Americans for the Arts Convention
Las Vegas
June 3,2007

What does the teaching artist field look like in 2012?

Group 1

• TA’s are thankful for full healthcare, disability and liability insurance

• Excited that some universities offer teaching artist preparation

• Have great national conferences

• Artists are paid for professional development and planning

• Excited to be integral, not just adjunct, part of the educational picture

• National online registry

• Core curriculum has been developed for teaching artists

• Creating an active audience

• Have a vibrant professional organization

• Research community is focused on work of teaching artists

• Consortium of public arts organizations and public schools

• Active conversation about certification

• School districts line item teaching artists

• Children have sequential arts education K-12

• Paid sabbaticals for creating art

• Lifelong learning embraced by public; teaching artists are actively involved in it

• Schools make planning time available for teachers and teaching artists

Group 2

• Credentialing system in place

• Universities offer education courses for arts majors

• Insurance benefits

• Standard fees tied to cost of living index in service areas

• Professional development for teachers, principals and administrators

• Professional development for teaching artists widely available

• A roadmap for professional development is available

• A governing organization in place for teaching artists

Look back from 2012, describe the state of the teaching artist field in 2007

Group 1

• In Washington State, the Artist Trust initiated a health care package for artists.

• There was a groundswell in 2007 for meaningful education reform

• No Child Left Behind was devastating education and arts education

• Two generations of classroom teachers didn’t know what arts education looks like

• No national network for teaching artists

• Widely varied definitions of what a teaching artist is

• Disparate definitions of what quality work is

• Woeful lack of arts funding at state and local levels

• Lack of compliance in enforcing state arts standards

• Some schools began to pay for collaborative planning time for TAs and teachers

Group 2

• Few, if any, credentialing systems

• No collective opportunity for teaching artists to discuss, share and learn

• No voice in larger education discussions

• Few, if any, benefits, insurance

• Little job security

• Muddy career path

Describe how the field was moved from 2007 to its present state (2012)

Group1

• A consortium of arts organizations and artists developed affordable healthcare policies

• Healthcare a major issue in 2008 election

• A national taskforce designed a standard credential or certification to be implemented by higher education

• California led the way by dramatically increasing arts funding

Group2

• Teaching artist standards developed across the country

Return to present (2012) and discuss if it can get any better or if this is as good as it gets

Group 1

• Who will train the teaching artists and who will decide who these people are?

Group 2

• Good effective practice is documented and shared

• The field has a much higher visibility