Overview

It's important to send a positive message to the Board of Educatoin that the arts community is, and has been LAUSD's partner for over ten-years. We must speak to the impact of the proram on the students and teachers of LAUSD.  Our focus must be on the children. 

The District is facing an uprecidented budget crisis and we must recognize that there are no easy fixes.  However, we must also urge the Board to maintain its strategic objectives and not make short-term decisions that will have long-term reprucussions.  

LAUSD has made great strides in delivering quality arts education to LAUSD studetns.  But with just 350 travling arts and music teachers, it simply cannot do this job alone. For over ten years, the District has partnered with arts organizations to provide quality, standards-based arts education to not just LAUSD studetns, but teachers through high quality professional development programs. 

ACPN Points

• The programs provided by ACPN programs are a critical strategy of LAUSD's first 10-year strategic plan to restore quality, standards based arts education.

• Your decision to maintain a full freeze on Arts ACPN contracts sends a negative message to arts education providers that LAUSD does not value these partnerships.

•  Continuing the ACPN freeze will greatly impact LAUSD's ability to reach its arts education goals of providing quality arts education to its students.
  

• The arts organizations acted in reliance on the District’s commitment in planning to deliver instructional services for this year.  The District decision – without any meaningful discussion or collaboration – sends the message that these long-term relationships are not valued or deserving of respect.  This seems contrary to your desire to strengthen ties between LAUSD and important community institutions.

• The District's commitment is now in danger of loosing critical infrastructure.

• ACPN providers remain fervently comitted to providing quality arts education to LAUSD students and teachers. 

• Before the District eliminates any component of a strategy, assessment should be done to make an informed decision.

• Create an inclusive planning process that includes a broad range of stakeholders to inform LAUSD on the priorities and potential strategies of the next ten years. 

• A tremendous amount of work, partnerships and dedication is needed to fully realize the District's ongoing commitment to Arts Education.  Working with your partners, is key to realizing that mutual goal.