ARTS SUBCOMMITTEE
January/February 2023
E-Report
See full contact information about the CISC/ Arts Subcommittee Members
Explore this Report by Region: Region 1, Humboldt; Region 2, Butte; Region 3, Sacramento; Region 4, Alameda; Region 5, Santa Clara, Region 6, Stanislaus; Region 7, Fresno and Tulare; Region 8, Ventura; Region 9, San Diego; Region 10, Riverside; Region 11, Los Angeles
California County Superintendents Arts Initiative
Regional Highlights
Submitted by the Regional Arts Leads of the CISC/Arts Subcommittee
For more information on items found in this section, see the contact list for the Regional and County Arts Leads.
REGION 1
Humboldt County Office of Education
Stacy Young, Regional County Arts Lead
Humboldt County Office of Education
By: Bill Funkhouser, Arts Learning Specialist, Humboldt County Office of Education
January was an exciting time for the arts in Humboldt County! Arts integration trainer Melanie Rick of Focus 5, Inc. visited 19 classrooms to model “Reading Art” lessons in classrooms of teachers participating in the ArtSEL initiative, a five-year grant from the federal government working to integrate the arts with social-emotional learning. These lessons ranged from reading art about George Washington Carver in transitional kindergarten classrooms to learning about kelp forest ecosystems in high school classrooms. After five days of class visitations, Melanie helped lead an all-day workshop in which participants created artworks based on Christianne Kromer’s illustrations of emotion from the book Anh’s Anger by Gail Silver. Participants in this workshop explored how the concept of “awareness”, meaning “noticing what’s going on in and around us, so we can make a choice” is the ideal mindset both for social-emotional learning and artmaking. This lesson is available online at www.artsel.org/emotion-creature.html
Data collection remains a priority for ArtSEL during February as part of our ongoing research into the impact of the arts instruction on students’ creative capacity. All of the 4th and 5th grade students participating in ArtSEL as well as many control classrooms took a comprehensive survey of their perception of creativity skills such as envisioning, collaboration, curiosity, evaluation, revision, and persistence. This survey will be repeated throughout the duration of the grant to evaluate the project’s effectiveness and document the effect of this focus on creativity skills.
The Humboldt County Office of Education is proud to present an exhibition of visual and performing arts at the Morris Graves Museum of Art, and this year’s 8th “Youth Arts Festival” promises to be a real treat. Over 200 artworks from 15 Humboldt schools will be on display throughout the month of March and you won’t want to miss the opening live youth performances from noon to 4 PM on Saturday, March 4th. Take advantage of this opportunity to immerse yourself in the vibrant world of the visual and performing arts created by local youth! The Morris Graves Museum of Art is located at 636 F Street in downtown Eureka.
REGION 2
Butte County Office of Education
Jennifer Spangler, Regional County Arts Lead
Butte County Office of Education
Any Given Child: Butte County Attends National Exchange at Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC was the site of the annual Any Given Child national arts education conference attended by Jennifer Spangler, BCOE Arts Education Coordinator and Kimberly Solano, Principal of Palermo Middle School on January 30 and 31. As members of the Any Given Child: Butte County Community Arts Team they represented Butte County’s local collective impact initiative, which is the newest Any Given Child site in the U.S.
Plenary sessions at the conference included Arts Education Data for Collective Impact, Cross Sector Collaboration to Strengthen Collective Impact, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Arts Integration, plus workshops on teaching artist residency model programs and fundamentals of arts integration.
