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June 28, 2006

$500+ Million for Arts Education! Now this is Leadership!

When someone is committed... REALLY committed to creating change... great things can happen.

In some places people just TALK about supporting arts education and being committed to change but do not back it up with resources or political will (See New York Article below)

This is what real leadership looks like:

In January I proposed a budget that made a historic investment in paying down our debt and into education. And in May, because of our rebounding economy and because of the extra revenues, I proposed even more investment in those two areas.

Now the legislature is set to vote on and pass the budget, and for the first time in years it will do so before the start of the new fiscal year. We are putting a total of 5 billion dollars into paying down our debt and into the rainy day fund. We are fully funding education with 55.1 billion dollars. That is a record amount of money for education, and that means that we are expanding again preschool, putting arts, music and physical education back into our classrooms, and providing desperately needed counselors.

This is a huge victory for both parties, for the Democrats and the Republicans, but especially this is a huge victory for the people of California.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Posted by musicforall at 1:39 PM | Comments (0)

In NYC a blueprint... but no accountability

There is a great article in the NY Times about the process that the Department of Education is going through to help reinvigorate arts education. This is the completion of the first ful year of the implementation of the city's arts education blueprint.

The high quality of the teaching at schools like P.S. 156 and I.S. 392, the city's Education Department says, is a direct result of its commitment to create a uniform arts curriculum through new standards put in place over the last three years. The Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts sets out benchmarks for what students pre-K through Grade 12 should be learning in visual art, music, dance and theater.

The blueprint is perhaps the most prominent example of a larger effort under way in the city to rebuild arts education. The school year now drawing to a close was the first in which the blueprint was in place in all four arts areas. The guidelines for visual art and music were completed in June 2004; those for dance and theater in June 2005.

"There is now a standard by which people are judged and by which people judge themselves," said Sharon Dunn, the senior instructional manager for arts education at the Education Department. "We have made this a priority. Teachers know what they're supposed to teach, principals know what they need to supervise.

It is great that the Department of Education has made this a priority. Based on the report there is much to be done:

Student-teacher ratios for the arts can be staggering. According to data provided by the department to the City Council this fall, there is 1 visual arts teacher for every 943 students and 1 music teacher for every 1,200. For dance and theater the numbers are even more extreme, with 1 dance teacher for every 8,088 students, and 1 theater teacher for every 8,871. Although about 40,000 teachers have been added to the New York City school system since 1975 — bringing the current total to about 84,000 — no more than 2,000 of them are arts specialists, according to the Center for Arts Education, a nonprofit group. Experts estimate it would cost $150 million to $200 million to hire arts specialists for every school, and the blueprint has no funds attached.

So there is a blueprint... but no funds. Is there a mandate?

"I'm a little hesitant to start to say, 'I'm going to mandate an arts curriculum, and I'm going to mandate a social studies curriculum, and I'm going to mandate a language curriculum.' Sometimes a little bit of judgment and discretion goes a long way."

No funding and no mandate. A very wise political leader engaged in the issue of arts education once told me, "If it is not mandated and measured it is not done."

From my point of view all we have are some really good intentions. But, this will not create change. Everyone knows what needs to be done in New York City. What we need is someone with the leadership, like has been demonstrated in California and Arkansas to make something happen.

Any suggestions?

Renewed Push for the Artistic ABC's in N.Y. - New York Times

Posted by musicforall at 11:12 AM

June 15, 2006

The Four C’s of advancing Music Education

Every now and again someone has the crazy idea that I may have something of value to say and asks me to be a part of a panel discussion. As patient readers of this column, you know that I always have plenty to say – whether or not it is of any value is another mater!

My latest victim was the National Music Council who asked me (along with several more insightful individuals) to share a panel discussion on the role of the broader music community/industry in supporting music education and to discuss what, if anything, this group could collectively do to help advance our cause.

