Iowa View: Our budgets must remember arts, arts education

"...One has to wonder whether our elected leaders are willing to pass budgets that actually support and advance the arts and art education. [Two recent] studies conclude that as a nation, we have a long way to go in terms of arts accessibility and education."
Des Moines Register Letters to the Editor column, Written by SUKU RADIA, President of bankers Trust. Read more...

Report Finds Arts Education Availability Remains High

According to Education Week (4/12, Robelen), a National Center on Education Statistics report found that "over the past decade, the availability of music and visual-arts instruction-on average-has changed little, and remains high, when compared with a decade ago." Jared Coopersmith, a project officer at the NCES, said, "Generally, what we really found is there is no consistent trend of decline in arts education in public schools." However, "the data offer a complicated-and sometimes conflicting-narrative of the changes in arts access in public schools, with some ups, some downs, and some maintenance of the status quo." Additionally, "disparities persist in access to arts education for impoverished students." Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in prepared remarks, "The good news is that the last decade has not generally produced a dramatic narrowing of the curriculum in the arts," adding, "But there is considerable bad news in today's report, too-and especially for disadvantaged students."

Marching Band Goal

This change of the guard in Norway includes Thriller and perhaps can inspire an Iowa marching band choreographer...
Watch the video...

Disabled Students Getting Intervention Early

The PBS News Hour is doing a series on American education. If you missed this segment about a school that successfully engages learning disabled students early, take a look. The techniques, including music, technology, and full inclusion with appropriate assistance are probably being done in your school already.  Engaging Students with Learning Disabilities Early On

Iowa Arts Education Month Proclamation 2012

Share the Proclamation of March 2012 as Iowa Arts Education Month with your students, school board, administrators, PTA, and friends. Governor Terry Branstad signed the Proclamation last week in the presence of several Arts supporters. Members of the IAAE Executive and Advisory Boards were on hand.
Celebrate!

Fine Arts and the Iowa Core: February 2012

“This proposal also would work to expand the Iowa Core into other areas that have been neglected for too long, such as music and other fine arts, foreign languages, entrepreneurial education, physical education, applied arts, and character education. “

This statement from the Brandstad-Reynolds “Administrative Recommendations for World-Class Schools” is the culmination of several years of dedicated work by many fine arts educators from the state of Iowa. The following article by IAAE Board Member Leon Kuehner will give a brief history of the fine arts involvement of the Iowa Core process. Read More...

STEM to STEAM

If you received the IAAE newsletter this week, you have links to several videos and articles about the initiative to add the Arts to the Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics education initiative. If not, visit our Advocacy page...