Superintendent’s High School Art Show and Awards Reception Held at Chico State
The Butte County Office of Education (BCOE) hosted it’s 9th annual Superintendent’s High School Art Show and returned to an in-person awards ceremony for the first time since 2020. The student art exhibit ran for two weeks with an awards ceremony on February 16th at a Chico State art gallery located in its Arts and Humanities building, with a live performance by the Chico High School jazz ensemble. Each Butte County high school art teacher is invited to submit up to five student works for the art show, sponsored by the BCOE Visual and Performing Arts Program with funding from the California County Superintendents’ Arts Initiative. This year, there were 99 submissions, each judged by a three-member panel that awarded 1st, 2nd, 3rd place and an honorable mention award in three categories: Demonstrated Skill in a Medium, Evidence of Innovation, and Emphasis on Exploration, and a Best in Show award. A record number of students, parents, and teachers attended the awards reception. Awards were in the form of a red leatherette folio containing a sketchbook and drawing pencils inscribed with the student’s name and award. Winning artworks are posted at the bcoe.org
Shasta County Office of Education
Shasta County Arts Focus Group Meets Virtually
Shasta County Arts Lead, Trudy Pellizzari held this school year’s third Arts Education Focus Group Meeting on February 9th for arts educators in Shasta County. Held quarterly, the meetings provide an opportunity to exchange updates and learn about new resources. Regional Arts lead Jennifer Spangler provided an update on a prospective regional arts education conference and the new infographics on the Arts Framework that are being developed and will be added to the arts framework resource hub https://www.calartsedframework.org. Pellizzari provided an update on the annual Shasta COE student art showcase to be held in March during Youth Arts Month.
REGION 3
Sacramento County Office of Education
Dr. L. Steven Winlock, Regional Arts Lead
Sacramento County Office of Education
REPORT PENDING
REGION 4
Alameda County Office of Education
Bernie Phelan, Regional Arts Lead
Alameda County Office of Education
Trauma Informed Healing Through the Arts
September 2022 through February 2023, ACOE hosted this four-part series at the Chabot Space and Science Center, facilitated by Dr. Anne MacFarland and Dr. Lisa Kay. Twenty-four participants represented all grade levels, social workers, teachers, special education, and district staff. Together they dedicated a full day of learning to key elements, approaches, and practical guidelines for therapeutic art education with students who have experienced adverse childhood experiences and trauma. The in-person session was followed up with 3 virtual check-ins for discussion and lesson review. See more pictures from this event here.
Media Producer Fellowship: Futures We Dream
Alameda County Office of Education and Arts2Work have filled 10 positions with creative students looking to explore storytelling and media arts as a career. In this Fellowship, students will create their own 1-2 minute short videos around the theme of Futures We Dream, inspired by the Smithsonian FUTURES exhibition currently on view in Washington, DC.
Arts as Life!
On February 1st, 2023 Arts as Life! opened for its second year in a row for all K-12 teachers, administration, staff, and counselors, and was produced in partnership with San Mateo COE, Alameda COE, Stanford Live, Young Audiences of Northern California, San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture, Santa Clara COE, Riverside COE, and KQED. This day-long, immersive experience included 36 workshops, Myles Bess (Producer and host of KQED’s “Above the Noise”) as keynote, Poet Laureate performances, and over 300 attendees from across the state that included both teachers and students.
Trades Week
The Alameda County Office of Education, in collaboration with Earn & Learn and Idea Builder Labs, hosted career exploration sessions for over 60 participants focused on Skilled Trades and Manufacturing. Three, one-hour virtual sessions included information on community college pathways, unions, and the future of the construction industry for students; as well as showcase opportunities to train and learn in the bay area. Professionals spoke about their journey and work, giving a better understanding of the impact Trades and Manufacturing has in our lives and communities.
To enhance the virtual experience of Trades Week, we employed the
use of a special tool called Matterport that creates a 3D scan of physical environments. These scans were paired with a step by step virtual tour of the panelist’s facilities so that students will be able to see where they work in a unique 3D experience.
REGION 5
Santa Clara County Office of Education
Sofia Fojas, Regional Arts Lead
Santa Clara County Office of Education
Artspiration News
Art and Math Integration Workshops
A fun time was had by all in the integration of art and math. We met on two different days: January 26 with K-4 teachers in a 2nd grade lesson on circles and Kandinsky and February 2 with teachers 5-8 in a lesson on composite figure compositions. Arts integration is teaching the arts where it is co-equal with another content area.
- And in February, Artspiration co-produced ‘Arts As Life’ with other County Offices.
- There were several opportunities to speak to educators and municipal agencies about Proposition 28 with State and Federal, Assistant Superintendents Meeting and with Tom Decaigny, CreateCA and the SJ Arts Commission.
