Read all the research, news, and policy in our arts education RECAP for July 2022.
Research
Can Arts Education Help Kids Heal from the Trauma of the Pandemic? “California has long been famous for its creativity, the engine driving everything from the entertainment industry to the tech sector. But decades of budget cuts and a laser focus on core subjects have pushed the state’s public schools to cut arts education to the bone over the years. Now, two years of trauma during a pandemic that’s stolen more than a million lives and the fresh horrors of a spate of mass shootings, experts say, underscore the pressing need for more paths to social-emotional learning in schools. That’s a key reason former Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner, supported by many educators and artists, is championing a mandate to restore arts and music education to the public schools, as a way to help children grapple with their feelings about growing up in a time of tragedy.” EdSource
Equity
Biden Administration’s New Title IX Rules Expand Transgender Student Protections “Under the proposed changes, announced Thursday, the law would protect victims against discrimination based not just on sex but on sexual orientation and gender identity, in effect adding transgender students as a protected class. Current regulations are silent on these students’ rights.” The 74
As Congress Mulls Waiver Extension, Study Shows School Meals Lower Grocery Costs “In the near term, the proposed $3 billion Keep Kids Fed Act could ease classroom hunger and simplify the work of schools in the months to come. But research suggests that greater availability of free meals in public schools actually lowers grocery spending even for those without school-aged children. And at a time of sharply rising food prices, it’s conceivable that the end of the waivers would contribute to further inflation.” The 74
Congress Approves Free Student Meal Extension Through Summer “Congress passed a bill Friday that aims to keep up the expanded, pandemic-era distribution of free meals for all students this summer. Final passage of the Keep Kids Fed Act in the U.S. House came less than a week before rule changes for child nutrition programs were set to expire June 30.” AP News
Calls to Action
2022 EdTA Theatre Education Conference in collaboration with California Educational Theatre Association September 28 – October 2, 2022 AT The Westin Bonaventure Hotels & Suites, Los Angeles, CA Theater Education Conference
As Year Comes to a Close, This Elementary School Principal has an Urgent Plea: End Gun Violence Now “School shooting deaths are simply atrocious. I know that we are more than capable and competent enough as a country to figure out sensible safety measures. My hope is that the most recent bipartisan gun reforms will pass and prove effective, and these cycles of gun violence will come to an end. We can no longer stand idly by. We must stop school shootings and all forms of violence before these heinous ideas are even conceptualized.” Hechinger Report
Advocacy
Trading ‘Please Focus’ for ‘How Are You?’: A Listening Strategy That’s Helping Some Teachers Improve the Classroom Experience “Levy is trying everything in her toolkit to help them feel engaged in coursework again. One thing that’s helped is a practice known as cogenerative dialogues, or cogens, for short, in which teachers hold formal conversations with groups of students with an explicit goal: to create a plan of action aimed at improving learning and classroom community.” KQED
Policy
In a Year of ‘Abysmal’ Student Behavior, Ed Dept. Seeks Discipline Overhaul “The education department is expected to update its policy in two parts. One will focus on students with disabilities, who are significantly more likely to be suspended and expelled than non-disabled students. The other will address racial gaps in discipline — a reality that persists in many districts despite widespread efforts over the past decade to keep students from being removed from school and often referred to police.” The 74
Bill Would Give $25,000 to Aspiring School Counselors, Social Workers “‘This is one of the most important bills that’ll come out of the Legislature this year,’ Thurmond said. ‘Just about every student in California has suffered from mental health challenges. If the pandemic wasn’t enough, there’s the fallout from school shootings, wildfires, economic uncertainty. … We are at a critical moment, and we need to do everything we can to help.'” EdSource
California to Boost Number of Bilingual Teachers in Asian Languages “School districts in California struggle to hire bilingual teachers in all languages, including Spanish, but the shortage is more severe for teachers who are fluent in Asian languages. Many districts want to start or expand dual immersion programs in Asian languages but do not have enough teachers with bilingual authorizations in these languages to do so.” EdSource
Thanks for reading our arts education RECAP for July 2022. View past RECAPS here.
