided by The Center for Art and Education in Van Buren, AR. 'We go to six elementary schools in Van Buren,' said Jane Owen, executive director of The Center for Art and Education. 'We have local, professional artists that go to the classrooms, and help teachers present lessons and create art.' It’s an expensive endeavor. In 2009, the center spent approximately $80,000 out of a $204,000 operating budget on school programs. Owen said the return on the investment is incalculable. 'If we are teaching these kids work ethic, teaching them how to chronologically work through things, solve problems—if we have ten successes, how can you put a dollar value on that?'" (Americans for the Arts/The City Wire, 8/10)
Oregon: Beaverton Arts Education Initiative Secures Federal Innovation Grant. "Federal officials announced [August 6] that the Beaverton school district has won $4 million to test out a new way of using arts to boost achievement. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan praised Beaverton’s Arts for Learning Lessons program fewer than 50 [programs] were chosen out of nearly 1,700 applications. Assistant Deputy Secretary Jim Shelton says Beaverton is looking to break down a false dilemma between focusing on core courses like reading and math, or the arts, 'What they are trying to do is actually put together a strategy for using this program that they have to drive achievement in those core areas in reading and mathematics, while including the arts–not squeezing them out.'" (Americans for the Arts/Oregon Public Broadcasting, 8/10)
New York: Post-it Sponsors World's Largest Artistic Billboard. "Celebrating 'Ideas That Stick,' television star Angela Kinsey partnered with Post-it brand and Publicolor to unveil world's largest artistic billboard made of Post-it Super Sticky Notes. On August 3, Post-it Brand from 3M and nonprofit organization Publicolor, revealed the winning artwork selected from their national student design contest in a big way—on the world's largest artistic billboard made of multi-colored Post-it Super Sticky Notes in Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall. The Post-it Brand 30th Anniversary Student Design Contest winners were revealed on the largest billboard of its kind, made with more than 100,000 Post-it Super Sticky Notes. The artistic billboard [was] the focal point of a student art exhibition" that ended on August 6. (ArtDaily.org, 8/5)
Citizen & Immigration Services Announces National Children's Art Project. Know an artistic child between 5–12 years old? If so, United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) is hosting an art project to ask kids to put their ideas on paper. This year's theme is "We Are America." Kids are invited to draw a picture to answer the question, "People have come from all over the world to become Americans. Why does that make us great?" USCIS will display artwork in their offices across the country and will also honor all of the children who submitted artwork during the 2010 celebration of the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. The deadline for submissions has been extended to August 30. For project guidelines and requirements, visit the USCIS website.
8-12-10
The President just signed into law important legislation that will enable 160,000 teachers to keep their jobs or be rehired. View a blog post from Melody Barnes, who leads our Domestic Policy Council. View a state-by-state table projecting how many jobs will be saved in each state.
New web site makes education data easier to find–and use. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has launched a new interactive web site aimed at making accurate and timely education data available in a single place, for easy sorting and comparison. A key element of ED’s open government plan, “ED Data Express” consolidates relevant data collected from several different sources—including ED’s internal program offices, the National Center for Education Statistics, and The College Board—and provides tools that allow users to search and explore the data, create customized reports, and view state profiles with charts, tables, and key data points for every state. Data include results of state tests and the National Assessment of Educational Progress, graduation rates, school accountability information, and more. (eSchoolNews, 8/11)
8-11-10
Obama Signs Bill Aimed at Saving Teacher Jobs. The $10 billion goal is to keep more than 160,000 teachers on the job, but the measure would cut funds for literacy and teacher training. (Education Week, 8/11)
Kids In Need Foundation Accepting Applications for Teacher Grants (The Foundation Center, 8/11)
National Expectations for Learning in Arts Education (from the Arts Education Partnership). Throughout the summer, the State Education Directors of Arts Education (SEADAE) has continued planning and implementation of the National Expectations for Learning in Arts Education initiative which targets student learning, teacher practice, educational leadership, data collection, policy development and community partnerships. The area of National Arts Standards 2.0 is the next leverage point of the initiative. SEADAE has secured letters of support from the following arts content partners to re-conceptualize arts standards: the National Association for Music Education (MENC); the National Art Education Association (NAEA); the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA); and the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO). SEADAE is continuing the planning of governance, fundraising, and communication for this initiative and is also developing a survey to determine the extent and use of arts content standards. The survey will be disseminated to the field in the fall.
Promoting Brain Science Literacy in the K-12 Classroom. Michaela Labriole, a science instructor at the New York Hall of Science, provides tangible examples of how teachers can encourage brain-science literacy in students at a time when growing knowledge of the brain is shaping our understanding of how to best foster learning. (The Dana Foundation, 8/11)
8-10-10
SMART Board/Interactive White Board Lessons and Links. SMART or Interactive White boards bring useful technology into the classroom. However, as with all technology, without the resources to maintain the equipment and to properly train teachers, the technology can quickly drain time and money. Check out these sites for advice and interesting ideas to use the boards. Start here. This site features teachers commenting about problems and successes with Smart Boards: A Clean Slate: Interactive Smartboard Makes Lessons Snazzy.
Tenessee: Four Knox County schools to benefit from $1M grant for arts education. Knox County Schools announced that the Tennessee Arts Commission is giving part of $1 million in grant money to four Knox County schools. They will use the money to integrate arts education in the curriculum for core subjects through the "Arts360" program. Principal Miller hopes the Arts 360 program will allow faculty members to see what his team has believed for years. 'Yes, the arts do make a difference'. The integrating of the arts into the cores, reading, math, science, and social studies, is a great opportunity and it hits the classrooms and especially the children.
Georgia: Young Audiences Chapter Brings Arts to Students. "As it works toward fulfilling its mission of improving the lives and enriching the learning of children through high-quality arts, Young Audiences, Woodruff Arts Center (YAWAC), has reached more than 640,000 children in 50 Georgia counties. With school beginning this month, Young Audiences is preparing to take off in high gear with its proven brand of arts-in-education programming, including several new programs...Beginning this school year, YAWAC will be the [lone] contact point for schools that wish to visit or work with any of the Woodruff Arts Center’s divisions. YAWAC will facilitate programs for student groups. 'Before, you had to call the High Museum, or wherever, individually to make plans. But now there will be one phone number that schools or young people’s groups can call, and we will work with them on planning.'" (Atlanta INtown Paper, 8/1)
Arizona: First Statewide Arts Education Census Results Released. "Half of the schools responding to the first statewide Arizona Arts Education Census reported that they have no budget for arts education. Nearly eight out of 10 schools spent less than one cent a day on arts education. Even with those figures, nearly 90 percent of students have access to at least one arts education program. That means that most Arizona schools have found ways to deliver arts education programs with few dedicated resources. Responses to the survey were received from 409 charter and district schools in every county and school district in the state...Acknowledging that arts education is critical to obtaining a well-rounded education, Arizona schools are providing access to the arts for their students. Arizona Academic Arts Standards were adopted by the Arizona State Board of Education in 2006 and outline recommendations for education in music, visual arts, theater, and dance at various grade levels." (About.com, 7/29)
A New Arts Watch Partnership. The Clyde Fitch Report (CFR) is a website exploring the nexus of arts and politics—including news and features, interviews, guest columns, bipartisan opinions, and public comments. Visit The Clyde Fitch Report's Arts Advocacy Update.
Host a Creative Conversation in October. Be a part of National Arts and Humanities Month by hosting a Creative Conversation in your community this October. The Creative Conversations program brings together the emerging arts leaders in your community to discuss how to advance the arts where you live. Last year, more than 1,500 emerging arts leaders participated in 43 locally hosted Creative Conversations nationally, and those leaders continue to be engaged at the national level today.
DoSomething.org Scholarship Contest. DoSomething.org is calling on artists to submit computer wallpaper designs to show why arts education is important in its Make Art. Save Art. contest. The most popular design will win $5,000 for their school art program and five HP Pavilion dv6z computers. Winners will be determined by the number people who share their design with local representatives, advocating for art education in schools! Interested artists can submit designs now and encourage everyone they know to share their design with a local representative starting September 1st. The submissions can be in any form such as photography or painting, just as long as it ends up as a background desktop image.
Wisconsin: Art at the Creek is making its fifth annual Call to Artists for its themed art exhibit and sale on October 15-31, 2010. The theme of this year’s artwork is the story of The Good Samaritan from Luke 10:30-37. All types of original artwork are being accepted from Professional, Artist and Scholar division artists. There is no entry fee and $2,500 in cash prizes will be awarded based on the juror’s selections. Online Entry is now active.
8-9-10
Senate Clears Way for $26 Billion in State Aid. The Senate on Wednesday cleared the way for a $26 billion package of aid to states and school districts, and the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said she would summon members from their summer recess to grant final approval to the bill. (The New York Times, 8/4)
US Department of Education Announces Model Arts in Education Grants (AEMDD). The US Department of Education has announced the recipients of funding through the 2010 Model Development and Dissemination Grants Program – Arts in Education awards. The Department awarded thirty-three (33) grants in 14 states, out of 200 applications reviewed under the FY 2010 AEMDD competition. View the complete list of FY 2010 awards without abstracts at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/artsedmodel/awards.html.
US Department of Education Announces i3 Grant Recipients. The U.S. Department of Education has released the names of the 49 awardees of Investing in Innovation Fund grants. The purpose of the $650 million program is to “provide competitive grants that expand the implementation of, and investment in, innovative and evidence-based practices, programs, and strategies that significantly: improve K-12 achievement and close achievement gaps; decrease dropout rates; increase high school graduation rates; and improve teacher and school leader effectiveness.”
Of the close to 1,700 applicants, the 49 highest-rated proposals were selected to receive funding, and of the 49, three are directly related to arts education:
*Studio in a School, Inc. (New York, NY)
*The Beaverton School District Arts for Learning Lessons Project (Beaverton, OR)
*Everyday Arts for Special Education (New York City Department of Education, District 75)
Each of the three projects falls in the Development category and can receive up to $5 million provided a private sector match of 20 percent is secured by September 8, 2010.
It is anticipated that the outcome of the work being done with this grant funding will provide strong arguments for strengthening arts education in ESEA reauthorization. When the i3 program was being created, NAEA filed comments with the U.S. Department of Education that led to increased ability for arts education programs like these to be able to apply for these grants.
The full list of grantees, and links to their grant descriptions, can be found on the US Department of Education website: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovation/index.html.
8-6-10
Senate Passes Edujobs Bill. The U.S. Senate today approved a long-stalled measure that would provide $10 billion to prevent what supporters say would be hundreds of thousands of teacher layoffs nationwide. Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives, meanwhile, are taking the unusual step of calling for lawmakers to return from their August recess next week to pass the final version of the bill. (Education Week, 8/5)
Boston students use art to work through social issues. Some Boston ninth-graders are participating in a five-week summer program that uses music, theater and martial arts to help students express thoughts and feelings. "We're really trying to use the arts -- something that they actually like and can relate to -- to get them to use summer school as an opportunity to catch up and go back to school," one educator said. (The Boston Globe, 8/4)
8-5-10
49 Applicants Win i3 Grants. The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday that 49 districts, schools, and nonprofits beat out more than 1,600 other applicants in the competition for $650 million in grants from the Investing in Innovation, or i3, fund. (Education Week, 8/5)
49 Finalists for US Education Innovation Dollars. The U.S. Education Department on Wednesday announced 49 finalists for a share of the $650 million it plans to give away to encourage innovation. The finalists were chosen from nearly 1,700 applications to the Investment in Innovation program. They include one of the country's most successful charter school organizations, and a nonprofit group that trains top college students to teach in poor communities. (Google, 8/4)
U.S. Senate set to vote on education-jobs bill. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote today on a $26 billion proposal that includes $10 billion in funding to save teaching jobs and offer states some relief from their budget woes. Pending Senate approval, the bill would be sent to the House of Representatives, which could return to session next week to decide the issue before many schools reopen. (Education Week/Politics K-12 blog, 8/4)
Kids Constitution Day Contest. All Kindergarten-12th grade students are invited to participate in the 2010 Constitution Day Poster Contest. Entrants must create a poster that demonstrates how the freedoms embodied in the U.S. Constitution affect their daily lives. Entries will be judged on both artistic merit and relevance to the U.S. Constitution. Entries must be post-marked or uploaded by October 1, 2010.
News from the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers:
Bringing Teens Artists and Writers into the Spotlight in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Starting as an exhibition space for local Scholastic Award-winning work, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art's role expanded in 2004 to become a full-time Affiliate. In its first year, the region received 1,100 individual entries and 20 portfolios. In 2010, they received more than 2,300 individual entries and 70 portfolios. Announcing the Winners of the 2010 New York City Photo Shoot Contest
Art Teachers of Etsy: Looking for new members to join their team. The mission of Art Teachers of Etsy is to bring art educators on Etsy together to share ideas, collaborate through distance learning and always encourage one another to continue making art to nourish our own creative needs.
8-4-10
"We live in an age when the most valuable asset any economy can have is the ability to be creative--to spark and imagine new ideas, be they Broadway tunes, great books, iPads or new cancer drugs." --Thomas L. Friedman, Op-Ed Columnist, The New York Times. From the article "Broadway and the Mosque" published on 8/3. View article
Educator takes a stand for "well-rounded education" on Capitol Hill. Educator Kate Quarfordt joined ASCD during a recent Capitol Hill briefing on emphasizing subjects other than reading and math as part of the revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act. In this opinion article, Quarfordt argues against plans to have disciplines outside math and reading compete for grant funding. "Pitting subject areas against each other would ultimately undermine the spirit of collaboration among disciplines that I know firsthand is essential to delivering students a truly well-rounded education," she writes. (The Huffington Post, 8/2)
8-3-10
How to survive the school budget crisis. New resource center at eSN Online offers strategies and solutions for weathering the storm. Times are tough, and that’s especially true for education. A survey this past spring by the American Association of School Administrators found that the school budget climate doesn’t reflect the recovery beginning to take hold in other sectors of the economy. In fact, school budget cuts will be noticeably more significant for 2010-11 than they were in the previous two years, the survey suggests. To help school leaders in this time of need, eSchool News Online has put together a special section called “Surviving the School Budget Crisis.” This brand-new resource features a collection of the best articles we’ve published recently that can help you save money—or spend it wisely.
Around the Nation
Florida: School board makes big decisions with new school-year approaching. Board members on July 27 bumped the tax rate up by 25 cents for every $1,000 of a home's assessable value, saying it's the only way to prevent teacher layoffs and still abide by the class-size reduction amendment, which will be implemented in the 2010-2011 school year. They also unanimously approved asking voters if they will pay an additional $1 per $1,000 of property value to save arts and athletics programs that would be cut when the stimulus funding cliff hits in 2011. The item will appear on the November ballot. (Winter Park/Maitland Observer, 7/30)
Arizona: Arts Education Finding Its Way to Arizona Students. Half of the schools responding to the first first statewide Arizona Arts Education Census reported that they have no budget for arts education. Nearly 8 out of 10 schools spent less than one cent a day on arts education. Even with those [not-so-startling to me] figures, nearly 90% of Arizona students have access to at least one arts education program. (Judy's Phoenix Blog, 7/29)
California: Eating away at education: Cuts widen the gap between the haves and have-nots. Three years of relentless state cuts have hit California's public schools, in rich and poor neighborhoods alike. Parents also raise money. The extra funds helped pay for computer, art, library and music teachers, among other positions state funding alone can't buy. (Silicon Valley Mercury news.com, 8/1)
Contests
The Container Store "Organized Teacher Discount Program". The Container Store is pleased to offer educators a 15% savings* to help organize your classroom! Visit containerstore.com/teachers to register and begin saving today! Offer ends December 31, 2010.
Procter & Gamble’s Bounty brand, Platinum Sponsor of Russell Simmons’ 2010 Art For Life East Hampton benefit for Rush Philanthropic, announced the launch of the Make a Clean Difference contest. The nationwide contest will award one school with a $25,000 classroom makeover designed by Cortney and Robert Novogratz of Bravo’s “9 By Design.” In addition, the grand prize winner will win an in-class art lesson taught by Rush Philanthropic. Finally, Bounty will also award 10 finalists with $5,000 grants to use toward transforming their school art rooms and a visit from the Bounty Make-A-Messterpiece art bus, an experiential art studio on wheels. Through the Make a Clean Difference contest students, teachers and parents are encouraged to nominate an elementary or middle school art room by submitting a 500-word essay describing why their school is in need of a Bounty “clean” makeover. The entry process will run through August 9 after which 11 finalists will be selected and announced on August 20. The grand prize winner and 10 finalists will be chosen by a public vote hosted on the Bounty Facebook page. Official notification of the grand prize winner will be announced on August 27.
To enter a school, go to www.Facebook.com/Bounty and click on the Contest tab.
