On March 7th and 8th, 170 Alameda County teachers, administrators, arts providers, university representatives and regional experts convened to provide a unique opportunity to see how 38 Arts learning Anchor Schools in Alameda County are transforming their schools through the arts. The goals of this conference were inquiry based, classroom centered and focused on quality arts integration. The conference featured over twenty workshops by practitioners in the Arts Learning Anchor Schools Initiative and a keynote roundtable with Julia Marshall, arts integration expert and San Francisco State University faculty.
What is the Arts Learning Anchor School Initiative?
The Arts Learning Anchor School Initiative is an arts integration initiative creating arts focused professional development networks developing instructional leadership at the district, school, and classroom levels to recognize and address the needs of teachers, administrators and coaches seeking arts learning development. At the heart of the initiative are school-based arts integrative collaborations between instructional leaders, classroom teachers, teaching artists, students, parents and the community at large. These collaborations spark new approaches and model true success in contemporary public school education.
Arts Learning Anchor Schools utilize frameworks and tools in the arts to expand the scope of quality teaching, learning and assessment in order to improve student success. These school also expand arts learning experiences and integrate arts into the core curriculum, to grow strong communities, schools, and students.How Does It Work?
The Arts Learning Anchor School Initiative creates professional teaching and learning networks to play a critical role in school and district instructional improvement and reform efforts. School sites are identified at the district level through a rigorous selection process as leadership models for arts learning, where new and established arts partnerships are leveraged to create a model for a school-based, arts-focused professional teaching and learning community.
Arts Learning Anchor School Collaborations
All 38 of the Arts Learning Anchor Schools are working with community arts providers and arts coaches to implement new ideas for arts integration and transform their schools through the power of arts learning.