Klarinet Archive - Posting 000910.txt from 2001/05

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Fwd: Whymusic Week 167
Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 20:31:13 -0400

Again, this weekly newsletter I receive seems like it may be useful to some
listers.

>A COMMUNITY ARTS ADVOCACY SUCCESS
>
>The following message about the importance of arts education was
>created by the Community/Schools Partnership for the Arts
>(C/SPA) of Sarasota County, Florida:
>
>-----
>
>THE MESSAGE
>
>"We are a special interest group. Our special interest is the
>students, the future citizens of Sarasota County. As a coalition of
>parents, community organizations, and businesses, we believe that
>all Sarasota County students MUST receive a complete and
>balanced education including, at minimum, the comprehensive
>study of music from a qualified music teacher and art from a
>qualified art teacher.
>
>We believe education in the arts is vital for ALL OUR
>STUDENTS because:
>
>- Children who study the arts are better overall students.
>- Children who study the arts are more employable after
>graduation.
>- Studying the arts emphasizes innovation, problem-solving,
>communication skills, personal discipline and responsibility,
>collaboration, and teamwork - universally recognized skills for the
>future.
>- Studying the arts balances education through experiences
>fostering the creative imagination with experiences using logic and
>analysis.
>- Sarasota is known as the 'County of the Arts' and we are proud
>of the significant impact of the arts on our economy. We must
>have an education system which reflects the prevailing cultural
>values of our community.
>
>Our goal is to join with the Sarasota County School System to
>provide the best, balanced, fiscally responsible education for all
>our students."
>
>Copyright Sarasota County Arts Council, Sarasota, Florida.
>All rights reserved.
>
>-----
>The statement above was developed by the Community/Schools
>Partnership for the Arts of Sarasota County, Florida, or C/SPA.
>This organization consists of arts organizations in Sarasota County,
>including the Asolo Theater Company, the Florida West Coast
>Symphony, the John and Mable Ringling Museum, and the
>Sarasota Ballet. Teachers, school district administrators, parents,
>students, and community foundations are also part of C/SPA.
>
>The Community/Schools Partnership for the Arts was founded in 1995,
>when the Sarasota County School District eliminated almost all of its
>arts teachers. Using a three-point plan, the group worked to
>successfully restore arts education programs.
>
>1) TAKE A PROACTIVE STANCE
>Instead of defending the existing arts program or trying to restore
>the arts program to its pre-budget cut status, C/SPA started at
>ground level. C/SPA members envisioned a new arts program
>achieving new goals, and they enlisted the assistance of the school
>administration in creating the arts program.
>
>Despite early setbacks in dealing with the school administration,
>C/SPA remained positive, persistent, and united. Eventually
>a true partnership was established. Although struggles persisted,
>there were more arts teachers and more arts course offerings in the
>Sarasota County School District in 1999 than before the budget
>cuts in 1995.
>
>2) CREATE AND FOLLOW A MISSION STATEMENT
>C/SPA members spent a great deal of time discussing, drafting,
>and revising a mission statement. (Their statement is called THE
>MESSAGE and is featured at the beginning of this article.)
>
>After all members of C/SPA voiced their opinions, they developed a
>concise, easily understood "Message" that the public and school
>officials could comprehend. This "Message" served to guide all
>actions and decisions of C/SPA. Surprisingly, the goals stated in the
>final draft of the "Message" were very different from those in the
>first draft. Through discussion and revision, points that at first
>seemed insignificant became important, and other goals became less
>relevant.
>
>3) MAKE ARTS EDUCATION THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
>SCHOOL DISTRICT
>The arts organizations in C/SPA agreed to assist and augment the arts
>education program of the Sarasota County School District only if the
>school students received regular arts education from teachers
>certified in the arts. C/SPA would not opt for a quick fix, and their
>decision held true to their mission statement or "Message."
>
>----
>
>Of course, the three principles above did not, by themselves,
>restore arts education to Sarasota County. The efforts and
>achievements of the Community/School Partnership for the Arts
>(C/SPA) required a great deal of organization, cooperation, and
>action. Many "movers and shakers" in the community shared their
>expertise and power. A local movie theater showed slides before
>movies promoting the school arts program. At a performance of
>the Florida West Coast Symphony, all the musicians who began
>studying music in the public schools were asked to exit, and only
>two musicians remained on stage.
>
>In the federal study "Gaining the Arts Advantage," the school
>districts with the strongest arts programs typically have a great deal
>of community involvement and support for those programs. The
>circumstances that surround each community, school district, and arts
>program are unique. However, Sarasota County, Florida sets an example
>of successful community support for a school arts program.
>
>Sources:
>"Back from the Brink: The Community's Perspective" by Bruce E.
>Rodgers. Published in "Teaching Music," February 1999, pp. 40-
>42, 62.
>
>"Gaining the Arts Advantage" from the Presidents' Committee on
>the Arts and Humanities. www.pcah.gov
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>To subscribe, send a blank message to whymusic-on@-----.com

Bill Hausmann bhausmann1@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://homepages.go.com/~zoot14/zoot14.html
Essexville, MI 48732 ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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