Coming Soon: Art21 Presents a Fall Special on PBS. After five seasons of the series Art in the Twenty-First Century, Art21 will return to PBS this Fall to premiere its first film for national television broadcast produced outside of the biennial series. Premiering October 21 on PBS, this hour-long film provides an in-depth look at the work of a single artist. Which artist? The film will be announced this week, and will be accompanied by a regular stream of new and exclusive content produced to complement the film. Join Art21 on Facebook and Twitter and be among the first to know which artist will be featured in this special new project.
8-2-10
Please join me in welcoming NAEA's "Monthly Mentor" for August, Kim Huyler Defibaugh! Read her bio at http://www.arteducators.org/mentor & follow her blog at http://www.arteducators.org/blog!
Well-Rounded Education in ESEA. At a policy briefing on Capitol Hill on July 29, ASCD and 20 major education organizations, which represent a wide array of subject areas, released consensus recommendations for how the federal government can better support core subjects beyond reading and math. The policy recommendations are a response to the No Child Left Behind Act's singular focus on student performance in reading and math in addition to the Obama's administration’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) blueprint and FY11 budget request, which continue to prioritize reading and math over other subjects. View press release (ascd.org)
Last-minute funding for education jobs looks grim. Stakeholders are encouraged by proposed funding for education technology, however. A bill that could have saved thousands of teachers' jobs failed to pass in Congress. The fate of additional funding that might save thousands of teachers’ jobs remains uncertain after a $10 billion education jobs bill failed to pass in Congress, leaving many schools in the lurch as districts determine how many teaching positions their recession-riddled budgets can support. But advocates of education technology are pleased that a Senate subcommittee has added $100 million in ed-tech funding to the Senate version of the 2011 education appropriations bill. (eSchool News, 7/29)
Obama to Address Concerns With Race to the Top. President Barack Obama offered a forceful defense today of his signature education initiative, the $4.35 billion Race to the Top program, which rewards states for making progress on raising standards, improving teacher quality, establishing data systems, and turning around low-performing schools. (Education Week blogs, 7/29)
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)’s Center for Race and Culture (CRC) will host THINK TANK–2010 and Beyond: New Directions in African American Art - Transformative Aesthetic Curriculum Design, Thursday, Nov. 11–Sunday, Nov. 14 in MICA’s Falvey Hall, located in the Brown Center, 1301 W. Mount Royal Ave. The conference is a professional development opportunity for higher education and K-12 educators with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches. It is part of an initiative sponsored by the MICA’s CRC in conjunction with the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Issues Group, Committee on Multiethnic Concerns. View press release
7-29-10
The Second Week in September Designated "Arts in Education Week". On July 26, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.Con.Res. 275, legislation designating the second week of September as "Arts in Education Week."
New fine-arts requirements set to take effect in Texas. New fine-arts requirements for Texas students are set to take effect this fall, mandating that students take a minimum of one fine-arts course during grades 6-8 and earn at least one fine-arts credit in high school. Schools say many students are already meeting this standard, but parents and educators hope the requirements will increase enrollment and support for arts programs in schools. "Arts are an important component of a well-balanced education," one Texas educational leader said. "I think it was a very positive move by the Legislature in spite of these days of high-stakes testing." (Fort Worth Star-Telegram. TX, 7/26)
The Creative Arts Therapies Center (CATC), in cooperative partnership with Expressive Media Inc., is delighted to bring the first annual Expressive Therapies Summit to New York City, November 12-15, 2010. This multidisciplinary event will be held in midtown Manhattan and provide continuing education and networking opportunity for hundreds of professionals in the following disciplines: Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Poetry Therapy, Dance/Movement Therapy, Drama Therapy, Psychodrama, Play Therapy, Sandplay, Counseling, Social Work, Psychiatry, Psychology, and Education. Please visit their event website to preview their program and faculty of over 100. During the next week, the site will be updated nearly every day, so be sure to check it regularly!
7-28-10
“Arts in Education Week”: A few hours ago, the U.S. House of Representatives approved by voice vote H Con Res 275, (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.CON.RES.275:) a concurrent resolution expressing support for designation of the week beginning on the second Sunday of September as “Arts in Education Week”. The bill had 101 cosponsors (96 Democrats; 5 Republicans) and was authored by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA). Americans for the Arts did a fair amount of work in the background to get this resolution forward.
How to survive the school budget crisis: New resource center at eSN Online offers strategies and solutions for weathering the storm. Times are tough, and that’s especially true for education. A survey this past spring by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) found that the school budget climate doesn’t reflect the recovery beginning to take hold in other sectors of the economy. In fact, school budget cuts will be noticeably more significant for 2010-11 than they were in the previous two years, the survey suggests. (eSchool News, 7/27)
Race to the Top program spurs school-reform debate: 18 states, D.C. named as finalists for the second round of RTTT grants amid a growing chorus of criticism toward Obama administration policies. The U.S. Department of Education has named 18 states and the District of Columbia as finalists in the second round of the federal “Race to the Top” (RTTT) grant competition, giving them a chance to receive a share of $3.4 billion to implement broad school reforms. The July 27 announcement came just one day after a coalition of civil-rights organizations criticized the Obama administration’s approach to education reform, highlighting a growing disconnect between administration officials and critics of its education policies. (eSchool News, 7/28)
Senate Panel Approves Race to Top Renewal. The federal Race to the Top program would be renewed for another year under a spending bill approved today by the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that deals with education spending—but wouldn't receive nearly as much money as President Barack Obama has sought. (Education Week blogs, 7/27)
What Will Become of the Education Jobs Fund? A couple of weeks ago, the U.S House of Representatives included a $10 billion Education Jobs Fund as an amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill they sent to the Senate. Such funding—entirely paid for, through offsets to other programs—would help stave off massive educator layoffs that could have devastating effects on our nation’s children. But on July 22, the Senate decided against the House’s version of the bill. It sent its own bill back to the House with, among other changes, no money for education jobs. It is predicted the House will approve the stripped down bill, so if there are to be any federal funds for education jobs, they’ll have to be included in a different, as of now unidentified, bill.
7-27-10
18 States, D.C. Finalists for Race to Top Round 2. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have a shot at the remaining $3.4 billion in Race to the Top funding. The Department of Education just released the list of finalists. (Education Week blogs, 7/27)
7-26-10
News from The Right Brain Initiative:
Portland metro area has now been named the third site to participate in the national Any Given Child initiative. Any Given Child, run by the venerable Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., provides metropolitan areas with the tools to create a long-term plan for equity and access in arts education for K-8 students. The Portland area now joins sites in Sacramento, CA and Springfield, MO for this program. Blog: Traveling exhibit readies to tour the region. Show + Tell is a new traveling exhibit housed in an 8x16’ portable storage unit. This display allows RBI to share how they’ve helped foster student engagement and teacher innovation during the 2009-10 school year—and provides them with an excuse to engage the greater community they support. Blog: First annual Imagine This seminar deemed a bright start. In late June, RBI hosted Imagine This, a new annual seminar open to all educators, artists and advocates. With sixteen presenters from around the country and thirty sessions over the course of three days, their tabulated evaluations concluded that they've helped attendees make connections and find inspiration to funnel into their work in the next school year. It was a bright start to a program they look forward to hosting each and every June. Mark your calendar for Imagine This 2011, June 20-22, 2011.
Education Week Blog: Creativity in the Classroom. In a recent Newsweek article, "The Creativity Crisis", writers Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman ask why creativity scores are declining. They point their fingers at public schools, where curriculum standards have caused teachers to engage in drill-and-kill lessons designed to boost scores on standardized tests to the detriment of all else. Presumably, private and religious schools are more creative because they don't have to play by the same rules. But since Bronson and Merryman do not address this important issue, it's impossible to know exactly how creative non-public schools are. This is a vital distinction if efforts to improve creativity are to be successful. (Education Week blogs, 7/26)
School starts soon…get ready for the new school year with the National Teacher Registry (NTR)! A new school year is starting and you are likely wondering how you are going to get the supplies and materials you need for your classroom. NTR is a new and No Cost service for teachers and schools, public and private, pre-school through college. A teacher or school can create a list of the items that they need and want for their classroom. There are currently over 40,000 items from multiple suppliers on the site and many more products are in the process of being added. Once a registry, or wish list, is created, a direct link to the registry can be sent by the teacher or school to parents and friends. Parents and friends can access the list on the Internet, purchase items from the list, and have the items delivered directly to the teacher or school. In many cases this is a charitable donation which can be deducted on the purchaser’s tax return. If you are a teacher, go to NTR today and create your Wish List!
Feds to create an Online Learning Registry. ED will create an online database of primary-source materials. In a move to help rural schools keep pace with more developed districts, the U.S. Department of Education said it will create an Online Learning Registry that will provide access to historical, artistic, and scientific primary-source materials. “We have ambitious plans to use new technologies to reach new audiences. …We have much to offer students and teachers in art, science, history, education, and culture. We want to give learners of all ages access to America’s treasures and our creative experts who bring them to life,” said Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough. (eSchool News, 7/22)
First Lady Promotes Arts Education, Access Inside & Outside White House . "In a White House where First Lady Michelle Obama's relationship to the arts strives to be both rarefied and common, cerebral, and pragmatic, the cultural program is dictated by tradition, personal life story...and an unabashed desire to shake things up. With that goal always in mind, she has also pointed out the financial impact of the arts on the economy and their ability to strengthen and build communities. And finally, she has made clear that her relationship to the creative community is personal, born out of family history and personal curiosity." (The Washington Post, 7/21)
Advocacy Tip of the Week: Create a Community Action Team. Simply defined, community outreach is performing local public awareness activities through targeted community interaction. Create an outreach team in your community. Start by making a list of people who see the value in a whole child approach to education, and then engage them in a conversation! Reach out through an informal e-mail group or invitations to more formal monthly meetings. Bring together other educators, parents, and community members to share opinions on needed changes, then figure out how to make them happen. This team will become your go-to advocates who can take action on any variety of education issues. Their voices will help engage more people to support a whole child approach to education. For example, this August ASCD will ask Educator Advocates to rally people in their community to show support for passing the Whole Child Resolution. If you start engaging people now around an advocacy and outreach common ground, it will be easy to spread the word and generate lots of letters telling Capitol Hill that your community action team believes that each child should be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Become an advocate
New York: Group Forms to Fund School Music, Arts, Library Programs. Saugerties PTSA SLAM (Saves, Library, Arts, & Music) was formed by a group of individuals concerned with program cuts in the school district that arose with the adoption of a $52.69 million austerity budget for the coming school year. That budget cut all sports, stipends for extracurricular activities, 32 teaching positions, and 22 other staff positions. As a result, the instrumental music program at the district’s elementary schools was cut, as well as four high school art electives, and the library department was downsized to three librarians for the district. The release said the group has since created a prioritized set of goals pertaining to its mission to help reinstate the library, arts, and music programs." (The Daily Freeman, 7/20)
New Research: Workforce Creativity Declining in America. "A recent IBM poll of 1,500 CEOs identified creativity as the top 'leadership competency' of the future. Yet it’s not just about sustaining our nation’s economic growth. All around us are matters of national and international importance that are crying out for creative solutions, from saving the Gulf of Mexico to bringing peace to Afghanistan to delivering health care. Such solutions emerge from a healthy marketplace of ideas, sustained by a populace constantly contributing original ideas and receptive to the ideas of others. It’s too early to determine conclusively why U.S. creativity scores are declining. One likely culprit is the number of hours kids now spend in front of the TV and playing videogames rather than engaging in creative activities. Another is the lack of creativity development in our schools. In effect, it’s left to the luck of the draw who becomes creative: there’s no concerted effort to nurture the creativity of all children." (Newsweek, 7/10/10)
7-23-10
Education Jobs Bill Alert. Now is a crucial moment in the legislative process to help save educator jobs in the upcoming school year. It is imperative that you contact your senators today. They need to hear from you about your school's budget situation, state fiscal projections, and the negative effect all of this is having on education services and, more important, students in your area. Please send a letter to your senator. You can also call your senator by using 1-866-608-6355. You will hear a message in support of the education jobs aid before being directed to your senator's office to register your request that they support this bill. You can personalize your letter and phone call with your particular state's economic data using ASCD's new state budget resource available at www.ascd.org/state-budget-map.
Call for Papers: Visual Culture & Gender (VCG) is an international, peer-reviewed, freely accessed, online journal available @ http://www.emitto.net/visualculturegender. The journal's purpose is to encourage and promote an understanding of how visual culture constructs gender in context with representations of race, age, sexuality, social units, (dis)ability, and social class; and to promote international dialogue about visual culture and gender. VCG is also concerned with the learning and teaching processes and/or practices used to expose culturally learned meanings and power relations that surround the creation, consumption, valuing, and dissemination of images, and involves issues of equity and social justice in the learning, teaching, and practice of art. Click here for more information
MICA Receives $200,000 Grant to Expand Community Arts Program. Foundation’s College/Arts Initiative has awarded Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) a two-year, $200,000 grant to expand the reach of the College’s Community Arts Partnerships (CAP) program and to determine a tangible, quantifiable link between community arts activity and the seemingly intangible outcomes of hope, well-being and engagement. The grant will fund four to six new community partnerships for CAP, which links art students interested in community engagement with low-income communities, serving an additional 100 to 175 inner-city residents.
7-22-10
Should We Teach Creativity? Can We?. Most people believe we can't be a prosperous nation if we're not a creative nation. But can we teach creativity without giving in to the gauzy, shallow, I'm OK, You're OK creativity exercises that drive traditionalists round the bend? A recent Newsweek cover story by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman suggests that we can. In fact, its authors say we must, because our young people have been getting less creative over the past twenty years. What's worse, they claim, we don't seem to have any national strategy to tackle the problem. (LearningFirst.org)
"The Creativity Crisis": A Conversation with Nurture Shock Author Ashley Merryman (LearningFirst.org)
Common Standards Judged Better Than Most States'. The common academic-content standards that dozens of states are now adopting are better overall than 33 individual states’ standards, according to an analysis released today by a Washington research-and-advocacy group. (Education Week, 7/21)
7-21-10
Many States Adopt National Standards for Their Schools. Less than two months after the nation’s governors and state school chiefs released their final recommendations for national education standards, 27 states have adopted them and about a dozen more are expected to do so in the next two weeks. (The New York Times, 7/21)
7-20-10
Reformers See Promise in Race to Top Momentum. Advocates for education redesign are encouraged by a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations panel’s decision to extend the Race to the Top program for an additional year. (Education Week, 7/20)
Doing More With Less: A State Checklist for Sustainable School Transformation. If states want to promote school systems that succeed at scale, they must get in the game of restructuring the use of existing resources for systemwide transformation—not simply adding resources on top. Based on Education Resource Strategies partnership with district leaders and an analysis of district budgets across the country and over time, ERS has developed the following checklist of actions states should consider. (Education Week, 7/16)
Teacher development not a smart cutback in tough times. One area especially hard hit by the cuts is professional development — the process by which we ensure our educators are well equipped to meet constantly evolving demands of helping students succeed. (The Seattle Times, 7/18)
Gulf oil spill inspires young artists. While murals and music are generally created for public pleasure and appreciation, one program is using these media to educate young people about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Created with the guidance of local artist and photographer Clifton Faust, the mural was created by campers who visited the UNO-Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences and Fontainebleau State Park to learn about the coast and the implications of the oil spill before translating their feelings into art. (nola.com)
7-19-10
New tool shows how arts education boosts 21st century skills. P21 maps various aspects of arts education to the skills they reinforce—complete with project examples. (eSchool News, 7/15)
House Panel Votes for Another Year of Race to the Top. Attention state education agencies: Don't send those Gates-financed consultants home just yet. It's still early in the congressional budget process, but it looks like the Obama administration's signature K-12 initiative—the $4.35 billion Race to the Top program—has a better chance of being extended into fiscal year 2011, which begins Oct. 1. (Education Week blogs, 7/15)
New Resource: Because frustration over color is said to be the #1 reason students quit painting, Arts & Activities magazine has decided to launch a 10-part series on color harmony beginning with its September issue. The monthly series, written by color expert and artist Dan Bartges (www.danbartges.com), will include online lessons for students and is designed to make them ‘color competent’ by the end of the 2010/11 school year.
Art21 News: The Present Perfect: Watch the Archived Stream. On Wednesday, June 23, audiences gathered at the 92YTribeca and online at PBS.org to participate in Art21's first ever live-streamed interactive event, The Present Perfect with Art21. The event featured artists Oliver Herring and Laurie Simmons in conversation with moderator Robert MacNeil, answering questions in real time from the in-house (via Twitter) and online audiences. Watch the archived stream of the event on PBS Video and view photos from the event on the PBS Facebook page.