Richard Bell, CEO of Young Audiences and one of the really bright thinkers in the area of arts education, was one of the other panelists. Responding to a question from the moderator, Richard went on one of the more interesting riffs I have heard recently regarding what the community needs to do to support music and arts education. He calls these goals “The Four C’s.” I found the Four C’s to be so fascinating that thought I would slightly modify and share them with you:

The Four C’s

1. Count and Compare –Counting Counts. Readers of this column know what a fanatic I have become about the need for, and use of, data regarding music and arts education. Richard makes the point that we need to count everything… from the mundane to the meaningful. “Mundane” would include things like the number of students enrolled in our programs, what percentage of the school population participates, and what our program offerings are. Mundane does not mean “unimportant” – these things are very important and the truth is, we do not document these fundamental statistics enough. “Meaningful” refers to such figures as, the average of our students’ performance on standardized tests vs. non-arts students. How about attendance, class rank, college bound seniors? This information provides some additional context to the importance and value of our programs. But, counting alone only gives us a snapshot of a point in time. The real value comes when we compare what we count over time so we can learn how trends may be developing. Do we have more students in our program or less? Are certain programs growing while others may be shrinking or is everything growing relative to the student population? Counting does count. The magic occurs when we count and compare!

2. Connect – We need to connect what we do with the broader community. Sitting in our music rooms isolated from other teachers, administrators, and parents doesn’t get it done anymore. Get out of the classroom and into the community – engage and be engaging. Look for opportunities to connect what you do in your programs with other aspects of the school – other subjects or activities. Better yet, find ways to connect to other aspects of the community. Historically, music educators have enjoyed the sense of mystery that surrounds what we do. This comes from having our own classroom or wing set off away from the rest of the school. If we want music to be treated like a “core subject” we have to act as if it is one – that means reaching out and connecting with others and being accountable for what we do. By connecting with others you also create opportunities to share the important role of your program with others who may not be as well informed. In essence, you are creating additional “advocacy moments” to help promote and share the great work that you do.

3. Close the Gap – Richard was referring to closing the gap between Classical and Popular Music. There should not be this “genre divide” in the music and artistic communities. Hip Hop, Jazz, Pop, Classical and any genre-bending combinations are all musical art forms. This does not mean you have to like them all, but we must appreciate the fact that the act of creating music is an artistic endeavor. We should not be so snobbish in our outlook toward music we may not be particularly attracted to. Now let’s apply this concept to music education. We have this same problem. I call them “Genre Snobs.” Band vs. Choral. Orchestra vs. Band, and Everyone vs. General Music. A battle where one views themselves superior to the other. At the end of the day we are all after the same goal: educating children. The vehicle we choose to use is music. Each way is just a different approach toward the same end. The music education community needs to work together for our common purpose to ensure that an education that includes music is the right of all students. Arguing with one another based on our different programs or feeling superior between segments within music education only provides those who wish to cut back or eliminate our programs more ammunition and a wedge to use against us. It is the old divide and conquer routine. Focusing on those things that divide us will take us down. Working together and focusing on those elements that unite us will help build our community.

4. Create and be Creative – Teachers need to be creators, students need to be creative. Most music educators I know are also excellent musicians. Most thought of themselves as performing artists long before the pathway to teaching became clear. Artists do not, and should not, stop being artists when the become teachers. Being continually dedicated to creating and learning in our own art form only benefits the students whom we serve. Practicing our craft at the highest level demonstrates the importance of our work. For our students, creating music has to be a priority of any program, regardless of what type of program or grade level. It is through the active creation of music that provides all the many benefits documented by research over the past decade. Active engagement, not passive, is the key to unleashing the creativity in our students and ourselves.

Which brings us to my final point. The reason I enjoy participating in these panels and presentations is not because of what I may have to share. The reason I enjoy these events is because, as this column clearly points out, I am bound to learn something new or insightful from the other people I meet in the process. It is something we all should try to do in any interaction we have. For me, it makes me a better person. For you, I suspect it will make you a better teacher, not of music, but of our next generation.

