According to KPCC, the Los Angeles Unified School District has a new arts education plan, and integrating the arts with other subjects within the classroom is a key component. The new plan is a result of the “Arts at the Core” unanimous vote on October 9th, 2012, which restored arts in the district and returned funding to mirror the 2007-08 budget of 34 million dollars.

The new arts education plan won’t only focus on schools, but on how to get community arts organizations involved and to become resources as well. Details of the plan have not yet been released, but data collection and retention will be a big part of the “Arts at the Core” plan.

Now that the arts are a core part of the curriculum, there are different ideas floating around as to what it will look like. The arts will for certain be integrated into other core subjects taught like math and science, making the learning experience more engaging and interactive, but some teachers’ concerns that integrated art in the traditional classroom might mean fewer traditional art classes. Steps to execution are to be announced when the detailed plan is unveiled later in July. One sure thing is that teachers, administrators, and board members alike hope this new plan is a sustainable model that not only procures more funding for the arts, but also safeguards it from any future budget cuts. The ultimate goal is equity for all schools and all students.

A full PDF of the plan is available via KPCC's website.  According to Mary Plummer, the KPCC reporter following this story, LAUSD has committed to posting the plan soon on their website as well.

Photo courtesy LAUSD website.