We stay on top of the latest trends, opportunities and threats in our field. Our newsletter provides a digest of current arts education headlines; our Legislative Update tracks bills in the California Legislature that could impact arts programs in our schools; and, our blog offers an in depth view or opinion on current policy issues. Below are the latest news stories about our work.

What Can a Website Do (Welcome to ours!)

published by CAAEStaff on October 20, 2011 - 3:58pm

We were just going to make a few changes to our website. Add a new section about local advocacy. Simplify our action center. And then, as often happens when you begin adding new elements to something, the whole thing changed.

As we explored questions about goals and possibilities, the scope of the project grew. We discovered new web platforms that made it easy to add new elements and content. We heard from local advocates and stakeholders like you that you wanted easy ways to participate online and to find the research and tools you need to make the case for arts education in your community.

So today we launch a fully re-designed website! Here are some of the things it can do:

1. It provides an online home for the twenty-five coalitions in our Local Advocacy Network and more opportunities for you to post comments, ask questions and participate.
2. The new Action Center provides an array of grab and go advocacy tools from Three Minute Actions to three-week projects. And, we’ve simplified the navigation (and even made out font size larger per your request) so you can find what you’re looking for quickly and easily.

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Arts Education and an Innovative Workforce

published by CAAEStaff on October 16, 2011 - 6:49pm

It’s well-known that a well-developed arts education teaches communications skills, teamwork, problem solving, responsibility, and the ability to adapt to change. According to Sarah Murr, Arts Education and an Innovative Workforce, all of these skills are considered critical by Boeing for its highly skilled workforce. However, tight state budgets and a lack of appreciation for what an arts education provides a young mind, and subsequently an adult mind, have resulted in the abandonment or near abandonment of arts programs across the nation. Read Murr’s blog about why restoring arts education programs needs to be prioritized to ensure the next generation can compete in a global economy that is driven by knowledge and ideas.

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Arts Education in California Schools Relies on Patchwork of Funding

published by CAAEStaff on October 16, 2011 - 6:48pm

This recent SF Examiner article offers snapshot of how schools in San Francisco and all over California rely on a "fraying patchwork of grants, programs and donations” for arts education. Some districts rely almost entirely on parent fundraising to maintain these programs, while schools in lower-income communities go without. San Francisco’s situation reflects conditions that exist across the state according to Mark Slavkin, chairman of the California Alliance for Arts Education, “The northeastern states are spending twice as much on education as California,” Slavkin said.

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Governor Takes Action on Education Bills

published by CAAEStaff on October 16, 2011 - 6:44pm

Governor Brown took action on several education bills last week, signing AB 1330 into law and vetoing SB 547. Read Alliance Executive Director, Joe Landon's response to the Governor's action and how it will affect arts education in California classrooms.

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The Alliance's new Executive Director, Joe Landon

published by CAAEStaff on September 20, 2011 - 1:48pm

Los Angeles, CA, July 7, 2011 - The Board of Directors of the California Alliance for Arts Education has named Joe Landon the organization’s new executive director, effective August 1. Landon currently serves as policy director for the Alliance. He will replace Laurie Schell, who has served as executive director for the past ten years.

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