Where do your school board candidates stand on Arts Education

I love this website from the California Alliance for Arts Education. They did a great four question survey of school board candidates where-ever they had help “on the ground”. Orange County did pretty well and you can read their answers just by clicking on each photo. Not everyone took the time to answer which is too bad but it’s great to read the answers of those that responded and make an informed vote. Go to http://survey.artsed411.org/surveys

If you don’t see your district here, it might be because the race is uncontested so they didn’t need to have an election.

Stop the Patchwork Approach to Arts Education

The other day I heard a school district administrator say how they would use a $10,000 grant for arts education. Their idea left me feeling depressed and frustrated. Let’s just say that it was the same as deciding to buy “The Complete Works of Shakespeare” when none of the students know how to read and no teacher is qualified to teach reading. Check out this great article from ArtsWatch and let me know your thoughts!

Music and Art – Good for Your Soul and Good for Your Life

Friedrich Neitzsche once claimed that without music, life would be a mistake. Researchers in Norway claim that without music, art, or other cultural events, life may also be shorter and less satisfying. A new study, published by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, reports that visiting museums, attending concerts, playing an instrument, and creating art are associated with happier lives. The investigators surveyed more than 51,000 adults to assess their leisure habits and cultural participation and their self-perceived health status and levels of depression and anxiety. Overall, there was a strong correlation between engaging in cultural activities and happiness. The association was not affected by socioeconomic status or educational level.
A gender difference was observed in the types of activities that men and women preferred. Men reported more happiness and life satisfaction when they passively participated in cultural activities, such as attending a concert or visiting a museum. Women, on the other hand, reported more satisfaction when they actively engaged in an activity, such as playing an instrument or creating art. Reprinted from the BrainBlogger.
To read the entire article go to: http://brainblogger.com/2011/07/05/music-and-art-good-for-your-soul-and-your-lifespan/

Measuring Creativity in California and the Nation

SB789 is a piece of legislation to pay attention to if you care about creativity in schools. Authored by Senator Price, and on the fast track, it will create an Index on Creative and Innovative Education, and recommend the funding necessary to implement the index. Already on track in Massachusetts, should we follow their lead and seek to measure Creativity? What do you think? Read more about it in an article by John Eger in the Huffington Post.

Capo Valley High School Student Wins OC Film Festival Award

Sam Pepke, a young filmmaker who is a senior at Capistrano Valley High School was nominated for 4 entries in the Orange County Film Festival in January and received a group award for “Best short Film” and “Best Editor” award.  The film is entitled “Dodge Ball.”

Jack Black owes it all to arts education…

Check out this cool video from California Alliance for Arts Education.

New Local Arts Ed Alliances

Arts Orange County, in partnership with the California Alliance for Arts Education, is continuing to build on its three years of work with the addition of five new local arts alliances this year in these districts:  Capistrano Unified, Irvine, Los Alamitos, Orange and Placentia-Yorba Linda.  Our prior alliances–still very much in action–include those serving the districts of Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Newport-Mesa, Saddleback, Santa Ana, Westminster.  A complete list of our local arts education alliance coordinators may be found here, and you are invited to contact them to become more involved in the alliance serving your community.  Here are photos from the recent inaugural breakfasts for our 10th and 11th local alliances…

Left photo from the Orange Local Arts Education Alliance inaugural breakfast: Jim Thomas, VAPA coordinator, OC Dept of Ed; Kathy Moffat, Orange School Board; Gisela Meier, Orange Alliance for Arts Education Coordinator; Linda Stoterau, Director of Curriculum, Orange Unified SD; Joe Landon, Policy Director, CA Alliance for Arts ED; Mike Short, Director, Orange Community Master Chorale.  Not pictured: Breakfast hosts, William Hall, Dean of Arts, Chapman University and Leisa Ensworth, President, Orange Council PTA

Right photo: Seated:  Meg Cutuli, Los Alamitos School Board Member; Donna Chinn, Los Alamitos Alliance for Arts Ed. Coordinator; Sarah Murr, Community Investor, The Boeing Company; Dr. Sherry Kropp, Assistant Superintendent, Los Alamitos USD.  Standing: Joe Landon, Policy Director, CA Alliance for Arts Education; Gary Miller, Seal Beach City Council (&Mayor Pro Tem); Charles Antos, Seal Beach City Council; Dr. Greg Franklin, Superintendent of Los Alamitos USD; Warren Kusumoto, Los Alamitos City Council