By Joe Landon, The Sacramento BEE

We now have an opportunity to bring arts education back into our schools in a significant way. After years of focus on standardized tests and a narrowing of the curriculum under No Child Left Behind, the “local control funding formula” sets new goals for local districts that prioritize student engagement, parent involvement, school climate, student achievement, a broad course of study – all things that the arts are known to contribute to.

In the coming months, as school boards seek input and develop their local control and accountability plans, local advocates have an opportunity to provide a teaching moment about the benefits of arts education in their district.

“As we begin to uncover the consequences of the last 10 to 15 years of the widening education gap, I hope we begin to bank on students’ abilities and potential by investing in arts learning and professional development, and this go around: truly not leave any child behind.”

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/02/6195720/viewpoints-why-teaching-art-to.html

http://www.artsed411.org/blog/2014/02/help_district_leaders_understand_how_arts_can_contribute_lcff_goals

- by Donna Chinn, Los Al Arts

Los Al Drama Director Stacy Castiglione, known to her students as “Mrs. C , is new to our district, but she has 10 years of teaching experience, plus an extensive background in various aspects of theatre. She oversees the high school drama program of approx. 60 intermediate & advanced drama students plus 2 beginning drama classes. She has set out an ambitious schedule of 6 dramatic productions for her first year, which includes a musical. She coaches students for theatre festivals, the Cappies (Critics & Awards

The Escondido Alliance for Arts Education Thanks all of the sponsors and participating arts organizations

An amazing event and group of allies!

Great coverage by the Santa Cruz Sentinel: Click here.

For a video of the full event, click here.

The Escondido Alliance for Arts Education (EAAE) has established a community-based system to formulate and implement strategies, which embrace arts education in the Escondido schools. Our smART Friday's project joins local artists with local schools and facilitates the sharing of knowledge for a variety of art genres.

- by Donna Chinn, Los Alamitos Alliance for Arts Education

Justin Padilla is one member of LAEF's Royal Court who is vying to become King. The top fundraisers in the Los Alamitos Education Foundation's King & Queen of Hearts Campaign will be crowned at the Royal Ball & Coronation event on November 22nd. All monies raised go to LAEF to support LAUSD in connecting students to the 4 As of Academics, Athletics, Activities, and Arts.

Mr Padilla is a performing artist and passionate arts educator. He directs the instrumental music program at Oak Middle School, which includes jazz band; philharmonic, symphonic & string orchestras; symphonic winds; concert winds, concert band, and exploratory wheel. He has brought his students to perform at Disneyland and the Monterey Jazz Festival, as well as a Family Event for fellow district school Rossmoor Elementary. Among his many credits as a performer, he played saxophone with the Class Notes Big Band this March. Mr Padilla's goal for students is" to have fun while making music and develop the disciplines to enhance lifelong learning potential."

Go to LAEF4kids.org for more details on the King & Queen of Hearts Campaign.

Santa Cruz County Alliance for Arts Education

Advocacy Breakfast: Unmasking Creativity

Walter Issacson, author of the Steve Jobs biography, discovered that in all Apple's products "technology (was) married to great design, elegance, human touches, and even romance." On a personal note, Isaacson added,

The creativity that can occur when a feel for both the humanities and the sciences combine in one strong personality was the topic that most interested me in my biographies of Franklin and Einstein, and I believe ... will be a key to creating innovative economies in the twenty-first century.

Not surprisingly, the importance of design and the creativity inherent in the concept of design, is weaving its way into more programs on college campuses.

Recently, the Paul and Stacy Jacobs Foundation (Paul is CEO of Qualcomm and a Berkeley alum) gave $20 million to the College of Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, for a new institute for design innovation that will expand the role of design in engineering education.

In making the gift Jacobs said:

In our interconnected innovation economy, it is not enough to provide our future engineering leaders with technical skills.... they must also learn how to work in interdisciplinary teams, how to iterate designs rapidly, how to manufacture sustainably, how to combine art and engineering, and how to address global markets.

To read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-m-eger/design-thinking-on-the-co_b_3813464.html