TO THE TRENCHES!

Now it's time. There is a problem whose key proponents and conflicts are clearly defined. Now comes the difficult part… finding and acting on a solution. With most issues, it is so easy to whine and cry and point fingers at the bad guy. But if no actions are taken to benefit the issue, the victims and bystanders are equally as guilty. This lesson arises again and again. In hopes to raise a semblance of hope, I’d like to present some viable solutions and organizations that could at least assist in realigning the tracks.

1) VH1’s Save the Music: An incredible organization devoted to restoring music education in public school institutions. They primarily purchase and refurbish instruments and donate them to schools in need. They have rallied up 43 million dollars since 1997, dishing the funding to about 1,600 schools and subsequently affecting the lives of 1.2 million students. Their next target is…

2) Arts of Orange County: We interviewed Pat Wayne a ways back, and she mentioned that their organization offers free consultation for the arts with Santa Ana still missing. With Arts OC, Santa Ana could develop an ‘Arts Plan’ to renew stability across the creative education board throughout the next five years.

3) Celebrity partnership and benefit concerts: There are a number of musical groups and celebrities from the Santa Ana area including Diane Keaton and The Righteous Brothers, getting them involved could easily motivate other activists. Imagine holding a concert where all the proceeds go to the district… no way!

4) Bridge Community Borders: Santa Ana itself is a poverty stricken city, the citizens of which can’t offer significant donations. Consider breaking the community lines and stretching funding from the prosperous neighboring cities of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach.

At this point the situation is drastic, if a solution isn’t initiated, the entire district will lose music education by 2010. I am doing what I can… on the side I am drafting commercials and a benefit web series. Using my creative film and video abilities, I am trying as hard as I can to help them out… Thinking outside of the box. I ask and beg you please to do the same, for now it is just as important as ever to rectify and build an intellectually and creatively inspired future.

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Scores of Awards

In every situation there is always some GOOD to point out. Although Santa Ana's music budget and system is in the ditches, they are still a number of talented students who are being recognized from all over Orange County and California for their abilities. It is sad to know that students will probably not have the same opportunities in the future... For now, here is a comprehensive list of music awards earned by some of the talented music students of Santa Ana.

Rotary Young Singer of the Year (Students from Valley and Saddleback have placed as winners for the last five years, outperforming OCHSA and winning the entire competition in 2008!)

Disneyland Candlelight Ceremony (Santa Ana Chamber Singers have been accepted into this competitive ensemble for six years now).

Macy Awards (Student 'Tony' awards, Santa Ana has one awards in 2003, 2004, 2007)

Santa Ana music students have also participated in the following respected ensembles: California All-Star Honor Choir, Southern California Vocal Association Honor Choir, Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association Concerts, American Choral Directors Association Honor Choir.

Let's keep it going!

Funny Things Are Happening!

In some ways Santa Ana had it coming…

On numerous occasions the district has been caught lying about student enrollment, grades, and class size to get more funding from the government. A few years ago, teachers in a few of the district's schools were asked to fudge the attendance sheet between absent and tardy. More daily enrollment means more money. The school was caught, and measures were taken to ensure that the facts were coming in straight.

Last year, the district fumbled once again. They were caught lying about class sizes, attempting to raise more money, even thought their numbers weren’t optimal.

The following video offers an interesting quandary. Santa Ana needs the funding due to their massive deficit and declining budget. Their needs to sustain the district are growing as funding is decreasing. The moral right comes into question. Sometimes little lies may benefit the greater cause. In the video they note that corporate fraud is corporate fraud no matter who the beneficiary. What do you think?



