Education Reform Town Hall Meetings

The Governor and Lt. Governor announced that they will hold 14 education town hall meetings "continuing the discussion and soliciting feedback from Iowans on education reform policies, as part of preparation for the 2013 legislative session." 

Be the voice of your arts students at a meeting near you!


Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012 
10:30 a.m. Pocahontas County Education Reform Town Hall 
Pocahontas High School – Vocal Music Room 
205 Second Avenue NW 
Pocahontas, IA 

5:30 p.m. Kossuth County Education Reform Town Hall 
Algona High School – Theatre 
600 S. Hale 
Algona, IA 

Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012 
8:30 a.m. Hancock County Education Reform Town Hall 
Garner-Hayfield High School – Auditorium 
605 Lyon St. 
Garner, IA 

10:15 a.m. Wright County Education Reform Town Hall 
Belmond-Klemme Junior-Senior High School – Luick Auditorium 
411 10th Avenue NE 
Belmond, IA 

Noon Humboldt County Education Reform Town Hall 
Humboldt High School – Auditorium 
1500 Wildcat Road 
Humboldt, IA 

2:00 p.m. Hamilton County Education Reform Town Hall 
City Hall
400 Second St. 
Webster City, IA 

Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012 5:30 p.m. Cedar County Education Reform Town Hall 
Tipton Middle School – Gymnasium 
725 West 7th St 
Tipton, IA 

Friday, Aug. 24, 2012 
8 a.m. Jones County Education Reform Town Hall 
Lawrence Community Center 
600 E. Main St. 
Anamosa, IA 

9:30 a.m. Jackson County Education Reform Town Hall 
Maquoketa High School – Gymnasium 
600 Washington St. 
Maquoketa, IA 

1:30 p.m. Delaware County Education Reform Town Hall 
West Delaware High School – Auditorium 
605 New St. 
Manchester, IA 

Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012 
10 a.m. Wapello County Education Reform Town Hall 
Ottumwa High School – Auditorium 
501 E. 2nd St 
Ottumwa, IA 

1 p.m. Muscatine County Education Reform Town Hall 
Muscatine Community School Administration Center 
2900 Mulberry Ave. 
Muscatine, IA 

5 p.m. Polk County Education Reform Town Hall 
Stilwell Junior High – Auditorium 
1601 Vine St. 
West Des Moines, IA 

Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012 
4 p.m. Pottawattamie County Education Reform Town Hall 
Abraham Lincoln High School – Auditorium 
1205 Bonham Ave. 
Council Bluffs, IA 

Meet Sen. Dick Durbin

Arts Alliance Illinois

Did you miss Arts Alliance Illinois 2012 Members' Meeting & Reception with Senator Dick Durbin?

Catch it here on CAN TV 21 Sunday, August 19 at 5 p.m. on 21

Leadership Conference 2012

The IAAE/ Department of Education Leadership Conference 2012 was two days with the most wonderful young teachers from all disciplines and areas of Iowa.  The conference gave these emerging leaders the opportunity to involve themselves in dialog and activities. The event brought their talent for leadership to the surface, revealing the potential they have for future involvement  in their regional and state-wide disciplined-based education organizations. The young leaders in education saw the potential and placed their names forward for involvement.

Much thanks to the outstanding contribution by Leon Kuehner, IAAE; Rosanne Malek, Iowa Department of Education; Dawn Martinez Oropeza, Iowa Arts Council; and David Law, IAAE, for their wisdom and challenges all during the two days. IAAE was proud to be a sponsor of this valuable experience for emerging educational leaders.

And our thanks to Larry Brandstetter, Conference Coordinator.

Read comments by some of those young leaders...

Arts Advocacy by Luther Student

Nicole Billips is the maker of this piece about the importance of art in the classroom. A Luther College student, Nicole produced the stop-action video for her Diverse and Exceptional Learner Course. Check it out and share it: http://youtu.be/4YvYu_-78t8

Two Opportunities for your Students with Disabilities

Sustaining / Creating A National Juried Exhibition for Emerging Artists with Disabilities, ages 16-25 Deadline: July 8, 2012 Sustaining / Creating asks emerging artists to showcase work that illuminates innovative viewpoints on sustainability and contemporary creativity. Beyond its scientific definition, sustainability references notions of responsibility and stewardship of our natural world in all facets of human interaction–from the environmental to the cultural. Sustainability indicates the capacity to endure. Fifteen artists will be selected for an exhibition at the Smithsonian and will share $60,000 in cash awards. Entry deadline is July 8. Enter today!

Yo Soy…Je Suis…I am… International Art Program for Children with Disabilities, ages 5-18 Deadline: July 15, 2012 This program presents a unique opportunity for student-artists with disabilities from around the world to display their artwork side-by-side in an online exhibition. A selection of artwork from the online entries will be chosen for a live exhibition at the United States Department of Education in Washington D.C. Children with disabilities, ages 5-18, are encouraged to create a self-portrait that illustrates who they are and who they will be. Self-portraits allow artistic freedom for children with disabilities to celebrate the unique qualities they have to share with the world. Entry deadline is July 15, 2012. Enter today!

From Americans for the Arts

White House Committee Selects DM Findley Elementary School for Prestigious Arts Initiative

Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker to work in school as part of new program

Turnaround Arts will work in eight elementary and middle “turnaround schools” across the country—public schools in the lowest-achieving five percent of their state that are receiving School Improvement Grants through the U.S. Department of Education. An external evaluation will measure the impact and effectiveness of using rigorous and integrated arts education together with other educational reform efforts in high-poverty, low-performing schools.

“We are so proud of Findley for being selected for this program, adding arts to the recipe of success for our students,” said Governor Branstad. “The PCAH initiative will be an invaluable resource for Principal Owen and the good work she and her team are doing at their school.”


As part of the program, the President’s Committee and its partners will provide training and resources to Findley and the other participating schools, including an Aspen Institute summer leadership program, in-school professional development, partnerships with community arts education and cultural organizations, art supplies and musical instruments and community engagement events. Presidentially-appointed artists on the Committee, Chuck Close, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kerry Washington, Forest Whitaker, Yo-Yo Ma, Damian Woetzel and Alfre Woodard, will “adopt” one of the selected schools for the length of the program, working with the schools and communities and highlighting their successes. 


Three studies released this month by the Council on Foreign Relations, the Department of Education and theNational Endowment for the Arts emphasized the importance of access to arts education, citing better grades, increased creativity, higher rates of college enrollment and graduation as well as higher aspirations and civic engagement. Research shows that when students participate in the arts they are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, have higher GPAs and SAT scores and show significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12. They are also more likely to be engaged and cooperative with teachers and peers and are more self-confident and better able to express their ideas. These benefits are particularly pronounced in high-poverty, low-performing schools.

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