Teacher Tom: "Art Therapy is Therapy"

Teacher Tom: "Art Therapy is Therapy"

"Art Therapy is Therapy"

Conversation isn't always the best way to get to know a child. This is true of adults as well, but it is especially true of children who are still developing their language skills. The words they say are important, of course, but more revealing is often how they interact with their environment, including the other people in their world. How they use art materials can be especially instructive to someone committed to listening.

This is part of the art and science of art therapists, for instance. Nona Orbach, author of The Good Enough Studio and presenter at the upcoming Teacher Tom's Play Summit, says, "Art therapy is therapy," although not necessarily of the "talk therapy" variety. 

A classic example, are drawings children make of their families. A lot can be determined from, say, the relative size of the individuals portrayed. The mother, for instance, is often portrayed as the largest figure, representing the out-sized importance the child places on her. Older siblings might be represented as being smaller, revealing a sense of rivalry. The child sometimes makes themself the largest figure and we CONTINUE READING: Teacher Tom: "Art Therapy is Therapy"

2021 CA Exemplary Arts Education Awards + Accessing Educational Data - Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

2021 CA Exemplary Arts Education Awards - Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces 2021 California Exemplary Arts Education Awards

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced that 33 California schools were selected for the California Exemplary Arts Education Award.

These schools engage students in quality arts education that meet California Arts Standards for Public Schools (Arts Standards) and demonstrate progress on indicators on the California School Dashboard. The awards are designed to celebrate successful efforts to engage students in arts through exposure to a variety of disciplines.

“This year has been especially challenging for our students and schools, but I commend these schools for recognizing that this is a time when the arts are more critical than ever,” State Superintendent Thurmond said. “These schools excelled in providing quality arts education, despite all the obstacles presented by distance learning. It is with great pleasure we honor these schools for their steadfast dedication to arts education that plays a powerful role in supporting wellness, bridging social divides, and expanding creativity and critical thinking in our students.”

Schools recognized as Exemplary Arts Education Awardees represent a broad cross-section of educational delivery models, including traditional comprehensive elementary schools, magnet schools, and district and independent charters. These schools serve diverse demographic populations of varying sizes, from a 2,700-student urban school to a 250-student rural school. Some schools serve primarily Title I students from lower socio-economic circumstances, and others serve suburban populations with strong district and community financial support.

In addition to meeting the Arts Standards and Dashboard eligibility criteria, to apply to be recognized as an Exemplary Arts Awardee, schools must offer sequenced instruction to all students in a minimum of three of the five arts disciplines identified in the Arts Standards: Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts. They must also show one level of improvement for at least one student subgroup in one of the following three areas based on the Dashboard: School Climate, in the area of Suspension Rate; Student Engagement, in the area of Chronic Absenteeism or Graduation Rate; Academic Achievement, in the area of English Language Arts, Mathematics, or College and Career Readiness.

These California Exemplary Arts Education Schools, along with California Distinguished Schools, National Blue Ribbon Schools, and recipients of California Department of Education (CDE) recognition programs, will be honored virtually later this year. For more information, please visit the CDE California School Recognition Program web page.