Thanks for the inspiring insight Richard!

Posted by musicforall at 3:40 PM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2006

Important subjects being left behind

The Indianapolis Star printed a "My View" today on the topic of NCLB. Not that I want to sound like a one note Johnny or anything... but this reinforces my bigger point about how the debate about NCLB is now as mucha public debate as it is political. The result will be significant changes, if not outright repeal (as the Commissioner of Education in Utah has suggested), of the law.

There is no question that the No Child Left Behind Act has served to dramatically elevate the discourse regarding the need to improve student achievement. In particular, it has caused educators and policymakers to awaken to the disproportionate achievement levels of various subgroup populations, especially students from lower socioeconomic groups, with the greatest effects on black and Latino students. For these "awakenings," NCLB must receive support from teachers and administrators.

However, in the national rush to implement NCLB, the intent of the law appears to have taken on a very narrow focus and a myopic view of the scope and purpose of public education. In effect, we seem to be moving in a direction where successful schooling resonates only with a continual improvement in math and reading scores. This leaves behind a plethora of other essential courses and instructional content.

This reality is brought into focus by the nonpartisan Center on Education Policy, which recently reported in its extensive review of the effect of NCLB that 71 percent of the districts surveyed have reduced instructional time in at least one other subject. CEP also reported that the courses are generally removed from the curriculum to make more time for reading and math -- the topics tested for NCLB. In a Washington Post column ("Reading Across the Board," April 2), Jim Sollisch, a writer from Cleveland, referenced this report by observing, "In order not to leave your child behind, we have to leave your child behind in social studies, science, and foreign languages."

Important subjects being left behind | IndyStar.com

Posted by musicforall at 7:25 PM | Comments (0)

June 4, 2006

Off to Notre Dame!

I a heading off to Notre Dame for a speech on Music and Arts Education Advocacy for the attendees of Conn-Selmer University. While there... I am sitting down to record a podcast with Dr. Tim (Lautzenheiser) on this topic. May even grab some sound bites from some of the other education luminaries.

It is bound to be a good show. And the flight will allow me to finish the book "Freakonomics." Since we are doing so much work with data for advocacy purposes these days this book is REALLY enlightening, funny, and some instances frighteningly true. Pick it up!

After that I am on a panel for the American Eagle Awards luncheon in NYC with some friends from NAMM, Young Audiences, and others. Trying to think of something interesting to say.

In any event... more for you upon my return!

Posted by musicforall at 7:50 PM

June 1, 2006

Dump NCLB?

As the National Commission on No Child Left Behind continues to hold hearings (Next stop Madison WI!) the drum beat for major changes or outright repeal of the law get louder and louder (being a drummer I love drum metaphors!)

I have written often in this blog about all the various reports on NCLB including the narrowing of the curriculum, 2 million test being “left behind,” various state exemptions that basically undermine the original guiding principles of the law for comparability of information between states and other issues regarding how, in my view, good intentions have gone wildly awry.

In this spirit I bring forward our latest entry… comments from a letter by the Utah’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction to the Utah Congressional delegation.

Here’s a taste:

Utah's schools chief has some advice for Congress: Dump some or all of No Child Left Behind, or change the rules to resemble the Utah Performance Assessment System for Students and other state initiatives.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Patti Harrington has drafted a position paper on the controversial federal law at the request of Utah's congressional delegation. The congressmen are gearing up for the law's expected reauthorization in 2008 or later, State Associate SuperintendentRay Timothy said.

"I think the best way for them to go is honor what states want," including ongoing assessment,clear standards and immediate help for struggling children, without federal intrusion, and "I hope they'll do more than tinker around the edges," Harrington said.

deseretnews.com | Advice to Congress: Dump part or all of 'No Child Left Behind'

Posted by musicforall at 8:25 PM