As we all face the consequences of a pandemic, standing up to make sure every student receives an arts education is more important than ever. From ensuring our students’ well-being to the future of our economy, the arts are essential.
Do you want to know the best way to advocate for arts education? Then attend a webinar hosted by the California Alliance for Arts Education and Arts for LA on May 27th at 10:30am to learn all the basics!
You will learn to engage with school board members, respond to proposed budget cuts, and amplify the voices of students you know.
Click here to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/8015881040102/WN_LREwMM5dRf6oIKbDhJlh7Q
February 15, 2019
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SACRAMENTO — California State PTA is pleased to announce that Rylee Stier has been selected as the 2020-2021 National PTA Reflections Theme Search Contest winner! Rylee is a 1st grade student from Thirteenth District PTA, which covers Butte, Shasta, Tehama and Trinity counties. Rylee’s submission, “I Matter Because…” was selected from nearly 100 student submissions across 21 states.
“We could not be more proud of Rylee and all the students who participate in both the Reflections art program and the Reflections theme search. Thirteenth District PTA has been affected by recent wildfires that devastated the area, and this is a wonderful achievement for the community and for the entire state of California,” said California State PTA President Dianna MacDonald.
National PTA’s Reflections art program engages nearly 300,000 students and their families in arts education activities each year by encouraging students to explore the arts for fun and recognition. Students from pre-K through high school submit works of art in six categories: dance choreography, literature, photography, film production, music composition and visual arts.
As the National PTA Theme Search Contest winner, Rylee will receive $100 from National PTA and recognition in their 2019 Awards & Reflections Celebration program at their annual convention. Congratulations to Rylee for selecting the Reflections 2020-2021 theme!
October 24, 2018
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Demand Arts Education for All Students
Every student has the right to a dynamic, creative education, and California Education Code requires it. Yet 88 percent of California schools are failing to meet this standard. This. Must. Change. That’s why California State PTA joined forces with Create CA to launch one of the most impactful public will campaigns for the arts in recent history to demand arts education for all students. See the campaign.
Simply put – creativity is not optional! The goal of the campaign is to spark a movement with the public, parents, educators, artists and policy makers to demand a comprehensive, sequential arts curriculum for all children in grades K-12.
“At California State PTA, we know the arts are essential to a quality education, and we are extremely proud to be part of this important arts equity movement,” said California State PTA President Dianna MacDonald.
California State PTA is a founding organizational partner of Create CA alongside the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Arts Council, the California Alliance for Arts Education and the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association. The campaign is spearheaded by Create CA with creative concepts led by Josi Sergant with TaskForce, a Los Angeles based creative agency that collaborates with the most influential non-profits, brands and people taking on the most pressing challenges facing our state, our nation and our world. The campaign is also supported by LA County Arts Commission and the Alameda County Office of Education’s Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership.
The campaign brings awareness to demand a quality education for every student in California, and is currently building a base of engaging, passionate people – on the local level – across the state. Join California’s movement for arts education. Sign up at www.createca.org.
The California Education Code requires it, but what should students be receiving in arts education at each grade level? California State PTA – in partnership with Create CA – is pleased to launch the newly revised Parents’ Guide to Arts Education in California Public Schools.
This reader-friendly guide provides an overview of what children across the state should learn in the arts disciplines of dance, music, theatre and the visual arts by the end of each grade level.
The Parents’ Guide to the Visual and Performing Arts in California Public Schools was created with parents, guardians and families of students in the California public school system in mind. By using the guide, they show that all students – not just the talented – should have the opportunity to express their unique individuality through creating and learning in and through the arts.
“As a parent myself, I know for a fact that the arts matter. Arts education is so crucial to a well-rounded, comprehensive education for all students,” said former California State PTA President Dianna MacDonald. “I am proud to be a part of an organization that works hard to make sure parents’ voices are heard loud and clear in support of the arts.”
California State PTA has a long history of advocating for a complete education that includes the arts for every child. In 2017, California State PTA adopted the “Declaration of the Rights of All Students to Equity in Arts Learning” to reaffirm its commitment to a full curriculum that includes the arts.
PTA connects families, schools and communities and strives to positively impact the lives of all children and families. For more information on arts education efforts and to download the Parents’ Guide to Arts Education in California Public Schools, click here.
DOWNLOAD THE FULL GUIDE – English
DOWNLOAD THE FULL GUIDE – Spanish
DOWNLOAD THE FULL GUIDE – Chinese
PARENTS’ GUIDE TO ARTS EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
California State PTA in partnership with Create CA is pleased to launch the newly revised Parents’ Guide to Arts Education in California Public Schools. This guide provides an overview of what your child will learn in the arts disciplines of dance, music, theatre and the visual arts by the end of each grade level.
By asking about the arts program at your child’s school, you are showing your interest in all students, not just the “talented,” having the opportunity to express their unique individuality through creating and learning in and through the arts.
The information is grouped into four sections:
Download the full guide here:
ENGLISH SPANISH CHINESE
EXPLORE
- A snapshot of your child as they experience the arts in their classroom at each grade level.
- A few key examples of what is typically taught in dance, music, theatre and the visual arts at each grade level to use as a starting point in talking to
your child’s teacher.
- Questions to ask the teacher about your child’s progress in arts learning and about the school’s arts program.
- Ideas for what you can do to help your child learn in the arts at school, at home and in the community.
- If you are interested in expanding or improving the visual and performing arts program at your child’s school, key resources for getting started are provided.
The arts learning examples in this guide are based on the Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools, the California Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards and the National Core Arts Standards. While standards in every subject area are revised over the years, if your child is being provided with the type of arts content suggested here in each grade, he or she will be well prepared for learning in the arts in each grade level.
“California State PTA is excited to provide this arts curriculum guide for parents and education advocates across California. In partnership with CREATE CA, California State PTA has put together a simple, easy-to-read guide of the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Standards by grade level. This guide, in conjunction
with the California Arts Education Data Project, will give parents and education advocates a snapshot of how a full arts curriculum advances student success socially, emotionally and academically.” – Celia Jaffe, President, California State PTA
California State PTA adopted the Declaration of the Rights of All Students to Equity in Arts Learning to reaffirm its commitment to a full curriculum that includes the arts. California State PTA connects families, schools and communities and is the nation’s largest volunteer child-advocacy association working to improve the education, health and welfare of all children with the motto “every child, one voice.”
“Parents know, the arts matter. Arts learning is an essential part of a comprehensive education for all students,” said 2015-2017 California State PTA President Justine Fischer. “And California State PTA will continue our work to make sure the vital voice of parents is heard — loud and clear — in support of the arts.”
DOWNLOAD THE Declaration
Help spread the word about the California Arts-Education Data Project with these tools:
This new roadmap from createCA and the California Department of Education helps you evaluate your arts-education data and take action to strengthen your district’s arts education program and course offerings.
This free resource includes checklists, rubrics, questions and sample plans to help your school district strengthen arts education. Download and share today!
Successful arts education programs share basic key elements and are responsive to and reflective of their community. The time is now to encourage your school district to look at arts education as a significant strategy to address student engagement and achievement in California schools. Download, print and share this great resource with parents, families, administrators and your school community.
Download the flier – available in English and Spanish.