New Art21 Videos: Shonibare MBE, Weems, Koons, and Maier-Aichen. African, British, American--two recent videos take an international approach to the subject of race, highlighting multiple points of view on the experience of being a black artist today.
Yinka Shonibare MBE: Nelson's Ship in a Bottle
Carrie Mae Weems and David Alan Grier: In Conversation
Jeff Koons: Art History
Florian Maier-Aichen: Rejecting Tradition
7-16-10
The Way of the Wiki: Building Online Creativity and Cooperation. These tools are the ultimate enablers of collaboration -- in and out of class. A simple, cheap technology with a funny name will become an even more powerful portal into creative teaching and learning this year. Educators, if you haven't already, meet the wiki. Wikis are websites that can be instantly and easily edited by anyone the wiki owner chooses to allow. The teachers who first used them a few years ago started simply by posting assignments and information for their students. Now, the trailblazers use them to create living, breathing classrooms online.
The Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum will join with Nike and Make Something!!, an organization founded by artistic curator Aaron Rose to introduce kids to new creative opportunities in the arts, to present a series of educational workshops focused on creativity and design.
Beginning July 12, local students will work alongside Nike designers and Make Something!! artists to design graphics, apparel, footwear and event activities in celebration of the World Basketball Festival taking place in New York in August. The students, recruited via Cooper-Hewitt and Nike Sustainable Business and Innovation, will work hands-on with designers and Make Something!!
Duncan: Congress Must Act Now to Save Teacher Jobs. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged Congress to act soon to increase education funding because cash-strapped states can't wait until the fall to determine if they must lay off thousands of teachers. (AP)
States Continue to Adopt Common Standards in Math, Language Arts. "Nearly half the states have adopted a new set of common academic standards, barely a month after their final release and, in most cases, with little opposition. As of [July 9], 23 states have decided to replace their mathematics and English/language arts standards with the common set. Another flurry of adoptions is expected by August 2, since the $4 billion federal Race to the Top contest gives more points to states that meet that deadline. By the end of the year, 41 states are expected to have adopted the standards, according to the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). (Education Week, 7/9)
NEA votes "no confidence" in Race to the Top. The National Education Association has taken a vote of "no confidence" in the federal Race to the Top initiative. Phil Rumore, the president of the NEA's affiliate in Buffalo, N.Y., introduced the measure and said the federal guidelines and emphasis on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act only reinforces the focus on standardized testing in schools. (Education Week, 7/15)
Report Says Stimulus Spending Staved Off Layoffs. School districts have used federal economic-stimulus money to help ameliorate the effects of the economic recession and keep their teaching staffs employed, even as their overall budgets decreased. (Education Week, 7/15)
7-15-10
The University of Florida Launches Online Master of Arts in Art Education. The University of Florida (UF) College of Fine Arts announces the new online Master of Arts in Art Education degree program with classes to begin this month. UF’s online Master’s in Art Education program develops art educators, artists, and art advocates who are uniquely positioned to thrive in varied modern learning environments as transformative art educators. The program’s unique curriculum emphasizes the development of teaching techniques alongside studio courses that challenge students to develop their art, learn new art making techniques, and methods of instruction. Through the program, students discover and explore ways that digital technologies can be used to deliver impactful art learning experiences.
Curator/Critic Makes a Case for Bravo's Work of Art. "The show does seem to be getting better, and it's unclear what, exactly, the show's harshest critics are so worried about. That Work of Art [a new television show on the Bravo network] will create the unfounded expectation that artists can produce at the snap of a finger? Or that they might actually appreciate winning that grand prize and getting some air time? Or are they just worried that the 'mysteries' of the art world will be exposed to Middle America? (Salon.com, 7/6)
7-14-10
Map Provides First-of-their-kind Classroom Examples of Integrating the Four Cs into Arts Courses. P21 Collaborates with the Leading Art, Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts Associations to Create 21st Century Skills Map. The 21st Century Skills Map for the Arts will be released at a Congressional briefing in Room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Thursday, July 15, 2010, at 2:30 pm. The map demonstrates how the three Rs and four Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration and creativity and innovation) can be fused within arts curriculum. The map provides educator-created examples of how core subjects such as the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual and media arts) can be fused with the complete set of 21st Century Learning Skills to create engaging learning experiences that promote 21st century knowledge and skill acquisition. The Capitol Hill briefing will include representatives from P21, the American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE), the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), the National Art Education Association (NAEA), the National Association for Music Education (MENC), the National Dance Association (NDA), and the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO). More information to come!
Call for Proposals: Small Group Discussions Proposals for AEP Fall 2010 National Forum in Denver, CO. AEP is now accepting proposals for Small Group Session presentations for the Fall 2010 National Forum. You can download the RFP here. The deadline for submission is July 30, 2010. If you have questions, contact Laura Smyth at lauras@ccsso.org.
Call for Submissions: AEP Cover Art Contest. The Cover Art Contest for the Fall 2010 National Forum is now open for submissions. The contest is open to students aged 13-25 living in the state of Colorado. Please help us spread the word about the Contest. Click on the link for the submission form. The deadline for submissions is July 30, 2010.
NEA Research Report on Technology and Arts Participation. The National Endowment for the Arts' Office of Research & Analysis recently released Audience 2.0: How Technology Influences Arts Participation. Full press release: http://www.nea.gov/news/news10/new-media-report.html
New Resource for Elementary School Art Teachers: The Art Material Girl Website. The Art Material Girl website was designed to help elementary school art teachers learn about how to save and find money for their art programs, along with information about art safety, and a blog about comparing and analyzing art materials.
7-13-10
Winning School Board Support for Arts Learning. Just as school boards across the country are preparing their priorities for the next school year, keepartsinschools.org is launching: Winning School Board Support for Arts Learning: A Toolkit for Action. Find compelling data and research, easy to use tools, ideas, activities and inspiration to fuel your advocacy efforts.
Washington DC Teen Design Fair. Washington DC teens are invited to learn about careers from the National Design Awards winner, finalists and jurors. These professionals are working in the fields of fashion, industrial design, architecture, multimedia, and graphic design. Meet Tim Gunn and top designers from all fields. Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 8:30 - 11:00 am. This Event is FREE! PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION AND PARENTAL CONSENT REQUIRED. Grand Salon, Renwick Gallery, 1661 Pennsylvania Ave NW, at 17th Street, Washington, DC 20006
An Open Letter to Congressional Leaders on Education Reform. Much of the blueprint for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is strong, writes former teacher and superintendent Rich Young, but there are seven areas of concern. (Education Week, 7/8)
Want Children to “Pay Attention”? Make Their Brains Curious! By Judy Willis, M.D., M.Ed. In 360 B.C., Plato shared a thought that has not lost its timeliness: "Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind." Neurosurgeon and educator Judy Willis explores this profound thought from a brain-based perspective in a recent ASCD EDge blog post. She shares insight into the inner workings of the student mind, suggests strategies for building novelty into teaching and expounds the benefits of joyful learning. (Psychology Today, 5/9)
Announcing Fulbright Opportunities for K-12 Teachers. Learn more about unique professional development opportunities with two Fulbright programs that are designed for K-12 teachers from the U.S. and other countries. Visit the website for more details about programs, requirements, benefits, & application forms. The Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program, a one-to-one exchange program for K-12 teachers for one semester or one academic year. The 2011-2012 participating countries are the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, India, Mexico, Switzerland, & the UK. Applications must be submitted to AED by October 15, 2010. The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program is a professional development opportunity in an international context for 3-6 months. The 2011-2012 participating countries are Argentina, Finland, India, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, Singapore, South Africa, & the UK. Applications must be submitted to AED by December 15, 2010.
Guggenheim Museum and YouTube Launch Search for the World’s Most Creative Online Video. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, together with YouTube, the world’s largest online video community, announced the launch of YouTube Play. A collaboration with HP, YouTube Play was conceived to discover and showcase the most exceptional talent working in the ever-expanding realm of online video. Open to the global online community. A jury of experts comprising celebrated figures from the worlds of art, design, film, and entertainment will select up to 20 videos submitted from around the world to be presented at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on October 21, 2010, with simultaneous presentations at the Guggenheim museums in Berlin, Bilbao, and Venice. The works will also be available to a worldwide audience on the special YouTube Play channel.
Maryland: Plein Air-Easton! Seeks Artists Age 21 & Under for New Event. This year’s Plein Air-Easton! includes the addition of Quick Draw: The Next Generation, a competition for emerging artists, age 21 years or younger. This exciting event will be held on July 25 and is a new component of the 6th Annual Plein Air-Easton! Competition & Arts Festival, which takes place July 19-25. Prizes: First Place—$1,500 plus winner’s painting published on cover of Attraction Magazine; Second Place—$1,000; Third Place—$100 plus a product award; Honorable Mention x 3—$50. Registration fee: $10.
ArtsWORK Indiana News. The Indiana Arts Commission (lead applicant organization), VSAI, the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community and ArtsWORK received a $4,000 follow-up grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for their partnership efforts in arts accessibility. The IAC was one of only four state arts organizations to receive such a grant this year. Congratulations!
7-9-10
The value of arts education: A video
"Enlivening the Senses: Arts|Learning at the Core of Education" from Arts|Learning on Vimeo. This 14-minute film does a great job detailing the impact of arts education on the development of children’s cognitive, artistic, social and psychological development. The film was created through a partnership between the nonprofit organization Arts/Learning and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Edujobs or Race to Top: What's Worth More to States? Depending on which state you live in, the edujobs bill may not be such a good deal—especially if your state might win a Race to the Top grant. (Education Week, 7/7)
NAEA SummerVision DC - Artful Teacher Inspiration, Creativity & Connection for "New Eyes" & Summer Renewal! View the SummerVision DC 2010 New Eyes Gallery
From Museums etc.: A new 50-page Publications Catalogue is now available, and packed with practical new books and recordings designed to help cultural organisations face today's new challenges. Copies can be downloaded free of charge. The Summer Edition features new books which share the experience of these great museums: Canadian Museum for Human Rights; Miami Science Museum; V&A; Smithsonian American Art Museum; Wellcome Collection; Science Museum; Galicia Jewish Museum; Conner Prairie Interactive History Park; Museum of New Zealand; Manchester Museum… and many more!
Obama administration, lawmakers are divided over education spending. President Barack Obama is threatening to veto a spending bill that includes funding to save teacher jobs because it cuts close to $800 million for his administration's school-reform programs, including Race to the Top. "It would be shortsighted to weaken funding for these reforms just as they begin to show such promise," the administration said. But teachers unions and lawmakers who support the bill say keeping teachers in the classroom should take precedence over the administration's reform agenda. (ABC News 7/6)
Learn about Response to Intervention from Reach Every Child. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 authorized education agencies to use Response to Intervention (RtI) models to meet the needs of students with special needs. Many tools and ideas are available to do this and to monitor the progress of students, but new concepts and plans are harder to get. Find a mix of links, which provide networking possibilities and offer approaches that are being used by many states.
Americans for the Arts presents the 2010 Arts Education Award to KID smART, a New Orleans-based arts education organization. The award was presented June 25 at the Americans for the Arts Half-Century Summit in Baltimore. Given annually by Americans for the Arts since 2007, the award honors the best in arts education program design and execution and organizational leadership. The Arts Education Award is presented by the Arts Education Council of Americans for the Arts.
POTTERS COUNCIL CONFERENCE: PORCELAIN II, October 22-24, 2010, San Diego, CA. Hosted by Clay Artists of San Diego. Space is Limited. Register Today! Porcelain II features four highly talented porcelain artists ready to help you conquer this beautiful yet challenging ceramic material. They'll share their tips, techniques and experiences so you'll be able to move to the next level. Here's an opportunity to learn from the experts in this extremely rewarding medium. Featured Artists: Erin Furimsky, Kristen Kieffer, Jennifer McCurdy & Lorna Meaden. Deadline to Reserve your Hotel for a discounted rate is Tuesday, August 17, 2010.
North Carolina: New Arts Education Task Force Legislation Passes Unanimously. "On the last day of June, Gov. Beverly Perdue signed the 2010–2011 state budget into law. In the current economy, the expectation for arts funding would be ordinarily low. However, anyone following the recent advocacy for arts education would know that Gov. Perdue’s cabinet made creative growth a top priority for the state government. (Encore Online, 7/6)
Maryland: Arts Education Group Offers Integration Summer School for Teachers. "The 21st Century Learning Institute was launched last year by both Anne Arundel County Public Schools and the Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS) Alliance, which uses such programs to help improve the quality of and access to arts in the state's schools. (The Baltimore Sun, 7/2)
Big Thinkers: Katie Salen on Learning with Games. A professor of design and technology at Parsons The New School for Design talks about the value of games and the empowerment of play. (edutopia)
7-8-10
Become a member of the Arts Action Fund (AAF), and take the first step in fighting for arts funding and arts education. The AAF is building a nationwide army of 100,000 citizen activists who will help guarantee that arts-friendly public policies are adopted in your community and across the country.
Meet other advocates like you and learn why arts advocacy matters to them...
To really make a difference, they need united voices working together -- which can only be achieved with your help. Tell your friends why you are an advocate for the arts and encourage them to do something about arts funding and arts education by signing up for the Arts Action Fund.
7-7-10
Jobs Bill Collides With Obama Education Agenda. Congressional efforts to save teacher jobs, in part by cutting Race to the Top, have states and the administration pushing back. (Education Week, 7/2)
NEA Delegates Vote 'No Confidence' in Race to Top. The union also took a position of "no confidence" in the use of competitive grants as a basis for ESEA reauthorization. (Education Week blogs, 7/4)
California: L.A. Unified to cut elementary school arts by a third rather than half. Under pressure from arts advocates to rescind cuts that would gut elementary school arts classes, Los Angeles Unified School District officials are expected to restore to program budgets that they had planned to cut in half to help balance next year's budget. (Los Angeles Times, 6/22)
Tennessee: The Joan Derryberry Art Gallery is calling for artists for solo exhibitions for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons. This non-profit gallery is located in the Roaden University Center on the main campus of Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN. The exhibitions run for approximately 4 weeks. Images must be submitted on CD containing nothing but JPEG files approximately 2 MB (no folders), 300 dpi, 7" or 2100 pixels on longest side. Mail entry to: University Art Committee, ATTN: Janis Nunnally, Box 5194, 1000 N. Dixie Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38505; e-mail: jsnunnally21@tntech.edu. Deadline is September 1, 2010.
Ohio: Eighth Annual Summer Teacher Institute: Art of America, Tuesday July 27 - Thursday July 29, 8:00am - 2:00pm. Over the course of three days, they will consider American art from a variety of angles and its many applications to augment your classroom curriculum. Participating teachers will take part in art making workshops, tours of special exhibitions Walker Evans: Decade by Decade and Cincinnati Collects America, guest lectures, and much more! This is open to teachers of all grade levels and disciplines, art appreciation volunteers, and pre-service education majors. Participating teachers will receive CEU certificates. Graduate credit available through Ashland University. Fee: $60 for Art Museum members, $120 for non-members; lunch is provided. Reservations: Required, call (513) 721-ARTS or click here to register. For more information, e-mail school&teachers@cincyart.org.
South Africa: Art for Humanity: what is art? Art for Humanity defines art as that which is created to inspire all of humanity with freedom of expression, the quest for excellence, pride, dignity, and respect for individual rights, reflection and heritage. View the June 2010 newsletter
7-6-10
New Resources from The Department of Education:
1. The Department of Education Recovery Plan report provides "information about each program's purpose, public benefits, projects and activities, monitoring and evaluation, cost, and performance measures."
2. State-by-state ARRA spending information 
3. A PowerPoint from a June 15 webinar--Strategic Use of Title I & IDEA: How to Maximize ARRA, FY09 & FY10 Funds
The 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Ceremony honor 15 Portfolio Gold Medalists and over 600 students at the Carnegie Hall Award Ceremony, but a record-breaking 1,362 people attended the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Teen Exhibition opening reception at the World Financial Center’s Courtyard Gallery. Workshops took students and teachers to video game studios, panels with editors and writers, tours of magazines like Rolling Stone and behind-the-scenes visits to major museum collections.
Keynote: STEM should include arts education. Educator Jeff Piontek said creative strategies will be needed as global learning grows. Not only do global learners create global leaders, but the world’s future depends on education focusing on creative and innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning, said ISTE closing keynote speaker Jeff Piontek. “I think we need to focus on STEAM–science, technology, engineering, arts, and math,” Piontek said to loud applause from the conference attendees. “Arts and creativity are needed in the future.” (eSchool News, 7/1)
New York: Funding for art supplies, music instruments falls by 68% at city schools. It's not a pretty picture. Spending on arts supplies and visits by cultural institutions has dropped drastically at city schools over the last three years, even as overall education spending has grown, a new report shows. While education spending increased by about 13% between 2006 and 2009, funding for arts supplies, musical instruments and other equipment fell by 68%, the report by the Center for Arts Education found. (The NY Daily News, 7/1)
Maryland: Arts Lessons: Teachers integrate arts into other subjects. Some Anne Arundel County teachers will be learning songwriting, mime and dance this summer, in efforts to better teach students in math, science and other subjects in the fall. They will be teaming up with local artists as well as with teachers from abroad at the 21st Century Learning Institute, a summer development program that allows county elementary and middle school teachers to take arts lessons then devise ways to integrate those disciplines in all subjects. (The Baltimore Sun, 7/2)
Message from the President - Evoking Soul and Spirit in Art Education from the Summer 2010 issue of NAEA News.
