ADVOCACY IS IN THE AIR THIS SPRING!
Right, panelists share ideas with parents who wish to affect public policy at the "Dreams Create Hope" arts integration conference March 8. The conference, hosted by the Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership, brought together participants from Arts Learning Anchor Schools in Berkeley, Emery, and Oakland school districts. See the action step that came out of this workshop, below.
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L to R are panelists Adam Jones (office of Assemblymember Sandré Swanson), Julia Fong Ma (office of Senator Don Perata), Sue Piper (office of Oakland City Councilmember Jean Quan), Julie Sinai (office of Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates), and Karen Hemphill, Berkeley School Board Member & Assistant to City Manager of Emeryville. Also participating as a panelist was Kerry Hamill, Oakland School Board Member.
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New and Improved
Art IS Education Web Site! here
Features include:
* Interactive Artwork for you to add a picture of how Art IS Education for your kids or your school.
* Calendar of Events for you to post your events and find out about upcoming arts events.
* Information about cutting edge arts integration programs already succeeding in Alameda County schools.
* Action steps you can take at the local, state and national level to advocate for arts learning.
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Join Our "Save Education in California" Letter Campaign
We face an unprecedented 18 billion dollar budget deficit in California. Governor Schwarzenegger's proposed solution includes no new revenues, but an across-the-board 10% budget cut, which will mean 4.8 billion dollars less for our schools.
We need your help to save education for every child in California! Our state already ranks 46th in the nation in per-pupil spending, in spite of the fact that we have one of the highest costs of living and one of the most diverse and challenging student populations in the world. When we examine student-to-staff ratio in K-12 schools in the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, we already rank 51st in total school staff, 51st in number of librarians and guidance counselors, and 49th in number of principals and teachers. The governor's proposed budget would reduce our spending by a further $800 a child, $24,000 a classroom.
We must remind our legislators that we favor new revenues as part of the solution. Closing tax loopholes and rethinking former tax cuts may save some important programs that can help our kids find a brighter future.
It's time for all of us to work together for a safer, more prosperous California, and that must include new, more stable revenues. As a citizen and voter, you have power in a democracy. Make your voice heard! Click here for a customizable message that will automatically be sent to the governor, education and budget committees, and your own state legislators.
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Tell A Friend!
Do you have friends and family in other parts of California? We need statewide support for the idea that the solution to our budget problem must include new revenues. Please help us tell our community that the time for action is now! Visit our website or click here for a message you can personalize and ask your friends in California to join you and become part of a statewide effort. Or make a call, send an email or letter, in some way reach out to people you know in Southern California, Central Valley, and other California regions in addition to the Bay Area.
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Parents Making a Difference:
Communities Organizing to Save Education Funding
Earlier this year, Governor Schwarzenegger announced that California faces an 18 billion dollar budget deficit, and proposed a 10% cut to all programs including education. The prospect of this decimation has energized parent and community groups all over the state, but nowhere more than in Alameda County. A number of local districts and schools have organized letter writing campaigns and legislative visits. Parents in the small district of Piedmont have already sent over 600 letters urging that other solutions be applied. A number of elementary schools have petitions available for parents to sign at drop-off and pick-up times. Several online tools (including the one featured in this newsletter) have appeared.
| In Emeryville, Arts Active Parent Coordinator Brynnda Collins collected letters of protest from parents at the district's annual Day of the Arts event at Emery Secondary school. (right) |
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The Parent Leadership Action Network (http://www.parentactionnet.org/) held a March 1 forum that attracted over 60 Bay Area parents to speak out to legislators on top issues of concern to children and families. The priorities were based on the results of 250 parent surveys gathered by PLAN's regional Leadership Council, and included concerns about child care, education equity, economic justic, social justice, and parent representation. Parents prepared and presented testimony to a panel representing four Bay Area legislators, including Senator Perata (East Bay), Assemblymember Swanson himself (Oakland), and Assemblymember Hancock (East Bay) and Assemblymember Mullin (South SF). Below top, participants rehearse testimony. Below bottom, panelists listen to a presentation.
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Above, Julia Fong Ma from Senator Don Perata's office explains how the California budgeting process works.
