School District: Pasadena USD – District 5

Position Seeking: Board Member

Question 1: Please share a meaningful experience you had with art (visual, dance, drama, music, media arts) while growing up and its impact on you.

I took piano lessons all through my childhood in San Francisco, and also went to a series of concerts called Young Peoples Concerts at the San Francisco Opera House, by the S F Symphony. All this music gave me an understanding of music from an early age and I am still a regular orchestra subscriber (the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra).

Question 2: How can arts education support student outcomes such as English language development, reducing the achievement gap, and preparing youth for college and/or meaningful careers?

Research shows that arts education fits in beautifully with other academic subjects, enhancing students’ creativity and skills. This creativity is invaluable in the future college and working lives of these students. If all students have equal access to the arts, they can be another avenue to keep students engaged and thereby reduce the gaps that may exist.

Question 3: What do you think the role of the School Board should be in ensuring that students have continued access to a broad range of study subjects, including the arts (broadly defined)?

Since the School Board sets budget priorities, the Board can insist that the arts be considered an essential part of K-12 education. We must protect the arts from cuts and jeopardy when economic times get tough.

Question 4: Do you see a role for arts education in the development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs)? If so, how would you hope to use arts education to advance the eight priority areas identified in the LCAP template?

Ideally arts education can be woven in snugly with so many goals of the LCAP: not just into the curriculum of other core subjects, but also toward the goals of the Four Cs — creativity especially, also critical thinking, collaboration, and definitely communication. All parts of the LCAP can be fields for the arts to flourish — if we think creatively !