A Shared Vision for a High-Quality Education for Every Child, in Every School, Every Day!
On September 12, 2008, the Alameda County Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership along with the Santa Cruz and San Francisco County Offices of Education convened a regional forum on “Creating a Shared Vision for a High-Quality Education for Every Child in Every School, Every Day”. Eighty public education leaders assembled at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco to create a new and unified approach to current education policy. Seven Superintendents from County Offices of Education, from Santa Cruz to San Francisco, were joined by district superintendents, school board officials, and representatives from higher education, administrators, teachers and artists.
The four-hour forum began with a spoken word and dance performance by Tommy Shepherd and Elvia Marta. The eighty professional educators were then led in interactive arts learning activities using the currently mounted exhibition of art installations created by contemporary artists responding to the book of Genesis, a story of creation and beginning. They also heard from principals and a group of panelists about innovative instructional strategies that use the arts as a means to engage students with other content areas such as history, math, science, civic engagement and language arts to address the needs of English language learners, special education students and students in continuations high schools.
The distinguished panel addressed participants on innovative instructional strategies that use the arts as a means to engage student, facilitate student access to subject content areas, and to address the needs of a variety of student sub-groups, such as English language learners, special education students and students in the juvenile justice system. Panelists were Joseph Kahne, Dean, Mills College School of Education; Chris Lim, Superintendent San Leandro USD; Katie Woodworth, senior researcher, SRI’s Center for Education Policy; Jack Mitchell, Arts Media and Entertainment Consultant, California Department of Education; and Francisca Sanchez, Associate Superintendent, San Francisco USD. The panel was moderated by Louise Music, Art Learning Manager, Alameda County Office of Education.
Sheila Jordan, Alameda County Superintendent convened the forum by stating, “There are many examples of schools where the arts are being taught in the context of a relevant, innovative and rigorous curriculum. In Alameda County, we’ve established the Teacher Action Research Institute to look at alternate assessment models that better reflect student learning,” Jordan said.
In addition to shining a light on arts integration for school reform, the event served to welcome Chuck Weis, the new County Superintendent of Schools for Santa Clara County. In his remarks to the group, Superintendent Weis challenged educational leaders to continue to work together across districts and counties on effective arts integration strategies.
The CCSESA Bay Area Regional Forum was made possible through the leadership and support of the following organizations:
San Francisco Unified School District Visual and Performing Arts Department; Alameda County Office of Education; Santa Cruz County Office of Education; CCSESA Bay Area Regions IV and V; Wiliam and Flora Hewlett Foundation; and Contemporary Jewish Museum of San Francisco.
Funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the CCSESA Visual and Performing Arts Initiative was developed to create a network of county offices to provide leadership and technical assistance to California school districts in restoring the arts as an essential part of a well-rounded education that engages every child in school.
Sheila Jordan, Superintendent of Alameda County Schools Superintendent Jordan convened the assembly along with Michael Watkins as Districts IV and V CCSESA Regional Arts Leads. |
Performance artists Tommy Shepherd and Elvia Marta Contemporary artists improvisational performance responding to the Book of Genesis. |
Superintendent of San Francisco Schools, Carlos Garcia Superintendent Garcia gave the keynote talk. |
Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools, Michael Watkins Santa Cruz County Superintendent, Michael Watkins, shares in a small group discussion. |
| Making the Genesis Connection Small Group Discussions  |
Panel Addresses a Shared Vision for a High-quality Education |