Message from The Executive Director - Cleansing the Palette from the Summer 2010 issue of NAEA News.
The Whole Child Quarterly Update for Summer 2010 which is intended to keep you and other whole child supporters up to date on major developments within our whole child initiative. It also provides highlights of the work that our whole child partners are doing to ensure each child, in each of our communities is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: KATHY CONNORS TEACHING AWARD. The Kathy Connors Teaching Award is designed to honor a person who has dedicated her/his art education career to excellence in teaching, mentoring, and collaboration. The recipient of this award will have been recognized by peers, students, and administrators. The Women's Caucus of the National Art Education Association invites nominations for the annual Kathy Connors Award given in honor of Kathy Connors, a highly respected and professionally active art educator, who exemplifies the characteristics listed above. DEADLINE: October 1. Please send a letter of interest to Sheri Klein, Award Chairperson, at kleinsheri353@gmail.com.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS AND SELECTION COMMITTEE: CARRIE NORDLUND PRE-K-12 FEMINIST PEDAGOGY AWARD. The Carrie Nordlund Pre-K-12 Feminist Pedagogy Award is designed to honor a person who has made a special effort to incorporate feminist pedagogy into her or his pre-K-12 teaching, which Pre-K-12 art educators, peers, and administrators have recognized as inclusive. The Women's Caucus of the National Art Education Association invites nominations for the annual Carrie Nordlund pre-K-12 Feminist Pedagogy Award given in honor of Carrie Nordlund, the first recipient (2002) and highly respected, professionally active art educator who exemplifies a commitment to inclusive, fair, and equitable feminist teaching of art. The recipient of the Carrie Nordlund award is honored at the WC awards ceremony at the NAEA National Convention in which the awardee is invited to demonstrate or present her or his use of feminist pedagogy in preK-12 classrooms. DEADLINE: October 1. Please submit applications to Caryl Church at carylchurch@yahoo.com.
Crayola Mini-Grants: In collaboration with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), Crayola is offering up to 20 mini-grants based on selected applications from elementary school principals who are members of NAESP. The applications will only be accepted from principals. If you are not the principal, please collaborate with your school's leader to develop the plan and confirm that he/she is currently a member of NAESP. If not a member, go to NAESP.org to found out how to become a member. Applications are due August 15, 2010. Visit this link to download the application.
Pennsylvania: The Galleries at Moore College of Art & Design present Wendy Ewald - Secret Games: Collaborative Works with Children 1969-1999. For more than 30 years, photographer and educator Wendy Ewald has worked with children around the world, using photography and writing activities to help them express what they think and feel about themselves, their families and their communities. In an exhibition spread across three galleries over five months, Secret Games showcases the scope of Ewald’s work and the powerful results of her collaborations with children. The exhibition features approximately 200 photographs along with video installation, a reading room and project documentation. The event is FREE and open to the public. 1. Chiapas Mexico project, 1991, Graham Gallery: May 22 – September 4, 2010. 2. Six projects 1969 – 1999, Goldie Paley Gallery: June 5 – October 16, 2010. 3. Five projects 1992 – 1998, Levy Gallery: September 10 – October 16, 2010. For more information, call 215-965-4027 / www.thegalleriesatmoore.org.
Wisconsin: 5th Annual Art at the Creek Exhibit and Sale this October. The brochures have been mailed and the initial exhibit informational emails have been sent with all of the details, but here are some reminders: Entry is FREE! $2,500 in cash prizes will be awarded. The guest juror this year is Mel Buchanan from the Milwaukee Art Museum. This is a themed exhibit on “The Good Samaritan” from Luke 12 and they always encourage artists to consider the theme and create from their inspiration. Art will be judged with the theme in mind. The exhibit is October 15-31 at Spring Creek Church in Pewaukee, WI. Online registration for artists begins August 1, 2010.
New Publication from NCTE: Literacies, the Arts, and Multimodality, Edited by Peggy Albers and Jennifer Sanders. Literacies, the Arts, and Multimodality introduces K–college educators to current research and instructional practices for including a wider range of experiences that help teachers explore how a curriculum rich in these experiences can benefit students personally and academically. ISBN 978-0-8141-3214-2. No. 32142. $30.95 member/$41.95 nonmember. Order toll-free at 877-369-6283/800-369-6283 OR online anytime at www.ncte.org.
JUNE
6-30-10
House Dems Would Trim Race to Top, TIF to Make Room for Edujobs. Draft legislation just introduced by Rep. David Obey appears to skim millions from a pair of high-profile programs in an effort to find money to save education jobs. This story will be developing throughout the day. (Education Week, 6/29)
Whatever Happened to Humanities Curriculum? (from Arts Watch). Posted by Tim Mikulski, June 2. "Two weeks ago, I joined approximately 40 other arts education leaders in a two-day meeting to discuss plans for National Expectations for Learning in Arts Education, a projected originally taken on by State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education (SEADAE). For the first time in 16 years, arts education experts from national organizations spent time evaluating the possible impact and creating a plan for potential revisions, additions, or replacement for National Arts Education Standards."
2010 Red Vines Drawing Contest - Sponsored by the American Licorice Company. Contestants in the 2010 Red Vines Drawing Contest are asked to submit their own original drawings for a chance to be featured on Red Vines packaging! Multiple winners in various categories will take home prizes ranging up to a $2,500 scholarship or gift card. New for this year, the competition will include the opportunity to submit a four (4) color drawing that will be featured on the iconic 4 lb. & 5.5 lb jar of Red Vines, in addition to the traditional one color drawings for the classic 5 oz. trays. We encourage you to submit hand-drawn artwork on an official entry form. Contestants are permitted one entry for the tray format and one entry for the jar format. At the end of the contest submission period on September 30, 2010, first, second and third place winners will be selected in multiple age categories based on a combination of creativity, interest from the judges and aptness to the Red Vines brand. Winners will take home prizes ranging from Red Vines candy and gear to a $2,500 scholarship or gift card. For complete contest rules visit www.redvines.com.
INDIANA: VSAI Students' Artwork will be showcased at the Brickyard Gallery. Show Opens Thursday, July 8th. Gallery hours: M-F, 9-4, 6060 Guion Road, Indianapolis. The wide variety of VSAI artwork will be displayed alongside professional ceramic artists work (Winners of the 2008 Clayfest). VSAI students work will include Urban Artisan pottery and gardenware, Open Studio adult artist work and general Community Class work made by children, young adults and adults.
6-29-10
Latest Edujobs Draft Has $10 Billion To Prevent Layoffs. House Democratic leaders are circulating a draft of a scaled-down version of the edujobs bill that would include $10 billion to prevent teacher layoffs. This would be a significant decrease from the $23 billion initially sought to stave off staff reductions. Spending would be offset by about $12 billion in reductions to other programs, including an $800 million cut in funding for new discretionary programs in the U.S. Department of Education. (Education Week blog, 6/28)
6-28-10
When was the last time your organization met with your member of Congress? Have you invited him or her to an arts event recently? Now’s your chance: Americans for the Arts is offering the tools you need to advocate for the arts in your community this summer with a free webinar!
"50 States 50 Days": Organizing a Local Arts Advocacy Day
July 8, 2010 at 3:00 PM EDT, 2:00 PM CDT, 1:00 PM MDT, 12:00 PM PDT
(90 minutes). In celebration of our 50th anniversary, Americans for the Arts Action Fund is launching the "50 States 50 Days" initiative. Beginning in late July to coincide with the Congressional Recess, this national campaign seeks to expand our network of arts advocacy leaders across the country. This webinar is designed to recruit local leaders to host gatherings back home with their members of Congress on the importance of the arts and arts education. Participants on this webinar will learn about our new Toolkit to help plan and organize their visits, discuss the best strategies for making their case, and hear about the latest social media tools to advertise their events. Sign up now!
Open House scheduled for next week, June 26th – July 3rd, on Art Education 2.0, a global community of art educators exploring uses of new technology. Brought to you from The Art Teacher's Guide to the Internet: Ideas, tools, and resources for teaching art and design in a post-digital age. This event offers an opportunity for anyone interested in knowing what happens on AE 2.0 to take a get a good look at the site past the home page. To join their community, which is approaching 7,000 members, all you need to do is sign up for a free Ning account by filling out the profile information, uploading a profile picture, and verifying your email address.
Art Beyond Excerpts. The art of today begs to be seen. It begs to be walked into, over, and around. It begs to be examined up close…in person. But the fact of the matter is that students in grade school, college, even grad school, see art far more often in books and on screens than they do in person. As a matter of fact, a large majority of K-12 art educators all over the country take very, very few trips to see art in person with their students.
Stepping Stones to Collaboration in Art Education by Anita Dallar. "I wrote the article 'Building Collaborative Partnerships in Art Education' because I saw a bridge needed to be built between art teachers and teaching artists to help keep quality arts education in public schools. ...training needs to take place in partnership so that artists and teachers can learn from and support each other’s work.'
In the latest CultureWork article, "Hacking the Policy Space," Helen De Michiel, Co-Director of the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, shares her experiences and a call to action for all arts and cultural administrators, as well as artists, working within the 21st century media landscape.
ALABAMA: Alabama Alliance for Arts Education Announces the Call for Nominations to Recognize Innovation and Achievement in Education. Nomination forms are now available for three awards presented by the Alabama Alliance for Arts Education. The Alliance acknowledges individuals, schools, and organizations that demonstrate outstanding support for the arts and arts education. The submissions deadline is Monday, August 30, 2010. Recipients will be honored during an awards dinner, which will be held October 6, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama during the Arts Education Summit at the University of Alabama, Hotel Capstone. For more information visit www.alaae.org or contact Donna Russell, Executive Director at 334-269-1435 or aaae@bellsouth.net.
6-25-10
Final Day to register for NAEA SummerVision DC, July 6-9th! Visit http://www.arteducators.org/summervisiondc & http://naea.digication.com/SummerVisionDC/Home// for more information.
From the U.S. Dept. of Education--The Education Innovator, Volume IX, No. 5, June 25.
What's inside...A New Era of Family Engagement. What's New...From the U.S. Department of Education; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; From the Institute of Education Sciences; Raising Student Achievement; STEM; and Teacher Quality and Development. Innovations in the News...Raising Student Achievement; School Improvement; STEM; Teacher Quality and Development; and Technology in Education
Ed Jobs Bill Update. There have been no new developments or progress this week in efforts to pass the education jobs bill in the House. Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) is still looking for funding offsets to pay for the school aid that may make the bill easier to pass. Visit the ASCD Action Center and lend your voice to the chorus demanding that Congress save education jobs. You may also call 1-866-608-6355 to contact your members of Congress and ask them to make children's education their legislative priority by supporting the $23 billion to save educator jobs in the next school year.
Spotlight: "Using Evidence for a Change": A Forum on Research and Practice in Education. The Knowledge Alliance and Learning First Alliance recently joined forces to explore how research affects policy and practice in education. With generous support from the William T. Grant Foundation, they hosted a forum on Capitol Hill entitled "Using Evidence for a Change: Challenges for Research, Innovation and Improvement in Education." The forum brought together some very smart people with diverse perspectives on the issue who had words of advice for policymakers, researchers and educators. Read what happened here.
Expressive Therapies Summit: Times Square. Submit your proposals online at http://www.expressivemedia.org (purple box at top right) or directly from http://summit.expressivemedia.org/.
North Carolina: Arts Education Bill Passes. Senate Bill 66, as amended by the House Education Committee, passed the North Carolina Senate with unanimous concurrence. The bill calls for a State Board of Education Task Force to consider, create, and recommend policies on arts education and must report to the North Carolina General Assembly Education Committees by December 2010. The Task Force must consider arts education in K-12, including the existing Basic Education Plan, availabilities of electives, requirements in every grade level, and the A+ Schools Program. The Task Force will further consider and recommend appropriate funding for the policies.
ARTS North Carolina began a concentrated advocacy effort for arts education four years ago. With the passage of S66, our work begins. While it may be the Task Force's responsibility to recommend policies and funding, it is the advocates' responsibility to ensure that the Task Force completes its work in a timely manner, that we communicate with our Representatives and our Senators about the recommendations of the Task Force, and that we make the strongest possible case for why tax dollars should be spent on arts education. ARTS North Carolina must grow its numbers of supporters and people engaged in this work. Our membership year begins July 1, but you can go online now and support ARTS North Carolina's work in arts education and other arts-related issues: www.artsnc.org/join. A Call to Action of appreciation will be issued upon the completion of the 2010-11 Budget. We are closely monitoring the recommended sustained grant funding for the North Carolina Arts Council.
Three Groups Apply for Race to Top Test Grants. The consortia submitted applications to the U.S. Department of Education for money to craft assessments aligned to recently unveiled common standards. (Education Week, 6/23)
Research Opportunity: Michigan Youth Arts. Michigan Youth Arts is currently seeking to engage a qualified research organization to assist its staff and partners in the research design, implementation, analysis and reporting of a statewide census intended to assess the status and condition of arts education in K-12 schools in Michigan.
Opportunity: World Savvy Call for Submissions. U.S. based education nonprofit, World Savvy, is looking for contemporary and traditional artists of all kinds who address or are in conversation with topics related to the theme of “Sustainable Communities.” ELIGIBILITY: All living artists worldwide working in any media or format. They are especially interested in including works that have been completed post 2000. No entry fee required. Submissions deadline: July 20. For more information or questions, contact Call for Submissions Coordinator Katina Papson at katina@worldsavvy.org.
6-24-10
Alabama: Local Artists React to Gulf Oil Spill. "After weeks of fretting and fuming over the Gulf oil spill, Bruce Larsen turned his anger into art. He welded a 14-foot sculpture of a dragonfly rising from a reed with just the right amount of oil dripping over a BP sign. In Fairhope, AL, a prominent arts town on Mobile Bay, dozens of people are wondering how to express their feelings about the oil that has begun washing up on Alabama beaches. Nancy Raia, an educator at the Eastern Shore Art Center, channels her energy into summer art-and-science camps. Elementary school students take sketch books on boat tours of Mobile Bay. They look at water samples under a microscope and then draw pictures of what they've seen. When Raia asked what Alabama might use to protect its beaches from the oil spill, students were creative. 'Pillows?' 'Marshmallows?'. Raia has also been working on a mural project in Alabama public schools. It began as a student illustration of the five rivers that feed into Mobile Bay. The great oil spill of 2010 will likely become an event these children remember the rest of their lives. In every way—environmentally, scientifically, artistically—it is the definition of a teachable moment." (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 6/18)
Institute of Museum and Library Services Unveils 21st Century Learning Campaign. "The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has announced a national campaign aimed at engaging museums, libraries, and civic leaders in meeting the 21st century learning needs of their communities. The national campaign, 'Making the Learning Connection,' is intended to help communities assess their needs and contribute to a shared vision for 21st century learning. It includes an eight city workshop tour, a national contest, new online tools and resources, and a series of interactive webinars. The tour kicked off on June 21 at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD. The tour will provide an opportunity for museum, library, and other community leaders to discuss the 21st century learning landscape of their city and explore strategies for furthering 21st century learning goals." (ArtDaily.org, 6/21)
Iowa: Board Cuts 30 Percent of Art, Music, and Physical Education Teachers. "Des Moines will lose nearly 30 percent of its art, music, and physical education teachers and guidance counselors next school year as part of the district's efforts to trim $11.1 million from its budget, district figures recently provided to The Des Moines Register show...The information provided by the district is the first detailed look at the specific positions cut by the school board in April. Before the board vote, some parents and educators had expressed concern about deep cuts to the arts programs and physical education. (The Des Moines Register, 6/18)
Florida: Education Commissioner Emphasizes Importance of Arts Education. "The importance of the arts goes beyond just giving students a creative outlet, said Eric Smith, Florida's education commissioner. It provides students with a different way to think when they are adults. 'The world our kids will be inhabiting will be more than numbers and reading,' Smith said at the Florida Alliance for Arts Education Summit at Harrison School for the Arts. Smith said creativity, abstract thinking, and coming up with ways to do things differently will be important in the coming decades for adults who want high-paying jobs. Smith spoke for 15–20 minutes to about 90 supporters of the arts that included art teachers, principals, superintendents, and district officials from the state." (The Ledger, 6/18)
6-23-10
Transparency Watch: Fountain of 'i3' Data Now Online. The Education Department has made good on promises to disclose more data on the 1,600-plus applicants for the $650 million Investing in Innovation, or i3, fund. Officials have created a user-friendly Web portral that allows you to splice the information apart in dozens of ways. You can examine the data by geography, and figure out where the biggest—or smallest—concentrations of potential winners are located. You can see who applied for each tier of grants, how much money they want, and who their budget partners are. You can examine the applications by type of applicant, which allows you to see which school districts, nonprofits, and others are vying for this money.
