Proposition 28 is in its second year of implementation- and school districts STILL need arts teachers
What colleges and universities can do
1. Work with LEA partners.
Districts cannot find the needed arts teachers. Work with them to develop residency programs. Work with them to determine in which arts areas they have the greatest need and develop the arts credential program that responds to those needs.
2. Work within your institution.
The arts knowledge and the credential knowledge may reside in different schools or colleges. Since dance and theatre credentials did not exist for 43 years, faculty in those departments may know little about the credentialing process. Likewise, education faculty may know little about the arts disciplines. Building bridges between education and arts departments will help to create a pathway from undergraduate to credential program.
3. Work with neighboring institutions.
Arts credentials are in the category of “low incidence” credentials, simply meaning there are fewer issued. Since enrollment is important, consider meeting with other IHEs in your region to determine who has the expertise to offer one arts credential. Consider deciding who will offer which credential, so that the market is not flooded with programs.
4. Multiple subject and supplemental authorizations
Educate advisors to counsel students in the Liberal Studies track about the necessary classes they could take as an undergraduate so that they can have a supplemental authorization when they receive their multiple subject credential. They are then authorized to teach that arts area up to grade 9. The requirements are found at CTC’s Supplementary Authorizations page.
5. Consider online programs for arts and other low incidence areas.
Online programs allow enrollment from a larger region and will help increase numbers. It also provides access to students who may not live with driving distance of an IHE, or whose family obligations and fieldwork requirements make transportation to campus challenging and expensive.
This content is update to the 2023 version of Thanks to Proposition 28 School Districts Need Art Teachers (PDF). Author Dr. Eric Engdahl has served the field of arts education in many capacities including on the advisory committees that developed the arts education standards and frameworks at the CDE, as part of the expert panels that developed the theatre credential with the CTC, and most recently leading the establishment of California’s first theatre and dance credential program at CSU East Bay.
