Urbanowski: Working together for arts education

Proposition 28, the Arts and Music in Schools Act, was passed by voters across our state in November 2022 and aims to enhance arts and music education by providing dedicated funding for related programs in K-12 public schools.

As the first statewide initiative focused on this area, Proposition 28 takes a significant step toward addressing longstanding disparities in arts education access. The measure allocates a portion of the state’s general fund — estimated at approximately $1 billion annually — to ensure schools can implement robust arts curricula.

The potential impact of this legislation on students, educators and communities across California is to be celebrated. Research has shown arts education can significantly enhance student engagement, creativity and academic performance. Exposure to the arts fosters critical thinking and collaboration skills, which are invaluable in today’s increasingly interdisciplinary world.

Arts education is also vital for fostering cultural awareness and community engagement. By integrating local artists and cultural practices into the curriculum, the proposition seeks to build a sense of identity and pride within communities, enhancing students’ connection to their heritage and the world around them.

Historically, access to arts programs has been uneven, with underfunded schools in low-income areas often lacking adequate resources. Proposition 28’s financial boost aims to alleviate budget constraints that often limit access to these essential programs.

In the past, these gaps have often been filled by nonprofit arts groups bringing programming to low-income schools using private funding or local government resources. As a result, arts groups have built strong working relationships with local schools and school districts. These relationships can be leveraged in the development of effective Proposition 28 implementation plans as each school and school district will be tasked with creating a plan customized to the needs of their student population.

Determining the initial implementation plan presents a number of significant challenges to our schools and local arts organizations.

A particular challenge is the lack of accredited arts teachers and teaching artists in our state. We do not have a workforce pipeline to meet the need for teaching artists and art instructors, and the Proposition 28 legislation does not currently provide adequate funds for administration and training. This means we will need amended legislation, trailer bills or private resources to ensure we have the workforce equipped to deliver high-quality arts education. Arts organizations will likely need to step in to support both the recruitment of teaching artists and their professional development once they are hired.

That’s why last month SVCreates, in collaboration with the Santa Clara County Office of Education, launched a series of webinars and conversations aimed at exploring how arts leaders, school administrators, teaching artists and educators can leverage Proposition 28 to enhance arts education in our local community.

As the state moves forward with the implementation of this initiative, its success will depend on effective allocation of funds, community involvement and ongoing support for educators and teaching artists at the local level. Collaboration between arts organizations, the county office of education and our local schools will be critical.

Alexandra Urbanowski is CEO of SV Creates, the state and county designated arts service organization and local arts agency for Santa Clara County. She serves on the leadership committee for the California Coalition of County Art Agencies and is vice chair of the board at the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Her columns appear every first Wednesday of the month. Contact Alexandra at [email protected].