Art scholarships abound for creative students. Creative comrades, starve no more. Art scholarships are not limited to students of drawing, painting and photography. Nowadays, you can find art scholarships for many mediums, from animation and design to culinary and music, to name a few.
Getty's artful lesson plans aim to boost student creativity. Mark Bradford enlists other artists to draw up lessons for K-12 teachers focusing on nontraditional methods. The information will be available for free online. (Los Angeles Times, 6/22)
Education Week Events Calendar. Looking for a national listing of conferences, workshops and classes? Check out this listing of conferences for professional development, listed by date and location.
6-22-10
Video-game academy to prepare students for technology careers. A Texas school district is planning a program to teach students video-game technology. The Academy of Game Design and Development will be open to the district's incoming freshman students in the fall and will offer courses in 2-D and 3-D animation, graphics, art and sound and light mixing. While some parents have expressed concerns about video games as course work, educators say the courses help engage students and prepare them for a variety of careers. "The backbone of what we do is calculus, physics, engineering, computer science," one game developer said. (Houston Chronicle, 4/23)
Museums develop traveling programs for schools. Museums across the country are bringing lessons in science, art and other subjects to the classroom amid an increased focus on testing and budget cuts that have led to a decline in school field trips. Museum educators have developed online lessons, classroom materials and traveling programs designed to complement the curriculum, but some worry students are missing out by not visiting the museums. (The New York Times, 4/21)
6-21-10
Institute of the Arts in Healing / Expressive Media, Inc. in cooperation with the Creative Arts Therapies Center , NYC Presents the First Annual EXPRESSIVE THERAPIES SUMMIT: TIMES SQUARE, NOVEMBER 12-15, 2010, NEW YORK CITY. The Summit offers creative arts therapists and educators, arts professionals, and interested healthcare colleagues the opportunity to come together to learn, collaborate, and network. A variety of approaches, including multi-modal techniques, will be featured. Practical solutions to critical issues facing contemporary practitioners will also be addressed. Online proposal submission available 6/20 - 7/1, visit www.expressivemedia.org. Program and registration available after 7/15.To be added to their mailing list, contact bmcohen@expressivemedia.org. Subject: IAH NYC. Be sure to include your full name and profession/arts discipline.
President Obama Pushes to Keep Teacher Jobs. Last Saturday, President Obama sent a letter to congressional leaders in the House and Senate urging them to pass legislation aimed at saving teaching and other public service jobs, providing Medicaid funds to states, and providing tax extenders that would aid small businesses. Citing the urgency of the looming wave of unemployed educators, President Obama wrote, "[M]any school districts, cities, and states are already being forced to make these layoffs. These provisions must be passed as quickly as possible." The direct presidential plea comes on the heels of months of work by many in Washington to provide $23 billion in new federal economic aid to help prevent an estimated 300,000 education job losses during the next school year. In April, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the $23 billion emergency funding bill in the Senate known as the Keep Our Educators Working Act. Educator Advocates and ASCD members have lent their voices to the ongoing campaign to garner support on Capitol Hill. These actions have resulted in e-mails, face-to-face meetings with elected officials, and over 20,000 phone calls during last month's National Call-In Day. Our efforts are seeing success, but more pressure is needed. Visit the ASCD Action Center and lend your voice to the chorus demanding that Congress save education jobs. You may also call 1-866-608-6355 to contact your members of Congress and ask them to make children's education their legislative priority by supporting the $23 billion to save educator jobs.
Analysis: More unions support new bids for Race to the Top funds. An analysis of second-round applications for federal Race to the Top grants shows that buy-in from teachers unions rose by 22 percentage points, on average, over the first-round bids. Some states made progress in gaining the support of schools and districts, but the gains were offset by California losing the approval of some 500 school districts. The level of buy-in from schools and unions is part of the scoring criteria for awarding the grants, which total $3.4 billion for the second round. (Education Week, 6/16)
ADMIT ONE: Your ticket into Art & Design School, a new blog written by a recent graduate from The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Find great information and resources.
CANADA: Wondrous Places to Learn & Grow: A two-day institute with Margie Carter & Deb Curtis. Held at: Medalta Pottery, Historical Clay District, Medicine Hat, Alberta, September 24 & 25. Concepts to Explore: Why does cultivating a sense of wonder matter in early childhood settings? How can your environment provoke a sense of wonder and deeper engagement for you and the children? How do we choose, find and offer materials to children that invite wonder, complex play and deeper inquiry? What is the role of the teacher in the environment to provoke wonder and deeper inquiry? What is the relationship between the environment, materials, observation and documentation to deepen learning? For teachers and early childhood educators of children aged 3-6 years. Registration: $325 (before June 30); $350 (after June 30). For further information please contact: Melissa Gogolinski (403) 548-3449; e-mail.
6-18-10
GETTY MUSEUM AND ARTIST MARK BRADFORD LAUNCH ONLINE CURRICULA FOR K-12 ART TEACHERS. The Getty Museum and artist Mark Bradford today unveiled Open Studio: A Collection of Artmaking Ideas by Artists, a new project conceived by Bradford, an LA-based artist and MacArthur Fellow, to provide free online arts activities for K-12 teachers to use in their classrooms. Open Studio is the inaugural project of the Getty Artists Program, an expanded effort to involve contemporary artists in the Museum’s Education programs. Bradford designed Open Studio to provide brief, accessible activities that don’t require a great deal of preparation or supplies. A teacher can click, print, and immediately share them with his or her class. Open Studio: A Collection of Artmaking Ideas by Artists is available at http://blogs.getty.edu/openstudio/.
Reading the Tea Leaves as 'Big 8' Meet on ESEA. The "Big 8" lawmakers who chair the committees and subcommittees charged with K-12 policy held a closed meeting Wednesday on Capitol Hill with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Melody Barnes, the White House's point person on education. The department and the White House called the meeting, congressional sources told me, to gauge progress on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. (Education Week blogs, Alyson Klein, 6/16)
Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles Contributes $60,000 for Arts Education in Los Angeles Public Schools. Arts for All, a program to bring arts education to the 80 school districts in Los Angeles County, received $60,000 from the Arts in Schools! Giving Circle, an initiative spearheaded by the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The Foundation). The Giving Circle provided pooled funds for the artist-in-residency program—in dance, music, theater and the visual arts.
The funding was presented at the recent Arts for All progress report meeting at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. Pictured at the event (from left) are Laurie Schell, executive director, California Alliance for Arts Education; Amelia Xann, vice president of the Family Foundation Center and Grant Programs at The Foundation; Sonia Simon Cummings, Arts in Schools! Giving Circle co-chair and Foundation donor; Laurie Zucker, executive director, L.A. County Arts Commission; Mark Slavkin, vice president of education, Music Center of Los Angeles County. Arts for All is a comprehensive program that works to ensure that all students in Los Angeles County’s 80 school districts receive sequential arts education every year from kindergarten through 12th grade.
6-17-10
Download Edutopia's Summer Rejuvenation Guide: 10 Tips to Help You Relax, Reflect, and Recharge for the Coming School Year. This practical guide is filled with 10 great tips to help you make the most of your break from the bell schedule. Edutopia is committed to highlighting what works in education and providing educators like us 21st-century strategies, tools, and resources to help our children learn. Download your copy today!
How LEGO® Smart™ are your students? Now through July 2010, LEGO® Education is inviting K-12 teachers and home educators from across the United States to register as contestants for the 2010 LEGO® Smart™ Creativity Contest, challenging classrooms coast to coast to become LEGO Smart! If you are a teacher, home educator, after-school program director, or otherwise working with students (K-12) within the education field, you are eligible to compete in this year’s contest. The contest, including prize information and contest rules, will be emailed to all pre-registered contestants on Monday, August 2, 2010, starting at 8am CST. The 2010 LEGO® Smart™ Creativity Contest requires the use of a LEGO® Smart™ kit. Kits are available, free of charge, to all new and qualified contestants. To register for the 2010 Contest, CLICK HERE. Contest is for educators only. Students are not eligible. If you have questions or would like additional information, contact Debra at dsmith@LEGOeducation.us.
6-16-10
NORTH CAROLINA: The Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School Barn Art Gallery invites you and your students to join in a national sewing campaign for peace. This national campaign will culminate in a group art show in the Spring of 2011. For submission guidelines, instructions, lesson plan suggestions, and additional project support materials, please visit the Peace Project Blog.
Solving the Puzzle of Autism. Desperate to understand and to cure autism, many activists argue that the disorder can be traced to a single source. But in order to understand autism, writes the author, we first need to determine the genetic, neuronal, and behavioral elements at play. Researchers will then need to translate their understanding of autism into treatments, an undertaking that will require a long-term, interdisciplinary approach. (The Dana Foundation)
6-15-10
KANSAS: Ulrich Educators 2010: Application - Exploring space and place. This intensive four-day art educator workshop will take place at the Ulrich Museum of Art (Wichita, Kansas) July 27-30, 2010. Participants will focus on in-depth exploration of the museum’s collection through interactive activities and integrated curriculum writing. A social media site specific for the workshop will be an important component that will extend and further develop community among participants throughout the school year. It will serve as a space to share ideas and curriculum with one another and keep updated on educational opportunities at the Ulrich. A follow-up workshop will bring participants back together Saturday, September 11 to present ways in which participants have applied or envision their curriculum in their classrooms, and discuss curricular implications of new fall exhibits. Interdisciplinary teaching teams are encouraged. Workshops are free of charge, but participants should be able to commit to attendance at both workshops (July 27-30 and September 11) and participation in the social media site. Download Application
6-14-10
Quick reminder that the deadline for registration for NAEA SummerVision DC is approaching! Registration ends Friday, June 25th! New details about the program can be found here: http://naea.digication.com/SummerVisionDC/Home//
YOU ARE WARMLY INVITED to join The Right Brain Initiative on Monday, June 21, as they present Show + Tell 2010, a public event commemorating the completion of its second school year. More than 200 parents, teachers, artists and civic leaders are expected to attend the event at the airy Leftbank Annex in North Portland, OR. The public is invited and refreshments will be served. During 2009-10, The Right Brain Initiative brought innovative arts education to nearly 11,000 K-8 students and 540 classroom teachers in 23 diverse public schools throughout the Portland metropolitan region. Help them formally recognize the teachers, artists, administrators, funders, volunteers and others who linked arms to make this year fly. Eat and drink with them as they release their annual report to the public and launch a multimedia exhibition of Right Brain student work and process. This exhibition—housed in an 8x16’ shipping container—is set to land in key locations throughout the tri-county area.
The Guggenheim Museum is teaming up with YouTube in partnership with HP to discover the art of YouTube videos. Tasked with uncovering the “most creative video in the world,” the companies have launched an international search by way of YouTube Play, a specially branded YouTube channel that will feature the entries in this new competition. Sponsor About YouTube Play Anyone is invited to submit a video to YouTube Play , even video creators themselves, and the submission deadline is July 31st.
Analysis: Buy-in Mixed for Race to Top, Round 2. States increased the amount of support from local teachers' unions in their applications for the second round of stimulus grants, but made far less progress in enlisting districts or expanding the number of students affected by the education reform plans.
ESEA Reauthorization: Is It a GO or a NO? As Congress returns from the Memorial Day recess, the overriding question concerning educators is whether or not the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization will happen this year. Officially, the Department of Education and Education Committee Chairmen Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. George Miller (D-CA) remain committed to passing a bill this year. But conventional wisdom across Washington suggests this goal is now impossible based on a confluence of factors, including the congressional calendar; November midterm elections; and the time needed to resolve still the contentious issues-such as teacher evaluations, funding, and accountability-that have dogged previous attempts at reauthorization.
Chairman Harkin has repeatedly said that he hopes to get a bill passed in the Senate before the end of July. Even then, such a schedule leaves little time to reconcile a bill with a House version of the legislation and enact it before the 111th Congress ends. Given that no one has seen actual legislative language as of yet and education staffers who work for members on the respective education committees are themselves asking questions about proposed timelines for legislative action, the chances are slim that any committee action will take place any time soon. For his part, Chairman Miller has not established any date-specific reauthorization goals for the Education and Labor Committee, but has instead voiced his desire to get the reauthorization right.
To address the multitude of concerns created by the No Child Left Behind Act, the reauthorized legislation must be comprehensive in scope. The Obama administration's blueprint, released in April, has rightly been viewed as a starting point in the reauthorization discussions. However, various components of the proposal have been criticized by multiple quarters, which only serves to highlight the lack of consensus on ESEA reauthorization among stakeholder groups and other interested parties.
Although you can't discount the combined power of congressional leaders and White House leadership to fast-track legislation everyone wants to see passed, the window of opportunity to do so in 2010 becomes smaller with each passing day. (Educator Advocates, 6/10)
6-10-10
The Present Perfect: An Interactive Online Event. Join Art21 on June 23, 8:00-9:30 p.m. ET--online at PBS or in person at the 92YTribeca--for its first interactive online event: The Present Perfect, featuring artists Oliver Herring (Season 3) and Laurie Simmons (Season 4) in conversation with Robin MacNeil (formerly of the MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour) about the role of collaboration and performance in contemporary art and everyday life. Information about the event, including details on how you can participate, is available online at art21.org/thepresentperfect.
Partnership of Major Education Associations Urges a Stronger Focus on Professional Development. Yesterday, the Learning First Alliance, a partnership of 17 national education associations representing over ten million parents, educators and policymakers, released the following statement: “The Elementary and Secondary Education Act should make effective professional development a top priority. You can read our full press release here
(Learning First Alliance, 6/9)
New York: Juried Display of Public School Student Art Opens at the Met. "Exceptional works of art by 70 New York City public school students, ages four through twenty, will be displayed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art for two months this summer through P.S. Art, a collaborative program between the NYC Department of Education and Studio in a School Association, Inc. The juried exhibition 'P.S. Art 2010: Celebrating the Creative Spirit of NYC Kids' opened for special viewing by the public beginning on June 8 and will remain on view through August 8...Discussing the Museum's participation in the project for the third consecutive year, Thomas P. Campbell, Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, noted: 'We are very pleased to play a role in bringing student achievement into public view through P.S. Art 2010 and supporting the continuity of artistic creativity, from the earliest objects in our own collections to works produced today, such as those now on view by these young New York City public school students.'" (ArtDaily.org, 6/7)
Ohio: Supporting Arts Education is Essential. Donna Collins, executive director of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, wrote the following in a guest column on the importance of arts education in tough economic times: "Education in the arts prepares students for careers. Americans for the Arts reported in 2009 that nationally there are 612,095 businesses in the U.S. involved in the creation or distribution of the arts that employ 2.98 million people—4.3 percent of all businesses and 2.2 percent of all employees. The arts mean careers and business. The arts are recognized as a core subject, which places arts education at the same level of importance as language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and foreign languages. The arts are part of the core. Arts education programs are an instructional opportunity to improve student achievement. The Ohio Revised Code and Operating Standards for Ohio's Schools require a curriculum that includes fine arts, including music and graduation requirements that include the arts. The arts help close the achievement gap." (Zanesville Times Recorder, 6/6)
California: State Assembly Passes Bill to Dilute Arts Graduation Requirement. "California arts advocates suffered their third and worst legislative shutout in less than two months as the Assembly voted 76–0 in favor of a bill that would allow more students to skip arts instruction entirely during their high school years. To earn a diploma now, students have to take at least one year-long course in arts or a foreign language. If the bill, AB-2446, passes the state Senate and is signed into law by the governor, students, starting in the 2011–12 school year, will be able to substitute a 'career technical education' course for arts or a language. The bill has a sunset provision, meaning the change would be temporary, staying in effect for five academic years before expiring in mid-2016. Its author, Warren Furutani (D-Gardena) says in a statement on his website that 'the intent...is to increase high school graduation rates, which is an ever-pressing issue.' By allowing students to take a technical course rather than arts or a language, backers say, teens aiming for immediate full-time jobs rather than college will be better prepared for them." (Los Angeles Times Culture Monster Blog, 6/3)
Professional Development: ArtsWeek Program in the Professional Institute for Educators at the University of the Arts. The Professional Institute for Educators (PIE) empowers educators across disciplines to continually advance their teaching skills to improve learning for all students. Through graduate courses, PIE develops innovative and creative educational programming to serve the professional development needs of K-12 teachers in and through the arts. The ArtsWeek summer program 2010 has earned the 'Co-Sponsored Academy' Designation from National Art Education Association (NAEA). This series of week-long intensive studio selections, designed for K-12 teachers, is one of seven programs nationally to earn commendation for "substantive professional development opportunities, based on the NAEA Goals for Quality Art Education." Through ArtsWeek, elementary and secondary school educators take graduate courses in the visual arts and new media, then apply these techniques to their teaching. ArtsWeek is offered in three locations: the Wayne Art Center in Wayne, PA (June 28 – July 2), the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading, PA (July 12 – 16) and at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA (August 9 – 13). For more information or to request a brochure, visit cs.uarts.edu/pie, email pie@uarts.edu or call 215.717.6006.
