Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
California legislative committee probes shortcomings in arts education
Listen
• 0:53
Lawmakers, school officials, community organizers and arts educators gathered in Beverly Hills Friday afternoon to talk about why schools aren't complying with state law requiring arts education. Sen. Ben Allen, chair of the Joint Committee on the Arts, convened the hearing.
(
screengrab from CASenDems YouTube
)
Lawmakers, school officials, community organizers and arts educators gathered in Beverly Hills Friday afternoon to talk about why schools aren't complying with state law requiring arts education.
(
Priska Neely
)
Eliot Middle School students perform. The students are part of the school's arts expansion - this year Eliot added theater and dance classes.
(
Mary Plummer/KPCC
)
Lawmakers, school officials, community organizers and arts educators gathered in Beverly Hills Friday afternoon to talk about why schools aren't complying with state law requiring arts education.
Sen. Ben Allen, chair of the Joint Committee on the Arts, convened the hearing. He told the room full of administrators, educators and advocates that he was kind of nerding out over the issue.
“I’m excited about this nexus of arts and law,” he said as the crowd chuckled. “I’m sure I’m one of the very few, but here we are.”
The hearing can be viewed below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HO-_-DF4JY&feature=youtu.be&t=33m17s
Support for LAist comes from
Allen said with the state's coffers growing post-recession, it’s an ideal time to discuss arts education funding.
“We know how much the arts have struggled in a lot of our school districts and now is a good time – now that there’s finally some more money coming back into the system – to have these conversations and work with our school districts to make sure that our students aren’t being short changed,” Allen said.
California’s education code mandates art instruction for first through 12th-graders.
As KPCC has reported, few schools live up to these requirements and many are not aware that they exist.
A FIRST STEP
The hearing included testimony from more than a dozen leaders in arts education, including Southern California arts educator Carl Schafer.
Schafer was introduced as a hero at the hearing. He testified about the years he’s spent on a mission to convince schools to make the arts a priority.
“Persuasion has not worked and it will not work in the future,” Schafer said during the hearing. “The only solution is to require compliance to the education code.”
He wants lawmakers to add teeth to the law and said “it’s not done until there’s legislation introduced, passed and signed by the governor.”
Rory Pullens, head of arts education for the Los Angeles Unified School District, said awareness is key to the compliance with the law. Pullens championed the various arts initiatives in the nation’s second largest school district. He also admitted that the district has a long way to go.
“The challenges in providing access and equity in the arts could seem overwhelming, but we are artists,” said Pullens.
He hopes the artists and educators at Friday’s hearing can work together to ensure arts education for every California student.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago. -
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
Best of LAist