John Avila

2009 ARTS EDUCATION CANDIDATE SURVEY
Candidate: John Avila	Email: john.avila@pusd.org
District: Pomona USD	Website: N/A
1.
Your district has embarked on a ten-year initiative to restore meaningful sequential arts education back into its core curriculum. What do you feel are the strengths and weaknesses of the plan?	Strength: We are able to maintain a paid professional to coordinate and integrate student art (Pre K-12) throughout the community and maintain communication between grade levels. Weakness: State budget cuts have been so severe that "back filling" appears to be 5-10 years away.
2.
If you are not familiar with the plan, what do you think your district can and should do to make this work more visible?	Conduct "best practices" workshops for teaching art in the classroom. Certificated Art teachers can be trained for this purpose and allow teachers strategies to implement the required art curriculum. Follow-up classroom observations and conferencing is important to evaluate and assist teachers in those learned strategies.
3.
What role do you think the arts can play in supporting key priorities of the district such as reducing the dropout rate, closing the achievement gap, and preparing more students for college eligibility?	Evaluating student success includes an assessment in the visual and performing arts. Gifted and talented students need to be assessed in the context of their given talents. Interest and performance in the artsattracts and maintains a students' interest and focus on all subjects. Student interest in the arts maintains a general focus on all school related programs and activities.
4.
In light of the current budget crisis, the state is now allowing local school districts flexibility to redirect their allocation from the “art and music block grant” to fund other local priorities. How would you balance the need to invest in arts education with the other financial challenges facing your district?	Establish and maintain a dialogue with the superintendent and colleagues on the Board on the importance and "as-soon-as-possible" return of adwquate funding of the arts. Lobby the state's legislators to discontinue the district's flexibility to redirect our allocation from the "art and music block grant."
5.
Did you have meaningful experiences with art (visual, dance, drama, music) growing up? Please tell us about that experience.	Yes. Having attended parochial scchools, I participated in drama with all other parochial schools (6). for three years in an annual Shakespear slection. I grades 4-8, I participated in orchestra and band while attending annual youth concerts given by the Denver Symphony Orchestra. I particpated in arts and crafts through the Denver'sParks and Recreation Department.
6.
Please take a moment to include any additional comments.	Public education needs to step up and address basic academic skills and student achievement. Without the arts, I don't believe we can meet the challege!

For more information about arts education, please visit the following websites: L.A.U.S.D. Arts Education Information Arts for All: LA County Regional Blueprint for Arts Education California Alliance for Arts Education Arts for LA Arts for LA is a 501(c)(3) arts advocacy organization working to foster a healthy environment in which the arts and culture may thrive and be accessible to all in Los Angeles County. The objective of this survey is to help inform candidates as well as community stakeholders about arts education related issues. It is not an endorsement of any one candidate.