6-9-10
History for Dollars. By David Brooks, Op-Ed Columnist, The New York Times, June 7. When the going gets tough, the tough take accounting. When the job market worsens, many students figure they can’t indulge in an English or a history major. They have to study something that will lead directly to a job.
US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Speaks to the Importance of Arts Education. The US Department of Education recently released this video of Secretary Duncan talking about arts education:
TV preview: Bravo's 'Work of Art'. Bravo returns to the idea that there can be a reality show that is first and foremost about skill. Talent and personality have to factor in, too, along with a finicky little bugger called luck. And I'm sure "Work of Art," the network's new "Project Runway"-style competition among visual artists debuting Wednesday night, will soon enough devolve into tightly choreographed squabbles and meltdowns. Work of Art premieres at 11 p.m. Wednesday on Bravo. (The Washington Post, 6/9)
Call for Submissions: AEP Cover Art Contest. The Cover Art Contest for the Fall 2010 National Forum is now open for submissions. The contest is open to students aged 13-25 living in the state of Colorado. Please help us spread the word about the Contest. The submission form is available here. The deadline for submissions is July 30, 2010.
States Up Ante on Applications for Race to Top. A field of 35 states, plus the District of Columbia, have proposed what they assert are their boldest plans yet in hopes of capturing part of the remaining $3.4 billion in the second, and maybe last, round of the federal education sweepstakes.
Summer jobs for teachers. Start your summer job search for full and part-time work right here at Reach Every Child. This site has state, national, and international lists. However, take care in working with any of the other sites listed below and check references carefully.
6-8-10
Arts and physical education in schools: Necessities or extras? To some, art, music and physical education are vital to student success, not luxuries that can be scrapped when times are bad. Schools in South Florida, grappling with budget shortfalls, are taking different approaches to the importance of these special classes. While some see value in the arts and P.E., others have decided what's valuable isn't always what's practical.
6-7-10
"Champion Creatively Alive Children": Crayola is collaborating with the National Association of Elementary School Principals, on a new Mini-Grant Program to Champion Creatively Alive Children. Learn more about how your school could receive one of up to 20 mini grants in 2010.
Grant Funding: Up to 20 elementary schools will be selected to receive “Championing Creatively-Alive Children” mini-grants to implement and document results of an innovative project. Each selected project will include a $2,500 monetary grant, $500 of Crayola products. Grant recipients will share outcomes and inspire other schools to implement these innovative practices, via NAESP’s National Principal Resource Center website and/or Principal journal. Each proposed project must: be submitted by the principal, collaboratively planned with teachers, including the art teacher; address a “what if…” opportunity to increase arts integration across multiple subjects and foster children’s communication, collaboration, creativity and engagement as self-motivated learners; include objectives, success metrics, timeline, budget, contacts, and work plan Oct-June 2010; identify promising practices to share with other schools; and contribute content & photos. Proposals are due by Aug. 15, 2010 for implementation in the upcoming academic year.
Moore Summer Adult & Youth Programs Begin June 27: Moore College of Art & Design offers a full range of educational programs for adults as well as boys and girls in grades 1–12.
Teachers Summer Institute: June 27 – July 3
Moore’s Teachers Summer Institute 2010 is designed to enhance the culture of teaching and to empower learning in and through visual art. A professionally directed program of studio-based workshops offers educators the opportunity to recharge batteries, deepen personal direction, expand studio skills and discover new applications in educational practice.
Summer Art & Design Institute: June 27 – July 25
The Summer Art & Design Institute is a four-week pre-college residential program open to young women who have just completed their sophomore, junior or senior year of high school. The Institute allows dedicated students who are passionate about their artwork to spend four weeks immersed in an intense college-level experience. Students choose a studio concentration emphasizing one of three areas: Digital Animation, Fashion Design or Fine Arts. Students earn 3.0 college credits upon completion. For more information, e-mail sadi@moore.edu.
Adult Continuing Education Programs: July 6 – September 13
For adults of all ages interested in expanding personal interests, keeping pace with today’s competitive workplace, or redirecting careers through part-time evening study. Courses may be taken individually or as part of a certificate program and for noncredit or to earn college credit.
Young Artists Workshop: July 12 – August 13
Explore the world of art and creative thinking with the Young Artist Workshop. Children and youth in grades 1 – 12 receive high quality, exciting art instruction in a rich variety of courses including Animation & Illustration, Computer Graphics, Digital Art, Fashion Design & Illustration, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Photography and Portfolio Preparation. NEW for Summer 2010 – Certificate Program in Art & Design. Register by June 21.
For information on any of the Summer 2010 programs listed below, call 215.965.4030, e-mail ce@moore.edu or download program information at www.moore.edu.
Race to Top, Round 2: The Contenders. The line-up of contenders for Race to the Top, round two—possibly the states' last shot at $3.4 billion in federal education funding—is set. Here's a look at some of the strongest competitors. (Education Week blogs, 6/1)
Who's in and who's out for Race to the Top. Thirty-five states and Washington, D.C., will compete for the second round of federal Race to the Top funding -- all vying for a share of $3.4 billion. Many states have altered education policies regarding teacher tenure, educator pay and charter schools to qualify for the funding. Florida and Georgia are favorites to win funding. In March, Delaware was awarded about $100 million and Tennessee about $500 million through the first round of funding. (The Washington Post,6/2)
Guggenheim Study Reveals Importance of Arts Education in Development of Problem-Solving Skills and Creativity. On June 3 and 4, Thinking Like an Artist: Creativity and Problem Solving in the Classroom, a conference for art and museum educators, administrators, and policy makers from across the nation, will convene to present key findings from The Art of Problem Solving, a four-year research initiative that evaluated the impact of its pioneering arts education program Learning Through Art (LTA) on students’ problem-solving abilities and creativity. The study and conference are funded by an Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination grant from the U.S. Department of Education that totaled over $1 million. The Art of Problem Solving represents the Guggenheim’s second major U.S. Department of Education–funded study of Learning Through Art. In 2003, the Guggenheim received its first Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination grant from the U.S. Department of Education for completion of a groundbreaking three-year research initiative that realized that LTA improved students’ literacy and critical thinking. The full research reports and executive summaries of The Art of Problem Solving and Teaching Literacy Through Art studies are available at learningthroughart.org.
Canada: Ontario Survey Reveals Arts Education Access Becoming an Issue (ParentCentral.ca, 5/31)
"The arts, music, and physical education have suffered with the province’s focus on math and literacy, says a new survey of hundreds of Ontario schools. While other provinces are looking beyond standardized test scores to measure how schools are doing—such as New Brunswick where students’ access to arts classes, as well as their sense of safety are tracked, alongside academic achievement—Ontario lacks a broader vision for education, said Annie Kidder of the advocacy group People for Education, which conducted the survey. There are also concerns that because of limited funding, schools are fundraising more and more for physical education and arts programs, which means more affluent areas will have access to the arts, said researcher Kelly Gallagher-Mackay of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Some 922 Ontario schools took part in the study, representing 20 percent of schools in the province."
Florida: School Board Protects Art Positions, Cuts Ninth Grade Athletic Program (Florida Today, 5/26)
"In an unanimous decision, the Brevard County School Board cut $17.5 million from its $533 million operating budget and tentatively approved the lowest millage rate in 10 years. In a surprising twist, the board voted to keep 59 media assistants on the job and allow elementary art teachers to keep their full-time status. Both items had been considered expendable to save the school district more than $2 million. But ninth-grade athletics, 116 positions, and the driver's education program were cut, as were 83 other vacant positions...'We've saved the art and media assistants, but it's pretty clear that this is for a year only,' said Board Member Karen Henderson. 'But it's still clear that the legislators are not funding education...All of these cuts are devastating to me as a parent because I want to have all this stuff for my kids. I don't want to sit here and vote against it, but we have to for the greater good.'"
MAY
5-28-10
Videos of the Presentations from the 2010 NAEA National Convention in Baltimore, MD, are now available! Click here to view them.
New Push Launched for Education Jobs Bill. The presidents of both national teachers’ unions joined key lawmakers and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Capitol Hill today to drum up support for legislation that would provide $23 billion to help school districts cope with a looming tidal wave of layoffs.
From the Right Brain Initiative: Imagine This: A Seminar on Bringing Creativity to Classrooms, June 21 - 23, Portland, OR. Set to become an annual program, Imagine This is designed to meet the needs of a broad range of educators and community leaders interested in bringing creativity to the K-8 classroom setting. This summer summit includes experts from around the country, who will deliver the best new thinking on arts education, as well as practical arts integration techniques and hands-on art making skills.
Recession Fallout: Museums Look to Academic World for Assistance. "Tottering under years of deficits, accumulated debt, and declining donations, several of the country's small and medium-size museums have been turning to the art world equivalent of a bailout. They are partnering with a university or other academic institution, in some cases handing over artworks and changing locations, in a last-ditch effort to keep their doors open and their collections intact and available to the public. (The Wall Street Journal, 5/26)
All Kids Can Create. A Statewide visual conversation, enROUTE Gallery, Indianapolis, Indiana, Friday, June 4th, Gallery Opening, 6-9 pm. Indiana is sharing the work of its talented youngsters with a national audience in Washington DC! Come see and enjoy the Indiana entries from VSA's All Kids Can Create national children's art exhibit. The national exhibit opens in DC this month. Digital prints of all of the submitted Indiana entries will hang at enROUTE Gallery. Show will run through June 23rd.
First states agree to endorse national academic standards. Maryland will adopt national core-education standards -- after they are introduced -- as part of an effort to qualify for more Race to the Top funding. Maryland and Kentucky are the only states to sign on to the national reading and math standards. Officials said Maryland schools will not enact the new standards for a year or more while they wait for teachers to be trained and the curriculum to be drafted. (The Washington Post, 5/26)
New Jersey seeks support for second-round Race to the Top bid. Education officials in New Jersey are seeking the support of school districts and teachers unions for their second-round bid for Race to the Top grants. Officials last week pledged a minimum of $100,000 to districts that agree to sign on if the state wins a grant, and they have extended the deadline for endorsements until Thursday. The state's largest teachers union has yet to endorse the application, which includes a merit-pay provision for teachers. (The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ, 5/25)
Ravitch offers top 10 reasons to opt out of federal competition. Education expert Diane Ravitch in this blog post makes a case for states and school districts to consider not participating in the federal Race to the Top grant competition. Ravitch argues that the competition is a misuse of federal power that is encouraging the adoption of teacher evaluations based on arbitrary factors, and that it will likely result in the further "narrowing of the curriculum" and the "de-professionalization of education." (Education Week/Bridging Differences blog, 5/25)
International VSA Education Conference. Inclusive Education - Arts in Education - Pathways to Employment, Washington, D.C., June 10-12. The International VSA Education Conference will bring together professionals from around the world in the fields of the arts, education, employment, and disability. Select from more than 70 workshops, lectures, panels, and special events by 135 international presenters that provide participants with skills and resources to advance arts in education, inclusive education, and promote pathways to employment for artists with disabilities.
The U.S. Department of Education Invites you to the opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of Aroma: Scents of My World. Twenty-six works of art will be presented from VSA’s Arte Postale, an exclusive international visual arts exchange program designed for classroom students, ages 7–14, with and without disabilities. The program creates valuable cross-cultural educational experiences by forming relationships between students as they study and communicate about their lives. Presented by VSA as part of the 2010 International VSA Festival, Monday, June 7, 10 to 11:30 am, U.S. Department of Education, Lyndon Baines Johnson Education Building, Washington, DC. Featured at this event will be U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who will speak about the importance of art to our youths. To attend the event, please RSVP to marilyn.joyner@ed.gov by Friday, June 4.
National Endowment for the Arts Announces Blue Star Museums Partnership. National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman and Blue Star Families Chairman Kathy Roth-Douquet have announced the launch of Blue Star Museums, a partnership with more than 600 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2010.
Duncan urges "emergency action" to save teacher jobs. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called on Congress to approve the appropriation of $23 billion to help schools avoid teacher layoffs during a visit Tuesday to a New York City charter school while promoting the administration's federal Race to the Top grant program. "The consequences of inaction are huge," he said. "We need emergency action and we need it now." Duncan visited several other schools and prodded New York state lawmakers -- who are debating whether to increase the number of charter schools allowed in the state -- to approve needed school reforms. (GothamSchools.org, New York, 5/18)
2011 NAEA National Convention Call for Presentations is NOW OPEN!
5-25-10
Professional Development Opportunity in Washington, DC, June 6-9
5-24-10
Game-development program combines technology, 21st-century skills. Some schools in West Virginia and Texas are piloting a new game-development program that integrates technology-based skills such as blogging and social networking with 21st-century skills such as collaboration and problem-solving. World Wide Workshop's Globaloria program has students designing, developing and programming original online video games that incorporate social issues or educate players on chosen topics. Students acquire in-depth knowledge of their subject matter and learn skills needed for a competitive professional environment. (T.H.E. Journal, 5/19)
Political hurdles complicate Obama's plan to revise ESEA. Efforts to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act have been stalled since 2007 and some say legislative and political hurdles may complicate significant advancements this year. A lack of consensus, a full legislative agenda, and an election year are among the obstacles to revising the law, also known as No Child Left Behind, which was signed in 2002. The revision of ESEA has been a stated priority of the Obama administration, which remains hopeful of action on the legislation this year. (Education Week - premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org, 5/19)
District of Columbia: Federal ESEA Reauthorization Still On Hold. "This was supposed to be the year that Congress finally completed the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, a task which has been lingering since 2007. But the wait may go on. Although the legislative machinery seems to be clanking along, with an Obama administration blueprint for renewal on the table and House and Senate education panels holding hearings on a variety of issues related to the law, the political prospects for the renewal are much more dicey. Numerous hurdles—including a crowded legislative calendar, the tensions of an election year, and a lack of agreement about where to take what is likely to be a very complicated bill—have many observers doubting that Congress will complete work this year to reauthorize what is now known as the No Child Left Behind Act, signed in 2002...Officially, the Obama administration is aiming to pass a bill this year, even though no formal piece of legislation has yet been introduced." (Education Week, 5/17)
Editorial: California Superintendent Emphasizes Arts in Well-Rounded Education. Maria Ott, superintendent of Rowland Unified School District in Rowland Heights, CA wrote the following in an editorial published last weekend: "When parents enroll their children in public school, they bring their highest hopes and aspirations for their children's future...Parents look for schools within their district that offer arts education. The arts are often described as enrichment; as an 'extra' to the core curriculum. Unfortunately, this perception has become the norm because of years of inadequate public school funding. Arts education is just as important as education in the academic core subjects of reading, mathematics, history, and science. The arts are part of a well-rounded education that exposes students to the richness of learning that includes textbooks and online research, meaningful hands-on experiences, and creative endeavors...In fact, experience in the arts accelerates learning in other areas. Children who are having difficulty in mathematics benefit from studying the spatial relationships associated with learning to read music. Students who have difficulty reading textbooks benefit from reading the words to a song during choral music instruction. Arts education exposes children to the richness of our human capabilities." (San Gabriel Valley Tribune, 5/16)
Utah: Survey Finds Arts Interest Growing, Resources Eroding. "The survey also reveals a double-edged sword when it comes to arts education in Utah schools: Student participation in theater, music, visual arts, and dance classes is climbing at the same time resources are diminishing. Among the Utah schools responding to the survey, 40 full-time arts teacher positions have been lost during the past two years. 'Overall, we're concerned about the continuing erosion of arts education in our schools,' said Margaret Hunt, director of the Utah Division of Arts and Museums." (The Salt Lake Tribune, 5/14)
Scoring Race to the Top: A Look Behind the Curtain. In this exclusive analysis published by Education Week, journalist Steven Brill looks at how judges’ scoring sheets and written comments show inconsistencies and soft spots in the process. (Education Week, 5/18)
Department of Education to Open Exhibit of Art Works from Nine Colorado Public Schools on May 4 in Washington, D.C.
