press release: arts education in denver schools
TRANSCRIPT
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7/28/2019 Press Release: Arts Education in Denver Schools
1/1
For Release
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Media Contact
Van Schoales, CEO, A+ Denver
(303) 725-1151 [email protected]
A+DenvertaskforcecallsoncommunitytostepupartseducationforkidsBondelectionoffersopportunitytore-envisionartseducationinDPS
Denver-A+Denver,anadvocacygroupthathashistoricallyfocusedonstudentachievementinDenverPublic
Schoolsturneditsattentiontoartseducationinareportreleasedtoday.
Giventheupcomingbondelectionthatcouldpotentiallyput$11millionadditionaldollarsintoschoolart
programs,wewantedtotakeahardlookatwhatthosefundscouldaccomplish,saidVanSchoales,CEOofA+
Denver.ThisreportisreallyjustthebeginningofaprocesstobuildanartseducationvisionforDenver.
Thereportsaysthedisparityofartseducationfromschooltoschoolistoolargeandthattroublingartsdeserts
persistinsomeofDenverspoorestneighborhoods.
Wecanandshouldcreateaplacewhereachildbornintopovertycanmatriculatethroughourpublicschool
systemandbecomeanaccomplishedpianistordancerorpainterbythetimeshegraduateshighschool,
withoutpayingthousandsofdollarsforprivatelessonsandartssummercamps,saidSchoales.Rightnow,
becomingartisticallyaccomplishedislargelyaprivilegeofthewealthy.Wedontthinkthatsfair,andwethink
itssomethingwecanchange.Denverhasoneoftherichestecosystemsofculturalandartisticinstitutionsin
theregion.Wecandoamuchbetterjobofconnectingkidstomuseums,professionalartists,internship
opportunities,theatercompaniesandotherartsorganizationsandopportunitiesacrossthecity.
Thetaskforcerecommendsninekeystrategiesthatitbelieveswillmakeapowerfulimpactonthecurrentarts
educationsystem:
1. Createamulti-yearstrategicplan2. Assessstudentperformance3. Extendlearningopportunities4. Increaseandexpandstrategicpartnerships5. Focusondepthinsteadofbreadth
6. Callonschoolstodefineclearapproachtothearts
7. Improvecommunicationaboutschoolprograms8. Increaseaccountabilityforartsdollars9. Increasefundingandresources
ThereportsuggeststhatColoradosstudentsandeconomybothstandtobenefitbyamoredeliberateand
strategicapproachtoartseducation.ItpointsoutthatColoradoscreativesectorisnowthe5thlargestinthe
state,andyetweimportmuchofourtalentfromotherplacesunderscoringtheneedtodoabetterjob
preparingstudentstocompeteinthecreativesector.
ThemissionofA+Denver(A+)istoharnessthepowerofDenverscivicleadershiptobuildpublicwilland
advocateforthechangesnecessarytodramaticallyincreasestudentachievementinpubliceducationin
Denver.Formoreinformation,visitusat:http://www.aplusdenver.org/about.
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