Monterey County Office of Education
The Annual Math Festival
The Annual Math Festival that took place on February 25, 2023 had an amazing turnout. There was an art contest in addition to math games that involve the arts. Following are some pictures of the event.
CISC 2023 Conference
Local students showcased their talents at the recent Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee (CISC) 2023 conference. Alisal School District Mariachi and Folkloric Dance groups presented. Students from the Virtual Academy presented a mini musical. Following are some pictures
(Picture 1: Alisal School District Mariachi, Picture 2: Folkloric Dance, Picture 3: Virtual Academy)
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Poetry Out Loud
Please congratulate our Santa Cruz County Winner: Tashi Liem.
Tashi will be moving on to the State Poetry Out Loud Event on March 18-20, 2023
Santa Cruz Poetry Out Loud is unique in that we have a strong partnership with the Arts Council Santa Cruz, Bookshop Santa Cruz, PVUSD Migrant Education and Activities 4 All who provide beautiful Mariachi music between students who are reciting poetry in English. This allows us to highlight poetry and music in Spanish and other languages such as Arabic and Mixteco.
(Picture 1: Tashi Liem)
San Benito County Office of Education
The San Benito County Office of Education held a workshop on March 1st. to share pertinent information about Prop 28. We had a great turn out with all of our big districts in attendance. We are offering additional support and meeting times for our rural schools.
Arts Education coach Peggy Burt discussed the estimated annual funding for each school site, defined best practices, and supported LEAs in identifying action steps to utilize funding provided through Proposition 28 and the Instructional Materials Grant. The outcomes for the workshop were to:
· Learn about opportunities and requirements for Prop 28 Funding
· Work with your district team to develop consensus around best approach
· Develop an action plan to roll out staffing and equipment needs for Prop 28 implementation.
On-going Coaching will be provided in two follow-up virtual interactive workshops in late March and April, as well as an in-person strategic planning session in June.
REGION 6
Stanislaus County Office of Education
Amy Bultena, Regional Arts Lead
Stanislaus County Office of Education
- Stanislaus COE sent out a January and February Arts Newsletter
- Stanislaus COE had a Prop 28 meeting with Stanislaus Curriculum Program Directors
- Stanislaus COE had a Prop 28 meeting with CBOs of Stanislaus County
- Stanislaus COE had a Prop 28 meeting with local community arts organizations
- Stanislaus COE had a Prop 28 meeting with local higher education institutions
Stanislaus COE offered the following workshops:
- Stanislaus SEL Art Workshop x 3
- Art for Wellness in Oakdale USD x 2
- Hands On Art at Stanislaus Military Academy x 2
- Hands On Art at Stanislaus Tactical Charter Academy x2
- Hands On Art at PACE x2
- Hands On Art at Stanislaus County Juvenile Hall x2
- Transitional Kindergarten Arts Integration Workshop
- Arts Standards and Framework for Visual Art and Music Teachers Workshop
- Arts Education Leadership Team Meeting
- Spring Thing Arts Integration Workshop
- 5th Grade Visual Art and STEM Integration Workshop
- 4th Grade Visual Art and STEM Integration Workshop
- Sketchnotes Workshop
REGION 7
Tulare County Office of Education & Fresno County Superintendent of Schools
Kate Stover & Aaron Bryan, Regional Arts Co-Leads
All across Region 7 students are experiencing high quality arts education opportunities!
In January and February, both the Fresno-Madera County Music Educators Association (FMCMEA) and the Tulare-Kings Music Educators Association (TKMEA) hosted their honor ensembles performances:
FMCMEA Honor Ensembles:
- Intermediate SAB Choir conducted by Mel Carillo (Redwood High School, Visalia USD)
- High School SATB conducted by Ángel Vásquez-Ramos (CSU Bakersfield)
- Intermediate Band conducted by John Burn (Homestead High School, Fremont UHSD)
- High School Band conducted by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Andres Navarro (U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band)
- Intermediate Orchestra conducted by Richard Martinez (Fresno USD)
- High School Orchestra conducted by Rei Hotoda (conductor, The Fresno Philharmonic)
TKMEA Honor Ensembles:
- Middle School Honor Choir conducted by Jen McGill (Hanford High School, Hanford JUHSD)
- High School Honor Choir conducted by Ron Kean (Professor Emeritus, Bakersfield College)
- Middle School Orchestra conducted by Amy McGuire (Panama-Buena Vista Union SD)
- High School Orchestra conducted by Jim Mazzaferro (CSU Sacramento)
- Middle School Band conducted by Elisha Wells (Fresno City College)
- High School Band
The California All-State Music Education Conference returned to Fresno in February!