At this time I'd like to mention the powerful voice that helped me find this video. The Orange Juice Bloggers fight to uncover the issues in Orange County with a fresh and persuasive voice. Their blog is a must read in the community. Check them out here: Orange Juice

The Beacon Down The Street

Whenever Santa Ana and art are mentioned in the same sentence a certain school comes up. While the district swirls down the rabbit hole, a partner right down the street flourishes with art excellence. I’m talking about OCHSA (Orange County High School of the Arts). OCHSA represents the model and aspiration of a diverse education. Structurally, the school operates tuition free through federal funding and private donations. The school hosts 1,300 of the most promising art students in Orange County to participate in their conservatory program that covers many diverse majors including: film, dance, and art. OCHSA boasts an amazing high school to college rate of 99 percent. The school focuses on breading open-minded and out-of-the-box thinkers in a creative and nurturing environment. The school is a perfect model of a colorful education. It’s too bad that this quality of education is limited to a tiny number of students. Meanwhile the district around the school can barely sustain a band. Here are some comparisons for you... to drive home the idea a little eh?

-OCHSA has more AP classes than Santa Ana has music teachers.

-While OCHSA has 1,350 students, Santa Ana has about 3,000 students per music teacher (what a ratio!).

-OSCHA’s total budget is five times the amount of the music budget for all of Santa Ana Unified. (55,000 students versus 1,350).

What I am noting is the division between the privileged students and the rest of the lot. We need to focus on closing this gap, offering a diverse and prosperous education to everyone who is willing to seize the opportunity. C’mon.

Check Out The OCHSA website!

From The Source

I had the opportunity to meet one of the main proponents in the Santa Ana Unified community, Herman Mendez, the Assistant Superintendent of the entire district. We sat down and discussed the reasons for the financial burdens on the district and the need for a solution. Santa Ana's music department is almost entirely funded from donations and third party assistance, due to the fact that music is not a part of the required curriculum. Mr. Mendez also mentioned the neighboring community of Irvine, and some of the solutions they've embarked upon to raise money for art education. Due to poverty, Santa Ana has quite a few less resources.

The Big Dog

Let me tell you about someone here that means quite a lot in the whole picture, actually she might even be painting that picture to begin with. I am talking about Jane Russo, the Superintendent of the Santa Ana Unified School District. The Superintendent is like a CEO, the master and commander of a school district. In this case, she is in charge of a 500 million dollar annual budget and over seven billion in land assets. Santa Ana is no mom’ pop shop. Unlucky for her, just like a CEO, if something is going wrong she is to blame.

Lets get to know her a little: She is the first female Superintendent in Santa Ana, a good milestone considering the district has been around for 130 years. She worked in the Santa Ana school district for twenty years prior to her current role. She has a broad level of experience and education and claims to devote herself to the prosperity of the district.

In the following video she partners up with ‘THINK Together’, an organization devoted to maintaining after school programs in Southern California. In the video she gives a basic, I mean basic, picture of the Santa Ana district, definitely NOT mentioning the serious issues that are dampening the area.



I have posted a link that gives an in depth biography of her noting her worthy accomplishments. Be sure to search her name in the Google machine, you might find a few haters…

Jane Russo Full Biography

The Bottom Line Facts

I was able to obtain concrete diagrams and facts to directly enlighten you on the DRASTIC situation at hand. The district is facing a sharp decline in overall funding, yet the music budget seems to take an even further dig. While the entire budget is decreasing by 5-10 percent, the music budget is continually cut in half. Check it out.


I have also attached a link to download a PDF document that breaks down the Superintendent's, Jane Russo, budget cut proposal for 2007-2008. Within the document she slices one million away from music teachers... quite a chunk when you consider the proportions of the other cuts.

Rockers of Life!

I had the pleasure of meeting a few of the music students over at Santa Ana High School. I wanted to share a few photos of them performing... Here are two proud slayers of the guitar (I am a guitar player myself), note their rocker look and style.




Here a band student raised a good question. Why can’t we do band next year again?

RED ALERT!

Red Leader to Gold Leader... We have a serious problem here.

On October 30th, Santa Ana Unified School district called a 'secret' meeting to announce the impending budgetary problems with their music program. They invited a handful of prominent and respected Orange County individuals (and me, who is definitely not that...). We learned first hand the true numbers and burdens the district faces. They garnished the sad truth with heartfelt performances from talented Santa Ana young musicians. It was devastating to hear, that if Santa Ana doesn't find additional funding, the already tattered music program will VANISH. By vanish, I mean, if something isn't done MUSIC is OVER in the district of Santa Ana by 2010.

