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With the primary behind us, our survey has been revised to reflect the two candidates who will be on the
1. Given an environment in which tests for English and Math are given priority, how do you envision
bringing
an
emphasis back to arts education?
Question 1 Click on a Candidate to see their response
We have over emphasized the teaching of standards in reading and math, and lost the enthusiasm and engagement of students. We must provide curriculum and material which is engaging as well as challenging. We need to ensure that schools have teachers who are trained to teach all elements of the arts, and the funding necessary to provide students with an education in the arts as well. Just because students aren’t tested on this, doesn’t make it any less important. We need to work to integrate some of our math and English requirements into our arts curriculum as well. Through this integration, students will learn in different ways. Arts education has always been important to me. As a superintendent I worked with both the private and public sectors to ensure that the art and music programs in my district were not cut. As Superintendent of Public Instruction I will work to ensure that arts education programs continue in our schools.
In the past 10 years California has made slow but steady progress improving students’ academic performance. Although academic progress is extremely important, California has neglected the larger discussion: What does a California High School diploma mean in the 21st Century? I believe we must fix the imbalances in what we measure. We should not be surprised that the subjects on which we focus our testing are the subjects on which we focus our instructional resources when funding is being cut so severely. As a teacher, I am concerned that we develop the whole child. My brother is an artist who also teaches art, and I also know the positive benefits children receive from arts and drama based on my family’s experiences. Arts education gives many students a reason to stay in school. It also helps lead to higher test scores. We fail our children when we do not offer opportunities to learn about the arts and fail to lay a foundation for healthy minds and bodies. That is why I am currently pursuing legislation (AB 2273) to broaden our accountability measures (which I will discuss more detail in my answer to question 3). As the author of the legislation that created and expanded California’s after school programs, I also believe arts education has a vital role after school. Arts, music, drama, athletics, homework assistance, and other after school program offerings help keep kids safe and provide avenues to broaden the academic subjects they experience.
2. California has adopted learning standards in the arts and requires students to take a year of fine arts
in
high school to be eligible for UC and CSU. Yet
student access to arts learning varies from school to
school
and district to district. What can the state do
to ensure equitable access to this part of the core
curriculum
for all students?
Question 2 Click on a Candidate to see their response
Every student should have the opportunity to attend college. No student should be kept from a post-secondary education because they were not able to take a required course. The state needs to work with our schools to ensure that every school site has equitable arts programs as part of their core curriculum.
The most important step the state can take in this area is to adequately and fully fund our schools. Being ranked 47th in the nation in per pupil spending, and dropping, is a disgrace. We cannot accept it. There can be no question that California’s public schools are severely underfunded. Proposition 98 is supposed to be the floor, not the ceiling, for public school funding. Too many schools have cut arts, music, drama, and other programs. These cuts must stop. They will impact our students for a lifetime. The recent education funding cuts have also led to disturbing inequities in arts education offerings around the state. Schools in wealthier parts of the state have been able to keep more of their programs intact thanks to parcel taxes and donations from the community. Since every student can benefit from an arts education, the fact that students in higher poverty areas are not getting access to these important courses should be a cause of great concern for all Californians. If we fund our schools the way we should, moving back towards the top of the rankings, then we can protect and expand programs like the Arts and Music Block Grant, thereby helping all schools to offer these vital programs. That’s why, in addition to the increased revenues, I have also proposed ways to strengthen Proposition 98, foster partnerships among school districts and other government entities, and lower the threshold required to pass a parcel tax.
3. Since we know "what is tested is taught," how can California provide an assessment system that
reinforces and encourages a well-rounded education
for all students?
Question 3 Click on a Candidate to see their response
I have advocated for a better assessment system within our school system. The current assessment has led us to a learning environment where we "teach and test, teach and test." These bubble tests are not the answer and don’t accurately assess student progress as it is. With an improved assessment system that fully gauges what students know, through their comprehensive answers, we can add aspects of principals and skills gained through a well-rounded curriculum.
As I noted in my answer to the first question, I believe we must fix the imbalances in what we measure. With better measurements, we will be better able to ensure every one of our schools is providing a well-rounded education for every one of our students. Our global society requires students to learn problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Students can develop these skills in a multitude of ways: including the arts, music, language, civics, or community participation. Currently, parents and the public may not know how or if schools are providing students with classes or opportunities to develop these vital skills. That’s why we should also measure attendance rates, graduation rates, opportunities the school is providing to prepare students for college or career after graduation, and opportunities schools are offering to enhance our students’ learning—including (among other items) the arts, citizenship and leadership, physical education, advanced academics, world language acquisition, and career technical education. My legislation (AB 2273) to create a California Educational Opportunity (CEO) Index would help to take California in this necessary direction. My goal is to create a transparent tool to allow parents and community members to know more about how their neighborhood school is doing in these important areas.
4. As local districts gain more flexibility, what is the state’s role to ensure districts provide all students
access to a quality arts education?
Question 4 Click on a Candidate to see their response
Providing every student with a quality education – one that includes the arts – is a priority. We need to engage our students and provide them with areas to express their creativity and personality within the school setting. One of my top priorities as Superintendent of Public Instruction is to ensure adequate and equitable funding to all schools so that every student is able to receive the education that they deserve.
I believe the state has an important role to play to ensure every student can have access to a quality arts education. Our schools must have the resources required to ensure every neighborhood school in the state can provide a high-quality and well-rounded education. We need to do everything possible to ensure every California student has access to educational opportunities, including, of course, arts education. As I noted in my answer to question two, the Arts and Music Block Grant will remain in jeopardy, and disparities among school districts will grow, as long as we are cutting funding from our schools. These horrible results happen when we are 47th in the nation in per pupil spending. We need to reverse this trend immediately. Arts education is a core part of a complete educational experience. Given the importance of the creative economy in California, it is horrifically short-sighted to fail to provide all of our students with opportunities to experience and grow from the benefits arts education can offer. We know how arts education can help students learn how to be creative, to innovate, and be a part of a team—vital 21st Century job skills. All Californians have an important stake in ensuring we do not become a state of haves and have-nots, where students are given extreme advantages in some areas because of the geography and demographics of where they go to school.
5. In light of the importance of the creative economy, how can California integrate or align our belief in
the
importance of arts education and the movement
to expand access to career and technical
education?
Question 5 Click on a Candidate to see their response
We must provide multiple pathways for students to be successful in high school and beyond. We must train our teachers to utilize the new career technical education content standards so that our students can have "real life" experiences as they go through middle and high school in collaboration with the university "a to g" requirements, so that students can have a well rounded path to graduation. We must also include business and community resources in expanding arts through outside performances, opportunities to display works, etc.
In a world in which we are fully funding our public schools, which must be our ultimate goal, we would not face trade-offs or conflicts between expanding career technical education and promoting a strong arts education. Unfortunately, today our schools face incredibly difficult budget situations created by the state budget crisis. As an advocate of both arts education and career technical education, I am extremely frustrated by the trade-offs we may need to make temporarily to get through the present crisis. For example, I support efforts to make career technical education more rigorous and add it to the requirements for graduation. I understand the concerns many advocates have about the impact current legislation in this area may have on arts education in some districts. That is why any legislative efforts that may impact arts education should have a sunset clause. We need to be ready to study any such impacts that arise—and then be ready to mitigate them as the education funding situation improves. This question highlights a perfect example of how off-track we have moved in California. Both arts education and career technical education are vital elements of a comprehensive education. Both can give more students higher self-worth and reasons to see why education is relevant to their lives. We cannot trade one of these vital programs for the other. We need to protect and enhance both in our efforts to return California’s public schools to among the top ranks in the nation.