Thousands of music teachers, students, administrators, parents, exhibitors, and supporters flood into downtown Fresno for CASMEC 2023, the annual all-state music education conference hosted by the California Music Educators Association. Over the course of 5 days, attendees participated in breakout sessions, master classes from colleagues from across the state, observed honor ensemble rehearsals led by some of the nation’s premier music educators, and felt the power of music education through performances from elementary, intermediate, high school, and collegiate ensembles from all across the state! Region 7 was proud to play host to this annual convening once again!
REGION 8
Ventura County Office of Education
Lisa Salas Brown & Brett Taylor, Regional Arts Co-Leads
Ventura County Office of Education
The Visual and Performing Arts Network met on January 31st. Six Ventura County District’s participated, including Conejo Valley Unified, Santa Paula Unified, Moorpark, Oxnard Union, and Hueneme. Several Topics were discussed such as Upcoming Local District Arts Events and Initiatives. Cal Arts Educational Frameworks, Prop 28, Strategic Planning, and Connecting VAPA to the LCAP. Brett Taylor has surveyed each district and charter to determine the lead representatives, so hopefully this network continues to grow. Brett is working with the local arts museums and performing arts centers to be guest members of the local network.
On February 7th Kai and Brett met on discussions such as, SBCOE and VCOE, Inter-County VAPA Collaboration opportunities, including, Equity Conference Art Displays (March 7th VCOE), VAPA Scholarships for SBCOE/VCOE students, field trips, workshop facilitations, inter-county art competitions, and facilities use.
The State and Federal VCOE Team has also shared the advocacy opportunities to support the Arts with the block grant. Tools and resources have been shared with all district and charter leads aligned to accountability and instructional services.
Kern County Office of Education
Kern County offers various Visual and Performing Arts Events for more information see booklet – 2022-23 Kern County Superintendent of Schools. Jamie Viveros has been in contact via email, we are working on a time when all can meet via Zoom or in-person. Jamie integrates the arts in STEAM work as a Science Coordinator for the county.
Santa Barbara County Office of Education
On February 7th Kai and Brett met to discuss SBCOE and VCOE, Inter-County VAPA Collaboration opportunities, including, Equity Conference Art Displays (March 7th VCOE), VAPA Scholarships for SBCOE/VCOE students, field trips, inter-county art competitions, and facilities use.
San Luis Obispo County Office of Education
Currently waiting for a contact person at SLO. Brent Moser has retired and the hope is that he will continue as a support provider part-time for https://www.slocoearts.org/
REGION 9
San Diego County Office of Education
Pauline Crooks, Regional Arts Lead
Orange County Department of Education
Dr. Maria Rosario-Jackson, Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, was the 13th Annual Creative Edge Lecture speaker on Tuesday, February 7, at 10 am in the Irvine Barclay Theatre. Dr. Jackson is our Federal government’s highest arts official, appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
OCMAA (Orange County Music and Arts Administrators) – Each month OCDE facilitates in-person meetings with district arts educational leaders and arts organizations. Our focus this year is on Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching and connections are drawn to our new Arts Framework and VAPA Standards. In March, we met with Chapman University and enjoyed discussing how we can all work together in raising awareness of arts credentialing programs students access.
In February, we engaged in strategic planning with a wonderful session hosted by the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Institutions of Higher Education, Community Arts Partners and district arts leaders from across Orange County had a wonderful discussion and continued revising our new draft plan.
We held our annual OCMAA Awards ceremony at the Samueli Theatre at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in February. It was a great night for our community to celebrate teachers, administrators and advocates.
Arts Now Communities
OCDE is partnering with CreateCA and Arts Orange County to bring the Arts Now Communities program to Orange County. This is a great opportunity for community members to partner with their local school districts to support arts education. In January this network met to discuss ways that the arts can support the 8 state priorities in district LCAP plans. If you would like more information, please contact Shanin Ziemer at ArtsNow.Shanin@gmail.com.
