Friday, July 2, 2010

Elementary school arts program to be partially restored in L.A. Unified

June 22, 2010 | 8:21 am

Los Angeles Unified School District officials are expected to restore $5 million to elementary arts programs that were cut in half as part of efforts to balance next year’s budget, The Times has learned.

The restoration comes amid ongoing pressure from arts groups and powerful local philanthropists to spare the programs, but Supt. Ramon C. Cortines said his decision was unrelated to these entreaties.

The programs are not being made entirely whole, he added. They will be reduced by about one-third from current levels. The increase in funding is likely to spare the jobs of some teachers who otherwise would be laid off.

Cortines said he made the move because recent financial projections regarding this year’s $640-million deficit proved slightly better than expected. As a result, no other service is being trimmed further to permit added arts funding in L.A. Unified.

“I felt I had to do something about restoring some of the arts,” he said. “That is what keeps kids in school.”

However, the superintendent warned that the governor’s proposed budget could add a new “$85-million hit” to the district’s budget.

Arts patrons and organizations have been applying pressure for the restoration of arts programs; their campaign included a full-page ad last week in The Times.

That advertisement angered school board Steve Zimmer, among others, in that it appeared nine days after the school system failed to pass Measure E, a parcel tax that could have fully restored elementary arts education. Zimmer was among those who campaigned for the parcel tax, but Measure E captured little support and minimal funding from many civic leaders, including some who signed the ad.

Almost every one of us can point back to a creative pursuit, in or out of school, that enhanced our skills, knowledge, or understanding. Yet the majority of secondary school students in the United States aren't required to enroll in arts courses, many elementary schools nationwide lack art classes or activities, and arts and music instruction is often the first thing to go when schools feel the pressure to improve test scores.

Happily, from this admittedly grim background spring many rays of hope. In our special report on arts education, Edutopia paints a bright picture of how schools are forging innovative community partnerships to bring rich, academically integrated arts curriculum to their students:

Read about a network of educators committed to offering essential activities based on Howard Gardner's eight intelligences, including integrated daily arts instruction.

Watch students sing opera through a program built on theories about brain-based learning and research into children's neurological development.

Discover how one school district grew a program to link children with the city's vast cultural resources by working with community professionals from orchestras, dance companies, theaters, and museums.

Follow the design and testing of an arts-integrated curriculum that includes theater arts, spoken word poetry, and hip-hop to make the arts more accessible to the most marginalized students.

And, in celebrating National Novel Writing Month, we discover a nationwide program that encourages would-be student novelists to write their hearts out -- not for glory or grades but just for the intrinsic reward of writing the story.

When you click on any of these links, you'll also find links to the rest of this special report about the advantages of arts education -- more articles, a video, and a slide show -- so read on, and we think you'll agree that all of us should support the arts in school with all our vigor.

This article was also published in the Feb 2009: Arts Education issue of Edutopia magazine .

You can read more great articles at Edutopia.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

the graduation!!!

We had the pleasure of attending our current school, Dr. William Cobb Elementary's 5th grade graduation today!! It was so inspiring to see our kids singing and speaking up on stage. We even got to see a lot of the students art work displayed around the auditorium!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Recess @ Element

Due to issues beyond our control, Recess was held at Element Lounge on March 20th... Regardless, what a fun night! As always, Thanks for your support!