2021 California Exemplary Arts Education Awards

• Arcata High School, Northern Humboldt Union School District
• ArTES Magnet-Arts Theatre and Entertainment School, Los Angeles Unified School District
• Balboa High School, San Francisco Unified School District
• Burbank High School, Burbank Unified School District
• California School of the Arts San Gabriel Valley, Duarte Unified School District
• Cesar Chavez High School, Stockton Unified School District
• Claremont High School, Claremont Unified School District
• Champs Charter High School of the Arts, Los Angeles Unified School District
• Contra Costa School of Performing Arts, Contra Costa County Office of Education
• Culver City High School, Culver City Unified School District
• David Starr Jordan Middle School (Delores Huerta Middle School), Burbank Unified School District
• Fullerton Union High School, Fullerton Joint Union High School District
• Granite Hills High School, Apple Valley Unified School District
• ICEF View Park Preparatory Charter High School, Los Angeles Unified School District
• John Burroughs High School, Burbank Unified School District
• Katherine L Albiani Middle School, Elk Grove Unified School District
• LAUSD 32nd Street School/USC MediaArts&Engineering Magnet School, Los Angeles Unified School District
• Lincoln High School, Western Placer Unified School District
• Luther Burbank Middle School, Burbank Unified School District
• Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts, Marysville Joint Unified School District
• Marshall Fundamental Secondary School, Pasadena Unified School District
• Oakland School for the Arts, Oakland Unified School District
• Orange County School of the Arts, Orange County Department of Education
• Ramón C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts, Los Angeles Unified School District
• Reginald M. Benton Middle School, Norwalk-la Mirada Unified School District
• Renaissance Arts Academy, Los Angeles Unified School District
• San Diego County Office of Education, Juvenile Court and Community Schools
• San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, San Diego Unified School District
• Santa Susana High School, Simi Valley Unified School District
• Sierra Preparatory Academy, Santa Ana Unified School District
• The School of Arts and Enterprise, SBE-The School of Arts and Enterprise
• Valley View High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District
• Windsor High School, Windsor Unified School District

# # # #

Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Accessing Educational Data

Accessing Educational Data

Obtain data collected by the California Department of Education (CDE), including enrollment data, demographic and student group data, staff data, school and district accountability, statewide assessment results, and directory information.

Overview

About CDE's Educational Data
Information about accessing data collected by the California Department of Education (CDE), including publicly available data, data-related communications, submitting research data requests, and data retention.

Data Reports and Files

DataQuest
DataQuest is the CDE's web-based data reporting system for publicly reporting information about California’s students, teachers, and schools. DataQuest provides meaningful data and statistics about California's K-12 public educational system that supports a wide variety of informational, research, and policy needs. Summary and detailed data reports are available for multiple subject areas at the school, district, county, and state levels.

Data Reports By Topic
Data reports about California's students, teachers, and schools by topic area, including enrollment, assessment and accountability, English learners, foster youth, free or reduced-price meal, graduates and dropouts, and staff and course data.

Downloadable Data Files
Downloadable files about California's students, teachers, and schools by topic area, including enrollment, assessment and accountability, English learners, foster youth, free or reduced-price meal, graduates and dropouts, and staff and course data.

Additional Resources

California School Directory
Information about California public schools, private schools, non public nonsectarian schools, school districts, and county offices of education.

CDE Educational Statistics - CalEdFacts
CalEdFacts is a compilation of educational statistics and information on a variety of issues concerning education in California. This includes the Fingertip Facts on Education in California web page, which provides various statistics about California's public schools and districts.

Data Requests
Information about how to request data that are not publicly available on the CDE website (e.g. DataQuest, the California School Dashboard, the CAASPP Test Results web page, or through the information provided on the Data Reports and Downloadable Files web page).

Geographic Information System (GIS)
Information about the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) in the visualization and analysis of educational data.

Ed-Data
Ed-Data is a partnership of the CDE, EdSource, and the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team/California School Information Services (FCMAT/CSIS) designed to offer educators, policy makers, the legislature, parents, and the public quick access to timely and comprehensive data about K-12 education in California.

Federal Data Resources
Information about data collected and publicly reported by the United States Department of Education, including information provided by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) and the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC).

Questions: Data Reporting Office | dro@cde.ca.gov | 916-327-0219 

Accessing Educational Data

NYC Educator: The DOE Office of Equal Opportunity at Work

NYC Educator: The DOE Office of Equal Opportunity at Work

The DOE Office of Equal Opportunity at Work

The DOE has an Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management, commonly called OEO. It's supposed to protect people from discrimination. 

That's a worthy goal. I spend my career dealing with students from other countries. I see them discriminated against, and I find it sickening. Sometimes I can't stand to watch the news. My wife does. I hone in on the weather and tune out the rest quite frequently.

Here's the thing--OEO vies to be the most inept group in the DOE, and that's saying something. If I do something stupid, they have six months to conduct an investigation and come after me. I've been chapter leader of a very large school for twelve years now, and I have not seen them complete an investigation in six months, ever. Not one single time. 

