The California Alliance for Arts Education convened its Policy Council in Sacramento last week and came to consensus on a number of the tough issues facing public education in California. The group affirmed the Alliance’s existing strategic priorities and called for particular emphasis on the need for funding, accountability, broader assessments of schools’ success and collaboration around the Create the State public awareness campaign for arts education. The agenda included presentations and discussion on:

• The four (now three) ballot initiatives to provide funding for public education

• SB 547 and other efforts aimed at school accountability

• California’s Blueprint for Arts Education

• Advocacy efforts to allow Title I funds to be used for arts education

• Developing an assessment system for arts education

The Policy Council convenes allied partners from education, business, arts and parent organizations. Since its inception just two short years ago, it has grown to include almost forty member organizations and we are working to grow the group’s membership to include stakeholders from California’s distinct and diverse communities.

(Pictured above are Alliance Board Chair, Mark Slavkin, Alliance Executive Director, Joe Landon and Local Advoacy Program Manager, Karin Demarest. Picture to the right are members of the Jazz Choir, Rio Linda NYN from the Twin Rivers Unified district, with their Director, Craig Murray)