Arts Organization Education Departments
Each month OCDE hosts collaborative meetings with arts organization education and community outreach departments to support strategic arts partnerships. In January, this group met with representatives from the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District. In February, this group met with representatives from the Anaheim Elementary School District and the Anaheim Union High School District. Great conversations were had about sustainable and relevant arts partnerships and we look forward to great things happening for students as a result!
San Diego County Office of Education
Arts and Music Collab!
Presented in Partnership, UC San Diego Extension at Park and Market, San Diego County Office of Education, and San Diego Unified School District, a Focus on Post-Secondary Education was held on Friday, January 13th. Leaders representing the majority of post-secondary institutions in the county assembled at SDCOE in order to explore the implications of Proposition 28 and brainstorm ways to support implementation.
February 8, 2023 the next event in the Arts and Music Collab! Signature Series, which will guide potential teachers through the process of becoming credentialed and ready to launch their careers in arts education, was held. Presented in Partnership, UC San Diego Extension at Park and Market, San Diego County Office of Education, and San Diego Unified School District, this event focused on Teaching Artists began with student performers who participated in masterclasses with arts educators as well as an address from award-winning screenwriter, actor, director, producer, sketch comedian, author, playwright, coach and national speaker Rick Najera. The afternoon began with a networking event, followed by a series of professional learning sessions on What Is A Teaching Artist?, Equity in The Arts, and Teaching Artist needs for UC San Diego. The event concluded with a panel discussion on the future of arts education and pathways into the profession.
REGION 10
Riverside County Office of Education
Louisa Higgins, Regional Arts Lead
Riverside County Office of Education
The Arts at RCOE had a busy month in January. Highlights include:
Prop 28 Bootcamp- Co-hosted with Peggy Burt, it had 75 attendees from 16 districts.
Arts and SEL Workshop- 29 teachers attended this workshop presented by Liz Grebler.
The Get Your Style On Fashion and Art Competition wrapped up.
Jeannine Flores and Louisa Higgins presented the Module 12: Leadership in Arts Education webinar as well as presenting at the San Diego COE Equity Conference.
The excitement continued in February, with 4 more featured events:
Instructional Materials Fair- All 3 approved arts curriculum publishers presented
Steam Workshop- for 20 teachers from all over Riverside County, presented by Nettie Roberts
Arts As Life online event-RCOE was a sponsor and provided 5 presenters, including Louisa Higgins
CA Induction Conference- Louisa Higgins presented a talk entitled “Arts Integration is a Superpower”
REGION 11
Jeannine Flores, Regional Arts Lead
Los Angeles County Office of Education
LACOE Poetry Out Loud
The 2023 Los Angeles County Poetry Out Loud event took place on February 4th at the Lineage Performing Arts Center in Pasadena. The event featured live student poet performances, certificate presentations, and the announcement of the runner-up and winner of the 2023 LA County Poetry Out Loud competition.
The LA County Poetry Out Loud competition was sponsored and presented in partnership with the Los Angeles County Office of Education, the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the California Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Thank you to the Greater LA Education Foundation, the Center for Distance and Online Learning team, and the Communications Division for their support.
Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students to learn about great classical and modern poetry through memorization and performance. Ten students, schools and organizations were represented this year. The diverse panel of judges from the entertainment and literary world are active creatives in LA County. Judging occurred asynchronously to ensure equity across the county. The judges were diligent to study and practice the judging process to ensure a valuable experience for the students. We appreciate their expertise, time, and service to our students.
The winning student, Anaiya Asomugha is a junior at the Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles. “I think just being on stage and reciting poems in front of a bunch of people is so fun, and I wanna go to more things like that,” said Asomugha. “I encourage students, even if you don’t normally do poetry, GO! Have fun, see other people, and get to know other poets like I did.” Anaiya will be competing in the state Poetry Out Loud finals virtually in March 2023. You can watch the full Los Angeles county competition here and more information about LA’s Poetry Out Loud can be found at https://poetryoutloud.lacoe.edu/. You can read the Press Release here.