5-21-10
Kirby Meng, NAEA National Division Director-Elect for the Elementary Level, has been selected as one of Georgia's Woodruff Arts in Education Leaders Honorees! She will be celebrated on Saturday, May 22nd at the Woodruff Arts Center! Ms. Meng was the only visual art educator selected this year! More info
5-17-10
Push to Renew ESEA Faces Steep Policy, Political Hurdles. A crowded calendar and policy puzzles cloud the prospects of Congress completing the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act this year. (Education Week, 5/17)
Plein Air-Easton! Seeks Artists Age 21 & Under for New Event. Win Cash Prizes! » » » Sell Your Work! » » » Get Noticed in High Profile Setting! Young artists—age 21 and under—get your tube on! Grab your tubes of oil paint (or palette of watercolors, pastels, drawing pencils, sculpting materials, etc.) and step into the big leagues at the Plein Air-Easton! Quick Draw: The Next Generation, Sunday, July 25, 2010. Register now to participate in this brand new competition with total cash prizes of almost $3,000. Questions? Email info@pleinaireaston.com or phone the Plein Air-Easton! hotline at 410.822.7297.
Charting Creativity: Signposts of a Hazy Territory. 'Creativity is a complex concept; it’s not a single thing,' he said, adding that brain researchers needed to break it down into its component parts. Dr. Kounios, who studies the neural basis of insight, defines creativity as the ability to restructure one’s understanding of a situation in a nonobvious way. Everyone agrees that no single measure for creativity exists. While I.Q. tests, though controversial, are still considered a reliable test of at least a certain kind of intelligence, there is no equivalent when it comes to creativity—no Creativity Quotient, or C.Q. Dr. Jung’s lab uses a combination of measures as proxies for creativity. One is the Creativity Achievement Questionnaire, which asks people to report their own aptitude in 10 fields, including the visual arts, music, creative writing, architecture, humor, and scientific discovery. " (The New York Times, 5/7)
GRANT OPPORTUNITY: Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth. Deadline June 10; $5,000-150,000 to projects that help children and youth acquire knowledge and skills in the arts.
Anielewicz Creative Arts Competition and Exhibition. The competition, now in its 35th year, provides students in grades 7-12 of all religious and ethnic backgrounds with an opportunity to respond to the Holocaust and its related issues through creative expression. Students were invited to submit original written, musical, art, film and creative dance works which focus on Holocaust themes. Competition winners in three categories – 7th/8th grades, 9 th/11th grades, 11th/12th grades - will be announced during the awards ceremony and reception. When: June 3 - 17, 2010, WIDENER MEMORIAL FOUNDATION GALLERY. Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony programs: Monday, June 7, 7:30 – 9:30pm, WIDENDER MEMORIAL FOUNDATION GALLERY / STEWART AUDITORIUM. Where: Moore College of Art & Design, 20th Street and The Parkway, Philadelphia. Cost: FREE and open to the public.
Taking Back School Reform: A Conversation Between Diane Ravitch and Mike Rose (Education Week)
Kagan's record includes support for NCLB. U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, the U.S. solicitor general, doesn't have a long record in education law, but she recently submitted a brief in defense of No Child Left Behind as part of a case brought by teachers unions on the premise that NCLB is an unfunded federal mandate. Kagan -- whose mother was a public-school teacher and two brothers are social-studies teachers -- wrote, "The act expressly refrains from dictating funding levels, and instead grants states and [school districts] unprecedented flexibility to target federal dollars to meet state and local priorities." (Education Week-premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org, 5/10)
Florida: Former Arts Teachers Create New Program to Benefit Local Programs. "Three years ago, when retired arts teachers Susan Johnson and Cheryl Poe heard that the elementary arts program funding in Alachua County was being cut by 50 percent, they decided to do something about it...'Bringing the programs back to full status wasn't going to happen,' Johnson admitted. 'But what I think did happen is, it raised the awareness.'" (Senior Times Magazine, 5/2010)
5-11-10
High Court Pick Has Sparse K-12 Policy Record. U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan had education as part of her portfolio during a White House domestic-council stint under President Clinton.
ASCD Supports Harkin Bill to Keep Educators' Jobs. As reported last week, Senate Education Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the Keep Our Educators Working Act, an emergency $23 billion funding bill to help keep teachers, principals, librarians, and other school personnel employed as states continue to face dramatic budget shortfalls. The bill is gaining supporters and appears to be on the legislative fast-track for passage. The voice you hold as an Educator Advocate is strong and influential--please write a letter or call your senators and recommend that they cosponsor the Keep Our Educators Working Act to keep the momentum going on this important bill.
House and Senate Focus on ESEA Reauthorization Issues. This week, the Senate Education Committee explored the challenges facing America's middle and high schools, and how the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization can help states and districts address those challenges in its reauthorization hearing. The hearing highlighted the growing attention to middle school reforms that have proven successful.
Push to Spur Innovation Raises Hopes—and Eyebrows. A new effort by 12 major education philanthropies aims to dovetail with the Education Department’s ‘i3’ agenda, raising complex issues.
SOMA Summer is a unique six-week program for emerging visual artists imparted in English in Mexico City. SOMA Summer combines seminars with short workshops and individual critiques, as well as number of activities designed to promote intense creative work and artistic dialogue. The program focuses on providing discursive tools that will help participants contextualize their practice. For a detail list of courses and activities this summer, please contact Carla Herrera-Prats at info@somamexico.org.
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and The Sobey Art Foundation are pleased to announce the long list for the 2010 Sobey Art Award, Canada's preeminent prize for contemporary Canadian art. Following a three month nomination process the Curatorial Panel has announced the 25 artists vying for this year's Award.
Rhode Island School of Design's 2010 Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition. The thesis work of more than 170 students receiving graduate degrees from Rhode Island School of Design [RISD] will be on display in RISD's 2010 Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The work of graduate students in Architecture, Ceramics, Digital + Media, Furniture Design, Glass, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture, Jewelry + Metalsmithing, Landscape Architecture, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture and Textiles will be on exhibit from May 20 – June 5, 2010.
Pratt Institute M.F.A. 2010. Work in all media by students graduating in 2010 from Pratt Institute’s M.F.A. Studio Art program, May 14 - June 5. Opening reception: Thursday, May 13, 5–7 PM, Pratt Manhattan Gallery, 144 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10011, 212-647-7778.
Culture Wars: Boston, be prepared! Art21 is coming to The Institute of Contemporary Art. Mark your calendars and brush up on your trivia for a special Beantown edition of Culture Wars: A Night of Trivia with Art21, taking place next Thursday, May 13, starting at 6:30 pm.
Stephanie Weaver (author of Creating Great Visitor Experiences) and founder of Experienceology, is presenting two webinars for museum professionals this spring:
-Social media strategy with Sorel Denholtz on Wed. May 12 (NEXT WEDS.), 9 am PDT
-The Participatory Museum with Nina Simon on Wed. June 9, 9 am PDT
Experienceology has a no-refusal pricing policy this year. Please contact Stephanie if you need an individual discount on the $35 fee: sweaver@experienceology.com. She provides a sliding scale for museum groups. Class size is limited to 50. Classes include live video of both presenters, slides, live chat, class attendee contact list, the class recording, and the chat transcript. Other class recordings, including John Falk on identity and the museum visitor experience, are available on demand for $10 (check out more info about his book). Tech tutorials—on Twitter, Facebook, and social media—are $5 each.
5-6-10
38 Applications Expected for Race to Top, Round Two. Education Secretary Arne Duncan continues to have a good day at the office as 37 states plus the District of Columbia say they're going to compete in the second round of Race to the Top, in which $3.4 billion in economic-stimulus prize money is up for grabs. (Politics K-12, Education Week Blogs, 5/5)
Arts Graduation Requirement Bill Passes (CT). The graduation requirement/education bill that includes a high school graduation requirement in the arts passed the House in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, but with amendments, which meant that the bill had to return to the Senate for a second vote. The Senate passed the bill Wednesday night, and informed sources indicate that Governor Rell is expected to sign the bill. Arts education supporters have been working on the passage of a true high school graduation requirement in the arts for at least 30 years. CONGRATULATIONS to the many of you who placed calls and otherwise contributed to this effort! Arts supporters owe special thanks to the leadership (and funding) of the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA), and particularly to past-president Barbara Skrebutenas for her leadership, tenacity, and vision in making this happen. Click here to learn more about the passage of the bill.
Race to Top Hopefuls Seek to Crack 'Buy-In' Puzzle. In the round-two scramble for $3.4 billion in federal Race to the Top Fund grants, the need for school district and union buy-in—a relatively small, but important part of any winning formula—poses a policy puzzle for the competing states. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who in past statements has emphasized the importance of such support, has recently made it clear that a watered-down Race to the Top application won’t win on the strength of significant school district and union backing. And figuring out just how much buy-in matters in the 500-point scoring system is not a simple endeavor. (Education Week, 5/5)
New from Healthy School Communities, an ASCD Whole Child initiative:
•Learning, Teaching, and Leading in Healthy School Communities. Our report, Learning, Teaching, and Leading in Healthy School Communities summarizes key findings from the Healthy School Communities pilot study that was conducted from 2006 to 2008. Significant highlight is given to the Nine Levers of School Change that were demonstrated by the most effective sites. The report can be found in this month’s Educational Leadership, as an insert, but is also available for download.
•E-Book: Keeping the Whole Child Healthy and Safe: Reflections on Best Practices in Learning, Teaching, and Leadership. Explore what it means to foster health and safety for students in ASCD’s e-book Keeping the Whole Child Healthy and Safe: Reflections on Best Practices in Learning, Teaching, and Leadership. This fourth in a four-book series of e-books on educating the whole child is free to download from May 4 through May 17 and features articles from Educational Leadership and other ASCD publications that focus on safe and healthy schools, promoting a healthy life, protecting students, addressing school bullying, teaching good values, and helping students cope with life changes. After May 17, the e-book will be available to download for purchase.
•Video Series - Supporting the Whole Child through Partnerships for Healthier Schools. “Supporting the Whole Child through Partnerships for Healthier Schools” video series shows best practices and examples of how to implement Creating a Healthy School Using the Healthy School Report Card: An ASCD Action Tool. The series features five videos of several sites from the U.S. and Canada, in urban, suburban, and rural schools, that are making an impact on the health and well-being of their students, staff, and communities. It is available online for viewing and sharing at www.healthyschoolcommunities.org.
•Podcast - Download May’s Whole Child Podcast on Developing Principals to Lead a Whole Child School. We know from the recent evaluation of the Healthy School Communities pilot project that the role of the principal was the most critical piece of the puzzle in implementing meaningful school change and school improvement. Download the Whole Child Podcast on or after Thursday, May 6 to hear an engaging conversation with three experts about building the capacity of principals to lead effective and systemic school reform using a whole child approach to education.
TEACHERS SUMMER INSTITUTE 2010, Sunday, June 27 – Saturday, July 3, Recharge, Refocus, Reconnect! Moore’s Teachers Summer Institute 2010 is designed to enhance the culture of teaching and to empower learning in and through visual art. A professionally directed program of studio-based workshops offers educators the opportunity to recharge batteries, deepen personal direction, expand studio skills, and discover new applications in educational practice. Participants may earn three graduate-level credits or Act 48 hours. Tuition, including room and board, is $550 ($525 if received by May 14). For more information, contact Judy Woodworth, Co-Director for Continuing Education at 215-965-4059 or jwoodworth@moore.edu and visit us at www.moore.edu to download the program brochure.
View a number of Arts Education resources compiled by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. By supporting arts education, state arts agencies help to foster young imaginations and facilitate children's success in school. Arts education also provides the critical thinking, communications and creativity skills essential to 21st century success.
The Amon Carter Museum announces that it has received grants totaling $118,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), The Junior League of Fort Worth, Inc. and Alcon Laboratories, helping to further advance the museum’s educational programs. With a $75,000 Picturing America School Collaboration Project Grant from the NEH, the Carter will provide a summer professional development conference, educating area teachers about American art and how it can be used in the classroom to build the essential traits of creativity and leadership. The Picturing American Creativity and Leadership Conference will be held in July for area K–12 public, private and homeschool educators who own a Picturing America poster set from the NEH. Teachers will receive Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits for attending the institute, a $250 stipend from the NEH, plus free classroom resources like digital images of artworks, posters and lesson plans tied to state and national teaching standards. Conference participants will also receive funding for a free interactive student videoconference from the museum or reimbursement of transportation expenses for an onsite school tour related to the conference theme at the museum.
5-4-10
NEWS FROM THE ALLIANCE FOR YOUNG ARTISTS & WRITERS, AYAW Times, Issue 2
- 2005 Scholastic Award Winner Abdi Farah Paints a New Reality for Young Artists on BRAVO's new reality series, Work of Art: The Next Great Artist
- A Few Tips on Staying Creative While Going Green
- Presenting...The 2010 National Winners of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards!
- The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - In Lights! To celebrate the accomplishments of the 2010 National Award winners and to honor the impressive legacy of The Scholastic Awards, the Empire State Building will be lit in gold on the evening of June 9.
- Behind the Scenes of Video Game Judging with Alliance Web Producer, Dominic Matar
- Casita Maria [Center for Arts Education], Empowering Teens in the Bronx and Throughout New York City
5-3-10
Remarks of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on FY2011 Dept. of Education Budget (April 14, 2010)
New Survey Finds Schools Facing Growing Budget Cuts and the End of Stimulus Funding. Students and school systems across the nation are facing serious challenges as a result of the economic downturn, according to a new survey of school administrators released today by the American Association of School Administrators. Compounding an already tough budget environment, schools are facing the harsh reality that stimulus funds will soon run out and the Obama Administration’s proposal to shift additional education dollars away from long-time formula grant programs to competitive grant programs. The new study, “Cliff Hanger: How America’s Public Schools Continue to Feel the Impact of the Economic Downturn,” is the seventh in a series of studies by AASA examining the impact of the economic downturn on schools. (AASA Website, April 8, 2010)
Arts Advocacy Day 2010 Tops Attendance and Tweets. A week after the largest Arts Advocacy Day in years, arts advocates from across the nation are looking to Congress to take the next step in supporting strong public policies for the arts and arts education. On April 13, more than 550 arts supporters visited more than 250 Congressional offices during Arts Advocacy Day 2010. These meetings are catalysts in securing more funding for the country’s arts groups, arts workers, and creative industries.
National Teacher Registry announces a new No Cost service for teachers and schools, public and private, pre-school through college. The National Teacher Registry helps teachers get items they need for their classroom when there is no budget to purchase them. On the website, a teacher or school can create a list of the items that they need and want for their classroom. There are currently over 40,000 items from multiple suppliers on the site and many more products are in the process of being added.
The Education Innovator, Office of Innovation & Improvement, April 29, 2010, Vol. IX, No. 3. This issue of The Education Innovator looks at the importance of authorizers in ensuring the success of charter schools, including those that may serve to accomplish the goal of turning around our nation's lowest-performing schools with assistance from the Department's Title I School Improvement Grants program.
Senate Panel Weighs Standards, ESEA Renewal. The nation needs more rigorous and uniform academic standards, but it’s best if states take charge of the effort, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said Wednesday at a Senate hearing on reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. (Education Week, 4/29)
Foundations offer $506M for education innovation (The Washington Post, 4/28), “a portion of which is for a matching fund for the $650 million federal government grant program, called Investing in Innovation” [aka "i3"]. Participating foundations launch “Foundation Registry i3 to simplify the process for organizations seeking matching foundation funds for their (i3) proposal. Link to Foundation Registry i3
Thinking Like an Artist: Creativity and Problem Solving in the Classroom-A Conference for Educators, Thursday, June 3, 9:00 am - 5:30 pm and Friday, June 4, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
What does it mean to think like an artist? What can educators learn from the work of artists? Join art and museum educators, administrators, and policy makers from across the country in a two-day forum to discuss the role of creativity in the art classroom and in the field of education as a whole. Through artist talks, panel presentations, and group discussion, participants consider the characteristics of creativity across disciplines and identify best practices for fostering creativity in the classroom. Register here. For more information, call 212-423-3557 or e-mail learningthroughart@guggenheim.org.
MONTHLY MENTOR: Meet May's Mentor, Rebecca (Becky) Guinn!
Rebecca (Becky) Guinn lives in Chambers County, AL. She grew up in Cedartown, GA where her fourth grade teacher inspired her in visual arts. Becky received her BA in Art Education from Carson Newman College and her Masters of Education Curriculum and Integration from the University of Phoenix. Mrs. Guinn taught art for 15 years; she taught 3 years in Texas and 12 years in Valley, AL. Read her full bio at http://www.arteducators.org/mentor.
View complete list of 2010 Co-Sponsored Academies
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"Art Education and Social Justice" Art Gallery Created by Artsonia. Featuring 2,473 artwork from 142 schools!