Let's say I do some outrageous thing, make some racist statement, actively discriminate against someone for nationality, gender, or whatever. If OEO can't make a case in six months, I'm theoretically off the hook. I had a member in trouble for something years ago, and a year after the thing occurred, they came around and asked him to sign a "non-file letter." What the hell is a non-file letter?

Your administration has three months after an occurrence to give you a file letter. While they do all sorts of slimy things to get around that, and I've seen them do it, OEO has six months. And what needs to be done here? You CONTINUE READING: NYC Educator: The DOE Office of Equal Opportunity at Work

Teacher Tom: "What Is It?"

Teacher Tom: "What Is It?"

"What Is It?"

I heard her mother saying, "What is it?" Her daughter, a two-year-old, was scribbling on a piece of paper with a marker creating a spiky purple tangle made from the kind of thick lines that indicate she was exerting excessive pressure. The girl paused briefly in response to the question, then resumed her work.

Her mother said, "It looks like a butterfly. Is it a butterfly?" 

I would have preferred that the mother wasn't questioning her child about her work. I would have preferred that she limit her comments to useful things like "You're using a purple marker" or "That's a spiky tangle of thick lines," informative statements that, should the girl choose to attend, might be used or not used to support her creative journey. Even better, this mother would not have been saying anything at all, leaving her child to her pursuit without interruption.

Adults are forever asking young children, "What is it?" Older preschoolers know the drill. They often have an answer on the tip of their tongue. They've learned that when they sit down in front of a piece of paper at the "art table," they CONTINUE READING: Teacher Tom: "What Is It?" 

Creative and Just Curriculum, Pt II: Six Ideas about Teaching Music During a Pandemic | Teacher in a strange land

Creative and Just Curriculum, Pt II: Six Ideas about Teaching Music During a Pandemic | Teacher in a strange land

Creative and Just Curriculum, Pt II: Six Ideas about Teaching Music During a Pandemic

Facebook post, shared by a colleague: Started band camp last Sunday, two rehearsals per day. No more than 25 students in a group. They wore masks while moving between stations, and after the second rehearsal, two students went home because of low grade fevers. One tested positive. We were forced to shut down for a minimum of two weeks. There was no precaution we didn’t take.

Welcome to 2020, music educators.

About six weeks ago, Texas band directors (a fierce and highly competitive bunch) started posting summer band-camp photos, on a band directors’ site I follow. Flute players with facial shields. Trumpets and mellophones with their bells bagged. Masked percussionists, labeling their mallets, so they’re touched by only one person. They were fired up. Creativity and safety would win the day!

The page today is really tough reading: Shut-down camps. Lost jobs. Will there be a marching band next year if there’s none this year? Pictures of band rooms where precisely 13 students can play while social-distancing. Deep, philosophical chats about the value of music in kids’ lives. And this—how the hell am I supposed to have a band online?

Well, the bad news is: you’re not. And when this pandemic abates, the best-case scenario for all powerhouse performance-based music programs is the option to CONTINUE READING: Creative and Just Curriculum, Pt II: Six Ideas about Teaching Music During a Pandemic | Teacher in a strange land

NANCY BAILEY: Art at Home, Then Put it Back In Public Schools!

Art at Home, Then Put it Back In Public Schools!

Art at Home, Then Put it Back In Public Schools!

Teachers teach remotely, and parents are helping students at home. Hopefully, children and teens are doing art. Self-expression is important, and art calms and leads to self-discovery. When public schools reopen, when it’s safe to do so, parents and teachers must demand a return of art education with qualified art teachers! Music and drama are critical too, but this post focuses on art classes.

Due to high stakes testing and the no excuses agenda, teaching art became obsolete especially in poor schools. Underfunded school districts removed art classes from the curriculum years ago. They pushed more reading and test preparation.

Nina Rees is President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Rees was once a senior education policy analyst for the Heritage Foundation and helped develop NCLB. Once asked “Do you consider art and music ‘frills,’ or would you say they are necessary to good elementary education?” she answered:

It depends. If a student is attending an affluent school that has the budget to invest in such things, then I see many benefits to adding art and music courses. What I object to is focusing the attention of poor school systems on these activities. Schools should be in CONTINUE READING: Art at Home, Then Put it Back In Public Schools!