(Photo 1: LA County Poetry Out Loud Student Poets, Photo 2: Anaiya Asomugha, LA County Poetry Out Loud Winner)
(Photos courtesy of Center for Distance and Online Learning)
Prop 28 Planning Boot Camp Highlights
On February 10th, 30 district teams convened to learn about arts education funding and began a planning process. The event was held in the Conference Center at the Los Angeles County Office of Education in Downey. Create CA’s Deputy Director of Policy and Programs, Abe Flores, presented the current understanding of arts education funding and provided statewide context. Peggy Burt, LACOE Arts Education Consultant, led districts through an action planning process. Jeannine Flores, Arts & STEAM Coordinator, framed the work and spoke to the need to start planning now. Districts left with next steps, a map to share with their district team, and resources. The event was co-hosted by the Los Angeles County Office of Education Center for Distance and Online Learning and Create CA.
CISC/ARTS SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS
Curricular and Improvement Support (CISC) Arts Subcommittee
Jeanette Spencer, Chair
Senior Advisor for District Support & Educational Leadership, Butte COE
Email: jspencer@bcoe.org
California County Superintendents Arts Initiative
Letty Kraus, Director
Email: lkraus@cacountysupts.org
| REGION 1 Arts Lead Stacy Young, Humboldt COE syoung@hcoe.org |
REGION 2 Arts Lead Jennifer Spangler, Butte COE jspangler@bcoe.org |
REGION 3 Arts Lead Dr. L. Steven Winlock, Sacramento COE swinlock@scoe.net |
REGION 4 Arts Lead Bernie Phelan, Alameda COE bphelan@acoe.org |
REGION 5 Arts Lead Sofia Fojas, Santa Clara COE sfojas@sccoe.org |
REGION 6 Arts Lead Amy Bultena, Stanislaus COE abultena@stancoe.org |
REGION 7 Arts Co-Lead Aaron Bryan, Fresno CSS abryan@fcss.org |
REGION 7 Arts Co-Lead Kate Stover, Tulare COE kate.stover@tcoe.org |
REGION 8 Arts Co-Lead Brett Taylor, Ventura COE btaylor@vcoe.org |
REGION 8 Arts Co-Lead Lisa Salas Brown, Ventura COE lsbrown@vcoe.org |
| REGION 9 Arts Lead Pauline Crooks, San Diego COE pcrooks@sdcoe.net |
REGION 10 Arts Lead Louisa Higgins, Riverside COE lhiggins@rcoe.us |
REGION 11 Arts Lead Jeannine Flores, Los Angeles COE flores_jeannine@lacoe.edu |
CURRICULAR AND IMPROVEMENT SUPPORT COMMITTEE (CISC) GOALS
GOALS
The goals of the Curricular and Improvement Support Committee (CISC) are to provide leadership and high-quality services to school districts by:
- Supporting academic achievement and continuous improvement, with a focus on closing the achievement gap: Strengthen county office of education capacity to support districts, schools, and county programs in fully implementing State Standards and preparing for SBAC annual assessment in order to improve student achievement, with particular focus on under-served student populations, English learners, early learning, and college and career readiness.
- Developing collaborative leadership approaches that are future-focused, and responsive to changing conditions: Take steps to build strong working relationships with CDE and state leaders, with California County Superintendents Steering Committees, COE superintendents, and district leaders; seek collaborative approaches that support districts in their improvement efforts while continually building CISC’s internal leadership capacity.
- Addressing national initiatives: Provide leadership that supports California in developing and implementing plans to address federal initiatives, including Common Core Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and ESSA.
- Providing leadership for California initiatives impacting instruction and student achievement: Work in collaboration with CDE, state leaders and other key stakeholders and California County Superintendents steering committees to provide leadership in the areas of key statewide initiatives such as implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula, Local Control Plans, the Quality Schooling Framework, and other statewide initiatives.
- Providing leadership for technology-based curriculum and instruction approaches: Work in coordination with other key stakeholders and California County Superintendents steering committees to provide leadership in areas related to technology and innovation including virtual schools and courses, online professional development resources and tools, electronic textbooks, and other technology-based areas that influence and accelerate teaching and learning,
