Read all the research, news, and policy in our arts education RECAP for October 2023.
Research
Enrollment Continues to Decline in LAUSD, a Trend Many Large Public School Districts are Also Experiencing “LAUSD, like other big city school districts such as New York City and Chicago, are now admitting 4-year-olds, a plan that will certainly help boost enrollment. But since 2015, LAUSD’s enrollment has been dropping rapidly. According to data obtained and analyzed by The 74 and LA School Report, LAUSD has the second largest percentage decline in California after San Jose Unified School District.” The 74
As More Teens Overdose on Fentanyl, Schools Face a Drug Crisis Unlike Any Other “Fentanyl was involved in the vast majority of all teen overdose deaths – 84% – in 2021, and the problem has been growing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl-related adolescent overdose deaths nearly tripled from 2019 to 2021. And nearly a quarter of those deaths involved counterfeit pills that weren’t prescribed by a doctor.” KQED
15 Key Takeaways From More Than 3,000 Gen Zers on Their ‘Struggling’ Lives & Future “The survey, which includes more than 2,000 K-12 students and nearly 1,000 no longer in school, highlights Gen Z’s need for an education that matches the reality of the world they live in.” The 74
Starting School Before Age 2 Helps Children Avoid Achievement Gaps, Study Finds “The study’s results, experts say, support the argument for more federal spending on high-quality programs for infants and toddlers, especially since 45 states now provide some funding for pre-K.” The 74
Equity
12 Things Student Loan Borrowers Should Know About the Return to Repayment “NPR’s Education Desk has been covering student loans for years. We’ve published investigations into mismanaged loan programs, and then written about the fixes that came out of those stories. And most importantly, we’ve been following every development in the pandemic payment freeze. It’s a lot. So… Here’s a list of 12 things borrowers should know as they return to repayment.” NPR
Calls-to-Action
Outraged Over Admissions Policies at Harvard? Take a Look at the Public Schools “You might think public schools are open to everyone. Unfortunately, they’re not. I’ve spent the last five years looking at the admissions criteria and enrollment procedures for America’s top public elementary schools, and they operate under an archaic and discriminatory assignment system that sorts kids into schools based on government-drawn maps.” The 74
This California High School Includes Sustainability and Green Jobs in its Curriculum “CAPS students are trained for school-year and summer internships that teach them about the environment and how to lower the carbon footprint in school buildings and the larger community. They earn California’s minimum wage, $15.50 an hour. … Other CAPS participants give presentations, educating fellow students about climate change and green jobs. They are helping manage routes and charging schedules for the school’s growing fleet of electric buses. They work with farmers to get local food in the cafeterias.” The Hechinger Report
Webinar – State Legislation & Funding 2023: What’s in it for Arts & Culture? Tuesday, November 14, 2023 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM PT “Join Californians for the Arts & California Arts Advocates CEO Julie Baker and other special guests and learn what happened in 2023 during the Legislative session that impacts arts and culture and a preview of what to expect in 2024. Free, 90 minutes, Q & A” Californians for the Arts
How to Help Your Kids Navigate Social Media Without Getting Lost “What parents should be worried about, or at least attentive to, are subterranean violations of privacy: social media companies scooping up seemingly innocuous data, filtering it through their algorithms, and turning it back on kids to drive consumption. Parents also need to pay attention to creepy sexual harassment on Instagram, which has become routine for girls. Though common, few kids will tell their parents.” KQED
Advocacy
Create CA Virtual Trainings “You have an essential role in engaging with school leaders to ensure funds are used to expand current arts education programming. Create CA, CA PTA, Arts for LA, Friends of Sacramento Arts, and Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area want to connect with you and offer guidance on calls to action for Prop 28.” Create CA
Ed Dept. Hires Book Ban Czar to Monitor Escalating Challenges Over Content “‘Across the country, communities are seeing a rise in efforts to ban books — efforts that are often designed to empty libraries and classrooms of literature about LGBTQ people, people of color, people of faith, key historical events and more,” a department official said in an email to reporters Thursday. “These efforts are a threat to student’s rights and freedoms.'” The 74
Policy
Judge Blocks Chino Valley Policy Mandating Schools Notify Parents if Students are Transgender “A San Bernardino County Superior Court judge on Wednesday ruled the Chino Valley Unified School District must hold off on enforcing its new policy requiring that schools notify parents if students indicate they identify as transgender or gender-nonconforming.” Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Board Votes to Restrict Charters’ Access to Some District Schools “Los Angeles charters could lose access to space in nearly 350 district schools under a resolution the school board approved Tuesday. The action is likely to upend decades of practice in one of the more charter-rich districts in the country.” The 74
Thanks for reading our Arts Education RECAP for October 2023.
View past months’ RECAPS here. You can also sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on P.S. ARTS news, events, and more!