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The Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership hosted a panel discussion and workshop March 8 entitled "How Arts Active Parents Can Affect Policy." Photo at the top of this page shows the panel. After general introduction and discussion, the panelists and attendees jointly developed an action step - enlisting the support of friends and family who live in other areas of California - to try to get the California legislature to get the 2/3 vote needed to restore old taxes and/or fees or create new ones. See the "Tell A Friend" story to the left, or email a request for the full text of the workshop action plan. |
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Art Lets Kids March to Their Own Beat April 1-3, 5 p.m. -
Pleasanton Unified School District's first festival of visual and performing arts for students K-12. Free admission, all artwork available for purchase. Performances each evening.
Ruby Hill Winery and Event Center, 400 Vineyard Ave., Pleasanton
Info, Mark Lightfoot, mlightfoot@pleasanton.k12.ca.us
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!
Christensen Middle School Theatre Group is proud to present its 10th annual Musical Production of 2008:
"You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!" Over 40 students in the 6th to 8th grades are excited to perform in this delightful musical comedy,based on Charles Schultz's well-loved "Peanuts" comic strip. Tickets $6-7. For info and tickets, visit www.christensenpta.org
Livermore High School Theatre, 600 Maple Street, Livermore April 4 & 5, 7 p.m. and April 6, 2 p.m.
CHILDREN's AUDITIONS for Seussical (The Musical) April 5, 10 a.m., Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road, Oakland. "Seussical" is the August show for the 42nd season of the Woodminster Summer Musicals. There are nine roles for children who are (or appear to be) 8-10 years old. Details at www.woodminster.com. Also adult and teen casting opportunities for 3 shows in Summer 2008.
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TRYOUTS for the Annual All-Oakland Talent Show April 8, 10, and 15. Calling all Oakland Youth to REPRESENT!!!
Youth Dancers, Musicians, Poets, Actors, Emcees, Singers...
Ages 5-18, see www.oaklandleaf.org/html/talentshow.html for details and locations of tryouts.
ATTEND the 8th Annual All-Oakland Talent Show May 9, 2008
Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Their Eyes Were Watching God April 24-26, Oakland Technical High School Performing Arts, 6:30 p.m., Oakland Tech, 4351 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets $5.
Grease April 9-12, 7:30 p.m. Skyline High School Performing Arts Academy's spring musical is fun for all ages. Tickets $9 at the door. Rawley T. Farnsworth Theater at Skyline High School, 12250 Skyline Blvd., Oakland.
The OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA has great exhibits and events every single week. For April's schedule, click here: http://www.museumca.org/cal-public/calendar.cgi?month=04
These special events are included in the price of admission ($5 students & seniors, $8 adult). The second Sunday of each month is FREE!
The KIDS' CHALK ART PROJECT in Alameda
This community event celebrates and invests in the creative spirit of children. The Project's goal is to collaboratively create the World's Largest Chalk Drawing with the kids of Alameda (K-12), their families, friends, and neighbors, as well as the greater community of the San Francisco Bay Area. They are attempting to break several Guinness World Records and plan on obtaining a satellite photograph of the artwork. The chalk drawing will be created over a two-week period, culminating with a multi-arts festival, open to the public, on the decommissioned Naval Air Base of Alameda Point on Saturday, June 7, 2008. They're looking for particpants, volunteers, and contributors.
www.reenchantingtheworldthroughart.org
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| ALAMEDA COUNTY ALLIANCE FOR ARTS LEARNING LEADERSHIP
In 1999, the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) convened the Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership (Alliance) to address the huge gap in arts education resources in the county public schools. The Alliance is a collaboration of the ACOE, its 18 school districts, principals, teachers, teaching artists, arts organizations, parents, community members, policymakers and students. Its mission is to ensure delivery of high quality education through arts learning for every child, in every school, every day.
For information about the Alameda County Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership, how it supports arts education in public schools, and how to get involved, visit www.artiseducation.org.
If you know of people who would be interested in receiving this newsletter, please ask them to send me their email addresses.
We gratefully acknowledge the Walter and Elise Haas Fund for sponsoring the Arts Learning Parent Involvement Project to create stronger ties between homes and schools around the arts.
Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership
Alameda County Office of Education
artsactiveparent@yahoo.com
© 2005-2008 Alameda County Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership
313 W. Winton Ave., Hayward, CA 94544
510.670.4557 •
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