Houston.. We have a problem.

After consuming some delicious food, it was time to brainstorm. How can we fix this situation? What happens when all the resources are exhausted?

The administration admitted they have limited experience with fund raising. Most of the members of the community (parents included) are poverty stricken, and can't offer additional financial assistance.

As you can see here, Herman Mendez, the Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools in Santa Ana led our 'idea' group. Some of the ideas we came up with included:













Benefit Concerts
Corporate Sponsorship
VH1's Save the Music
Channel 1 Advertising

Next, we combined ideas. We developed a rough plan of action... It was time to volunteer. The room was silent except for FOUR people (myself included, a punk 21 year old) who committed themselves to problem at hand. Only four... The heat is on.

Got Money on Your Mind?

Money… Cha Ching… oh Money… has definitely been the hot topic these last few months as the US economy has fallen deep into a hole, bringing the world market down with it. The situation has taken an air of hysteria as the populous waits for a new leader to take power next January, who will subsequently save the US from this fat mess… The number one concern on my mind remains the question of the educational system’s stability after the bailout, and what the candidates’ have in mind in terms of education. In times of trouble, education always seems to get a healthy slap in the face. If anything, a solid and well-rounded education is our countries most reliable hope for the future. I judge my leaders based on their ability to understand that education isn’t just some frilly powder.

Lets break it down. In the last debate Obama clearly defined his desire to significantly raise educational spending next year. Now that the bailout has passed through Congress, the fate of these lofty hopes may have dissipated. Many of Obama’s plans focus on reforming certain educational sectors, such as failing Charter schools. Although this sounds nice, we must wonder where the money will come from.

McCain, on the other hand, hasn’t been as vocal about his plans for education. I was able to find his ideas posted on his website. After three paragraphs of useless jargon (same with Obama’s site), McCain gets to the nitty-gritty explaining that he believes in the local school district deciding it’s own fate. He also believes in a student and parent run school, to better shape the dynamics of the classroom. Once again… all this sounds nice, but really has no real relevance till everyone has an equal opportunity to begin with. Frilly Powder.

Hey everyone! Pay Attention!

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/issues/19ce50b5-daa8-4795-b92d-92bd0d985bca.htm (McCain does need a new web designer)

Drawn Out!

Here it is laid out on the table: The budget situation for Orange County schools stepping through the 2008-2009 year. Most of the schools in the county are sitting pretty, backed by a bustling industry and nourishing residential developments. The OC register pointed out a few districts that have not fared well over the last few years, whose situation only appears grimmer as time moves on. Here is a list of the four hardest hit districts, and exactly what they are facing……I’d like to make one more point considering the contrast in art education quality between Orange County Schools (which is directly proportional to the below cuts). Huntington Beach has the pleasure of furthering their art educational facilities by introducing a video/film program into their schools. A new digital music composition studio is also in the works… I am completely supportive of this initiative, but not ten miles away, districts are struggling to obtain even the simplest creative tools! This has all made me wonder… What is a community? Who draws the borders? Here are a few districts left out:

Capistrano Unified

Potential cuts:$25 million to $30 million, up from a previously announced $15 million to $20 million; district is optimistic that mid-year cuts won't have to be made.

Cuts the past two years: Just over 3 percent cut last year, representing $13 million. Cuts included teacher staffing, district-level and school-level managers, and administrative cuts.

Santa Ana Unified (Hello Again!?)

Potential cuts: Officials were already projecting a $10 million budget deficit for 2008-09 before the governor released his proposal. They have not yet determined how much more that deficit could grow.

Cuts the past two years: The district cut $15 million in 2006-07 and $21 million in 2007-08. The $15 million translates to approximately 3 percent of the general fund while the $21 million equates roughly to 4 percent.

Orange Unified

Potential cuts: The district could be facing cuts to the 2008-09 budget of around 5 percent, or more than $12 million, said Jon Archibald, assistant superintendent of business service. The cuts would likely mean layoffs in a district that already slashed positions at the district level, Archibald said. The district doesn't expect to make any mid-year cuts.

