SCHOOLS MUST USE NEW ARTS AND MUSIC FUNDING WISELY

Last November, California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 28, the Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act. The measure gives K-12 school districts an additional 1 percent of their funding allotment under 1988’s Proposition 98, which established a baseline for how much funding public schools receive. Schools must use the additional funding for arts programs, which can include music, dance, theater, visual arts and media arts.

Although there are still details to be worked out at the state level, many students in our county are already benefiting from new arts education programs created by this historic legislative investment. The funding is important because it will increase access to arts education since the funds can only be used for new opportunities. While it may not be perfect, this is a starting point that can spur schools to increase their arts programs.

Our goal at the San Diego County Office of Education is to reduce the number of students who are living in poverty by providing a pathway to economic mobility. We know that education plays a vital role in that and introducing kids to the arts also can help improve the academic and economic futures of students. More arts funding is a matter of equity and improving student outcomes.

Additional funding elevates arts as a profession, introducing students to new opportunities, opening doors and removing barriers. Better funding of arts recognizes students have different interests and talents that don’t always get the recognition they deserve. The current system doesn’t always work for all kids, so providing arts education is one way to create options. Access to the arts also positively impacts chronic absenteeism, engagement, and social and emotional well-being. The arts engage students and create a sense of belonging.

So what happens next? At the county Office of Education, we’re working hard to help districts and schools understand and plan for their Proposition 28 funding. To support new arts programs, we estimate we’ll need 600 more arts educators in San Diego County. Throughout the past year, we’ve offered professional learning opportunities including webinars and provided on-demand support to school sites and districts. We offer networking events — for arts partners, district leaders and elementary teachers — to share best practices, explore potential collaborations and bounce ideas off each other.

There’s a wealth of information and resources on our website, www.sdcoe.net/ VAPA, and we’ve asked our school and district partners to contribute resources and ideas. The San Diego County Office of Education

is creating a course for elementary teachers — for whom there has been a large increase in hiring — so they can share ideas and challenges with each other. We also conduct an online professional series with county offices of education throughout the state that are implementing Proposition 28 and the new framework. Working with state and county counterparts, our staff continue to communicate with schools and districts about updates and clarifications from the California Department of Education.

The San Diego County Office of Education

is hosting our annual Arts Empower Mega Conference on Oct. 10, bringing together arts educators, school and district administrators, and community arts partners for a day to share and learn.

Looking ahead, all schools and districts should be thinking about and engaging their communities on how to use Proposition 28 funding. Students and families have valuable perspectives on what’s needed. It’s important to listen to them and arts providers to develop programs that are relevant and meaningful for their communities.

This funding is important and the learning curve is steep. The San Diego County Office of Education will continue to evaluate what’s working and identify where changes can and should be made. We hope to see an increase in students’ sense of belonging, as measured by the annual California Healthy Kids survey, leading to an increase in attendance and decrease in disciplinary action. And we hope to open students’ eyes to the wonderful opportunities that the arts can bring, both in school and as a career.

This is a new opportunity and the options are endless. As we’ve envisioned a future without boundaries for every child in San Diego County, we need everyone to have a voice.

Better funding of arts recognizes that our students have different interests and talents that don’t always get the recognition they deserve. The current system doesn’t always work for all kids, so providing arts education is one way to create options.