Of the 60 districts within the county that participated in a recent survey, more than a third have developed an overall arts education policy, and a similar number of school boards are either working on or have approved plans for carrying them out. Only 15 percent of districts, however, have met the Arts for All budget goal and only 12 percent have an arts coordinator. Only 10 percent have at least one credentialed arts teacher for every 400 students, and 13 percent report having no credentialed arts teacher.
Once the plan is in place, the allocation of resources — staff and funding — becomes paramount. Arts coordinators act as the liaison between district policies and individual schools, providing the necessary leadership to implement the board-adopted policy and district-wide plan.
Providing a specific allocation of district dollars annually based upon the total budget is a strong indication of the value a district places on their arts education program, according to advocates.
Teachers, trained to carry out the arts curriculum, are also a critical element to its success. An appropriate ratio of credentialed art teachers must be supported and maintained, according to advocates.
Santa Monica schools have achieved many of the county’s arts goals. The SMMUSD has an arts policy, plan and coordinator. Where programming exists, a ratio of students to art teachers of 326 to 1.
What’s lacking locally to make a permanent arts program possible is the funding shift that will allow it to flourish at the elementary school level.
To help remedy this, the SMMUSD board of education has signed off on hiring a grant writer to see to it funding sources for all grade levels are met. The grant writer — who will receive a salary of $60,000 per year — will be sponsored for a two-year period from county and district sources.
In the first year, the county will kick in $40,000 for the grant writer and the district $20,000. In the second year, the district will pay the majority $40,000 and the county $20,000.
The SMMUSD’s arts grant writer should begin working by the fall, Whaley said.
Individuals and companies in the entertainment industry chipped in to help participating districts pay for arts coordi-nators and some high-priority projects, such as the grant writers.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 24, 2005. Read the original PDF.