By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Sitka School Board Wednesday approved the Alaska Association of School Board’s resolution supporting arts education.
“Basically, AASB is proposing a resolution supporting arts education and is looking for individual districts to support AASB,” School Board President Jennifer McNichol said.
Sitka School District Superintendant Mary Wegner commented on the resolution.
“Kodiak School Board would like to propose this new resolution to be brought up at the AASB Annual Conference,” she said. “And they are looking for letters of support for this. So Kodiak is our partner in the Alaska State Council on the Arts New Vision’s work that we have been doing … what they’re doing in Kodiak is very aligned with what the board has supported previously so our support and getting behind this Kodiak initiative would make a difference in the state. It has made a difference for us as a district and so it’s just trying to move that forward at the AASB level.”
The board passed the resolution unanimously.
The measure included statements that the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) recognizes dance, media arts, music theater, and visual arts as eligible for Title I and other federal resources. It also points to benefits seen through arts education, including better attendance, higher SAT scores, fewer disciplinary issues and improved problem solving and public speaking skills.
It was resolved that “AASB supports a systemic and rigorous arts education for all students, and urges member districts and education agencies to prioritize artistic literacy and implement sequential, standards-based arts curriculum, employ arts specialists whenever possible, and provide professional development in both the arts disciplines and arts integration. In particular, arts teaching and learning strategies that integrate local and regional artistic traditions and Alaska Native cultural practices can impact student achievement. AASB encourages member districts and education agencies to leverage the expertise and resources of community partners in order to improve access, equity, and quality of arts education for all Alaskan students.”
The AASB adopted the Alaska Arts Standards in 2016 which were followed by performance standards developed by Alaskan educators in music, visual arts, dance, theater, and media arts.
The board also selected Monday, November 5, for its next meeting due to the AASB Annual Conference in Anchorage on November 8-11.