Baltimore mural on social justice dedicated. Artist, students work together.
VIDEO: Students Paint Mural Under JFX
Baltimore Mural Project Photos (courtesy of Sarah Lefrancois)
BLOG: adventures in...Art & Education
Favorite Things from NAEA Convention, Baltimore, The Teaching Palette
BLOG: TAEA Area 6
NAEA Convention 2010 Presentation Success! | Art With Miss Rachel
http://artwithrmotta.blogspot.com/2010/04/naea-convention-2010-presentation.html
Art Teachers Bring 21st-Century Vision to 2010 Conference. Art teachers face a tsunami of budget cuts, despite playing a key role in the development of 21st century skills—sound familiar? I was fortunate enough to attend the annual conference of the National Art Education Association, held April 14–18 in Baltimore, Maryland.
4-28-10
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO OPEN EXHIBIT OF ART WORKS FROM NINE COLORADO PUBLIC SCHOOLS. The U.S. Department of Education will open “Art at the Apex: An Exhibit of Works by Colorado Students” in the Department’s National Library of Education on May 4 at 11 a.m. The 32 works in the exhibit were created by students from nine Colorado public schools in grades one through 12 and reflect the students’ concern for their environments, their exploration into self-discovery, and their respect for cultural diversity. The exhibit will open with a ribbon-cutting and continue throughout the month of May.
To attend the opening of “Art at the Apex,” visit the exhibit and receive more information about the Department’s Student Art Exhibit Program, contact Jackye Zimmermann at 202-401-0762 or at Jacquelyn.zimmermann@ed.gov.
Arts Education Partnership ArtsEd Digest, Volume 2, Issue 8 - April 27, 2010
4-27-10
U.S. Department of Education 2009-2010 FRSS Arts in Education Surveys
The collaboration between the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) to conduct seven surveys on arts education is still ongoing. The surveys are being conducted by Westat through the NCES Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), which was used to conduct previous national surveys on arts education in 1999-2000 and 1994-1995. The current study was requested by Congress to provide a status update on arts education across the U.S.
4-26-10
Public Voting Begins Today for Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge. President Obama to choose national winner from three finalists selected by public. From 8 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 26th through 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 29, 2010, the public will have an opportunity to review and rate a three-minute video and short essay from each of the six high school finalists.
4-9-10
ADVOCACY VIDEO: "Save the arts"
Before It Ends, Schools ‘Race’ Is a Success. Critics of the Obama administration’s signature education initiative have been breathing fire since it was announced that only Delaware and Tennessee had won first-round grants under the program, known as Race to the Top. Politicians from some losing states have denounced the well-designed scoring system under which the 16 finalists were evaluated. Others have thrown up their hands, suggesting that retooling applications for the next round is more trouble than it’s worth. (The New York Times, 4/7)
ASCD Unveils 2010 Legislative Priorities, Responds to White House ESEA Blueprint. The Legislative Agenda is the guiding tool for ASCD's policy work and has never been more important than in this pivotal year with the looming reauthorization of the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Our agenda will be the starting point to inform and respond to ESEA policy proposals and any other legislative initiatives impacting children, educators, and schools.
Critics say administration’s blueprint is too similar to NCLB
Despite some positive steps, critics worry that President Obama's blueprint for school reform will repeat bad habits. As the Obama administration seeks support for its plan to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), many education policy analysts worry that the new blueprint’s guidelines are too reminiscent of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)—most notably by continuing to place too much focus on high-stakes testing. (eSchool News, 3/30)
Call for Teaching Artists with Disabilities. Fellowships for Teaching Artists with Disabilities in the Visual and Performing Arts. Application Deadline: April 23, 2010.
BLOG: Why the Arts Matter: One Kid's Story. Really Two (Blogs.Courant.com, 3/25)
You Decide: Viewers Choose the art:21 100th Exclusive Video. As art:21 nears its 100th episode of the Exclusive video series they are asking viewers to decide which video (and artist) will have the distinction of being the big one zero zero. Up for consideration are videos on the artists Mary Heilmann, Mike Kelley, William Kentridge, Beryl Korot, and Julie Mehretu. View preview clips and vote today on the Art21 Blog. Voting ends Thursday, April 1st. Can you guess which artist is currently in the lead?
House of Representatives Introduces National Whole Child Resolution. At the beginning of March, Representative Moran introduced in the U.S. House the first-ever national Whole Child Resolution, which would make a whole child approach to education a national priority and designate March as "National Whole Child Month." Over 500 people have already sent a letter urging their member of Congress to cosponsor House Resolution (H. Res.) 1093. It's not too late for you to do the same! Urge your member of Congress to cosponsor the Whole Child Resolution by sending a letter today.
New! Groundbreaking Seven-Year Museum Study Provides Unprecedented Insight into Visitor Preferences for Experiencing Art And Offers New Model for Engaging Diverse Audiences. Directed by Dallas Museum of Art, Innovative Audience Research Has Deep Ramifications for Museum Field.
Artists and Dog Lovers Invited to Submit Work for New Book. BookCollaborative.com is now inviting artists to submit their favorite original photographs and artwork inspired by man's best friend, the dog. Artist's work will be featured in a new book, to be published fall 2010, entitled "DOG SAYINGS: wit & wisdom from man's best friend." The book will showcase some of the best artwork and original photographs inspired by dogs along with the funniest, most insightful and heart-warming dog related quotations. Artists can submit up to five high-resolution images to dogsayings@gmail.com by April 30, 2010. DOG SAYINGS is open to art of any kind including digital images of paintings, drawings, sculpture, cartoons etc.
Art teachers urged to take risks with new technology. Art teachers should overcome their fear of risk-taking and schools should embrace mobile phones and other technology, according to the academic behind a new degree in the subject. (HeraldScotland, 3/4)
OMA (Opening Minds through the Arts) Program: Arts Integration Academy, June 1-4; June 14-17, August 2-5.
4-6-10
The Kennedy Center National Partnerships UPDATE View: The Kennedy Center’s 2010-2011 season announcement; information about the Kennedy Center Arts Management Institute Fellowship, LEAD 2010 Conference, and CETA Resource Binder; an introduction to Kennedy Center Teaching Artist Cynthia Word; an update on the Arts in Crisis 50 State Tour; Partners in Education and KCAAEN news and updates; plus many resources and notices about upcoming events in arts education.
Congressional Hearing on Arts Funding set for April 13 during Arts Advocacy Day. Americans for the Arts, in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus and 86 national co-sponsors, celebrates Arts Advocacy Day 2010 in which more than 400 grassroots arts supporters from across the U.S. take to Capitol Hill to advocate for pro-arts legislation. (BroadwayWorld.com, 4/2)
Monthly arts advocacy meetings bring latest news to local arts leaders. In October of 2009, the Washington State Arts Alliance (WSAA) brought monthly arts advocacy meetings to the city of Tacoma so that artists, art educators, arts leaders and the public can all gather, make connections and find out what is currently happening in the arts on local, state and national levels. WSAA began in 1977 as a statewide arts advocacy organization promoting public funding, legislation and policy for arts. The group understands that strength comes in numbers, so they gather communities with leaders to learn about local, state and national issues affecting constituents through knowledge, understanding and networking. (TacomaWeekly, 3/31)
Competition Will Be Fierce for 'i3' Grants. About 2,490 districts and nonprofits have indicated they are going to throw their hats into the ring in hopes of nabbing part of the $650 million Investing in Innovation grant program. (Education Week, 4/2)
Support Americans for the Arts! Americans for the Arts is a featured nonprofit on the Members Project, a new online collaboration from American Express and its social media partner, TakePart. We have a chance to receive support from the sponsors for our work in providing professional development for arts marketers and administrators. They are asking members and friends to register online and cast a vote for Americans for the Arts in the Arts & Culture category. You can vote online once a week, now through May 24. And if you have a Facebook account, you can easily register through Facebook Connect. This is an amazing opportunity for those who love the arts to come together!
NJ Artist/Teacher Institute-Registration for aTi Summer 2010 is open! Co-sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Arts Horizons and now in its 35th season, The Artist/Teacher Institute (aTi) provides classroom teachers, administrators, students and artists with in-depth, hands-on experiences in a variety of art forms that encourage professional growth and discovery. By expanding their creativity, participants learn new skills to integrate arts into their curriculum and professional practice while connecting with a community of peers. Led by internationally renowned master teaching artists, aTi 2010 summer workshops include Book Arts, Latin Dance, Modern Dance, Creative Movement, Music, Printmaking, Playwriting, Theatre, Games & Improv, Oil Painting, Glass Painting, Installation Art, Poetry Out Loud and Memoir. Visit the aTi FAQ page, learn more about aTi experiences from past participants and view the aTimpact blog to see how teachers are bringing aTi back to their classrooms. SESSION 1:
JULY 12 - 23, 2010, Mondays - Fridays 9am - 3pm, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ; SESSION 2: AUGUST 2 - 13, 2010, Mondays-Fridays 9am-3pm, Rutgers University, Camden, New Jersey. Contact aTi@artshorizons.org to learn more and register.
Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida to Host Symposium Exploring the Intersection of Art and Democracy. International scholars will convene at the Harn Museum of Art this April to discuss the dynamic interchange between art and politics. The symposium, free and open to the public, will be held April 9 and 10. "Art and Democracy," presented in conjunction with the exhibition Project Europa: Imagining the (Im)Possible, will address the relationship of art and artists to democracy, and the ways that artists mediate the vital and critical political issues of their time.
HAGERTY ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL YOUNG DESIGNERS CONTEST: “DESIGNING YOUR FUTURE”. Youth –Focused Suite of Programs Under Hagerty Initiative Operation Ignite! Encourages the “Next Generation of Collectors, Next Generation of Cars”. The contest invites youth ages 13 to 17 to combine their art skills, personality and creativity into a futuristic design of their favorite collector automobile as it would look if it was created in 2060. All renderings will be uploaded to Hagerty.com, where the public will vote for their favorite design. The top five finalists will receive an all expense-paid trip with a guardian to the famed Monterey Classic Car Week August 11-15, 2010 for final judging at the Hagerty reception during the week. For further information, please visit www.hagerty.com/contest or contact Tabetha Salsbury, Youth Advocacy Coordinator, at 800-922.4050, ext. 8137 or tsalsbury@hagerty.com.
4-5-10
$3.4 Billion Is Left in Race to Top Aid. Federal grants to Delaware and Tennessee set the dynamic for the next round of funding decisions. Mr. Duncan praised the two states, which edged out front-runners Florida and Louisiana, for mustering strong district and teachers’-union support for their plans, for having superior data systems, and for submitting comprehensive proposals that touched “every single child” statewide. And he challenged states to compete as vigorously for round-two grants, saying there could be 10 to 15 winners. Applications are due June 1, and the awards will be made in September.
(Education Week, 4/2 )
Resources: States' Applications, Scores and Comments. As part of its commitment to transparency in governance, the Department is providing the public with the applications it received from states applying to the Race to the Top program and the reviewers' scores and comments. A minimal amount of personal information has been redacted from the applications. The videos of the State presentations will be posted here by April 9th. View: Summary chart of the Phase 1 scores for each State; Detail chart of the Phase 1 scores for each State; and Tier 2 presentation teams from each finalist State. (Ed.gov)
How to Create a Professional Learning Community. It takes careful planning to form a useful and functional PLC, but once the foundation is built, the benefits will soon be evident. Learn a few tips to consider when planning a professional learning community:
Assessing Elementary and Secondary Education Act Renewal in 2010. "As policymakers and education advocates await details on how the Obama administration plans to move forward with its recently unveiled blueprint for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the chances of an ESEA renewal this year remain tough to gauge. (Edutopia, Education Week, 3/26)
2010–2011 Kennedy Center Fellowship Applications Due April 21, 2010. The Kennedy Center Arts Management Institute Fellowship provides 10 mid-career arts managers with academic training and practical work experience at the nation's cultural center, one of the world's largest and most dynamic performing arts institutions. Fellows study with senior staff in weekly seminars, and compliment that study with practical work rotations in three departments and working relationships with senior staff. The nine-month, full-time program begins September 2010 and includes a $20,000 stipend, coursework materials, and health insurance reimbursement.
Nominate an Outstanding Young Educator. ASCD is seeking nominations for its 2011 Outstanding Young Educator Award. Successful candidates demonstrate exemplary commitment to educating the whole child, are leaders among their colleagues and their community, and have made a positive effect on student achievement.
Daniel Springer, NAEA Member, and teacher at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School receives Arts Educator of the Year Award. After receiving his MA in English from Northeastern University, Springer received a BFA from Parsons School of Design in NYC. Springer has been teaching the arts at D-Y Regional High School for more than 15 years. He currently chairs the Fine & Performing Arts Department at D-Y. He also teaches a variety of classes including writing, drama, acting, digital art, drawing, printmaking, advertising and humanities. He sits on the Advisory Board of the Cape Cod & Islands Art Educators Association and teaches at the Cape Cod Museum of Art (CCMA).
-http://parsonsillustration.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/parsons-illustration-alum-dan-springer-wins-arts-educator-of-the-year-award/
-http://www.wickedlocal.com/dennis/fun/entertainment/arts/x2102350046/PHOTO-GALLERY-D-Y-s--Dan-Springer-Arts-Educator-of-the-Year
-http://www.massarted.com/news.html
The Virginia Art Education Association (VAEA) is calling for proposals for its VAEA Fall Professional Development Conference to be held November 4-6 at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel. Presentation Proposals are now ONLINE. The deadline for submissions is June 15, 2010. For more information, contact Maripat Hyatt, VAEA Vice President, at vaeaproposals@gmail.com.
MONTHLY MENTOR: Meet April's Mentor, Zerric Clinton!
Zerric Clinton is a native of Hazlehurst, Georgia. He is a graduate of Valdosta State University where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. Upon receiving his BFA in Art Education he began teaching at Cairo High School where he has served for the past fifteen years. Zerric was selected as the most influential teacher of an honor student for the 2004-2005 school year. In the fall of 2004 Zerric began working on his Ph.D. in Art Education and plans to graduate May 1, 2010. Read his full bio at http://www.arteducators.org/mentor.
View R. Barry Shauck's Message from the President / NAEA News April 2010: The Arts and Public Priorities/K-12 Public Visual Arts Education in the United States and Its Potential to Affect the Quality of Life "This article is the last of five installments in a series on cultivating art education in our public democracy. It endeavors to connect Americans’ regard for the quality of life to purposes for art education in our society. It builds upon prior installments that discussed the role of arts education in American schooling to ensure liberty by protecting our nation and maintaining its security, to cultivate democracy, to foster community, and to promote prosperity."
Read Deborah B. Reeve's Cleansing the Palette / NAEA News April 2010 "In this episode of our “Year of Acting Assertively,” I want to talk about Arenas: the spaces and places where Acting Assertively has been distinctively productive. To best support and champion you in your work, NAEA must break new ground and push beyond what’s expected."
NAEA News Moves to Combined Summer Issue
The June/August NAEA News will be combined to create one Summer issue, covering the National Convention, that will mail late June or early July. Please send submissions to naeanews@arteducators.org for the summer issue by Monday, May 17. The next issue will be October, with a deadline of August 12 for submissions.
View "Tips for the 2010 NAEA National Convention" in Baltimore, Maryland, courtesy of the Getty Art Educators Listserv!
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The 30 Best iPhone Apps for Art Teachers - from The Teaching Palette. Since the launch of the iTunes App Store in July 2008, over 1 billion apps have been downloaded for use on the iTouch and iPhone. Currently, the App Store has 63,000 apps to choose from and it is no surprise that many of the iPhone/iTouch applications have educational value. Check out who made the cut for The Teaching Palette’s Best Apps for Art Teachers, along with some tips and suggested uses. Enjoy! |
National Art Education Association Website Wins APEX 2009 Award of Excellence! NAEA has been awarded the APEX 2009 Award of Excellence in the category of “Most Improved Web & Intranet Sites."
Got a Research Question? Ask A Fellow! "Ask A Fellow" is a project of the NAEA Distinguished Fellows intended to bring together researchers who have questions with Distinguished Fellows who have answers and can offer sound advice on research topics and projects. Art educators may submit questions about research or professional topics to the Distinguished Fellows at http://www.arteducators.org/contact. There they will find the "Ask A Fellow" link. From there, the question will be distributed to Distinguished Fellows for response. We expect one or two Fellows will find each question within their purview of interests, experience, and expertise. The questions should be clear and direct so they can be answered in a timely fashion. These collaborations are intended to be focused, functional, and temporary. A Distinguished Fellow will address the specific question and then exit from the discussion. "Ask A Fellow" is not intended for extended tenures, such as thesis or dissertation advisors or project collaborations.
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Links to School Bloggers
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2011 NAEA National Convention
State & Regional Conferences