Cuts the past two years: The district has experienced declining enrollment. In the past two years, it cut the budget about 2 percent.

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified

Potential cuts: The district was already looking to reduce its budget by about $4 million. Those cuts would increase to $6 million to $7 million. District officials are hopeful that no mid-year cuts will be necessary.

Cuts the past two years: The district cut $3.1 million in 2006-07 and $2.3 million in 2007-08.

My Favorite Mom (other than mine of course)

If you search for educational budget crisis news in Orange County, some quality articles show up… but almost no video. I am excited to report an individual, a mother, working in Orange County to broadcast a voice of reason across the community. You Tube isn’t just a place to find fart jokes. Mom4Education is the OC mother’s channel, where you can find a plethora of diverse video clips pertaining to important social issues.

After milling through her videos, I discovered some good footage of a rally at Segerstrom High School in Santa Ana taken earlier this year. Because I am a film student, I must note the interesting camera perspectives, but nonetheless I appreciate that someone cares enough to upload the rally onto the Internet, the most empowering platform of VOICE in our time. If only more people would invest as much as Mom4Edu, we might just have a chance.

Fro more videos check out: http://www.youtube.com/user/mom4education

Changing Colors

In regards to Orange County Schools, one district stands high among the rest for having the poorest budgetary and secondary education statistics. Santa Ana Unified School district is the seventh largest school district in California, and the largest in Orange County. Santa Ana has a student population of 54,00 students, 95 percent of which are Hispanic. The district is the number one port of entry for English language learners in the United States. The district has the largest freestanding deficit, before the already significant budget slice, which has put the quality of education in jeopardy. Due to the number of English learners, the district has had cut funding for art education, among other things, just to guarantee a basic education. In fact, there is almost NO funding for art education in Santa Ana coming from the federal and state government. The majority of the art budget comes from third party sources. Sadly enough, the district is struggling, and expected to initiate another budget cut early next year (mid school year). The drastic situation makes Santa Ana a top priority on this site.

California needs to embrace the changing face of the people in our community and open educational opportunities for all students alike. It is sad to see just a few miles away students garnished with a plethora of educational opportunities.

For the barebones achievement goals for the Santa Ana district visit their website:

http://www.sausd.us/sausd/site/default.asp

The Good Ol’ Switch-a-Roo

Lets take another minute to process the recent statewide educational budget changes initiated last month. Initially, when the 2008-2009 proposed budget surfaced in May, the Governator announced a 4.6 billion drop in educational funding. After about 20,000 teacher pink slips were dished out, the state erupted in a state of anger and hysteria. Teachers and parents were outraged at the blow to education, while big businesses received even grander tax breaks (allowing them to file taxes for pervious years, to help get them with returns and such). While the enacted budget was due in July, it didn’t surface until mid September, more than 85 days late. School systems, whose school year technically starts in the summer, had to postpone any major financial allocations until the proposal went through.

There is some good news. When the final budget was enacted, the 4 billion drop changed to a 1.5 billion dollar raise in educational funding since last year. This in part was initiated by an act that held corporations financially responsible for under-reporting on their taxes (a twenty percent increase).

It may not be what it seems. Some sources note: although the state budget for education increased, other resources won’t be available, which is actually going to decrease the overall funding in California by almost 2 billion. Shucks. After doing some heavy research, I discovered one of the culprits, the California State Lottery. Last year education received 37 percent of the revenue for the lottery, totaling in about 1.1 billion. No longer.

Just taking the lottery situation into consideration, the budget “increase” is taken to zero, not even including inflation, a heavy hitter this year. Let’s just say we’ve been victim to the good old switch-a-roo. Not to mention California is cutting budgets for tons of other educational programs including AIDS/HIV education and school nutrition. Where is the art? Let’s just say it’s a sad day.

For a full budget breakdown check out the awesome PDF available at: http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/Enacted/StateAgencyBudgets/6010/agency.html

No Child Left BEHIND

Let’s take a minute to look at the bigger picture implemented with the infamous No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Everyone should be familiar with the term, as it’s loosely paraded around Washington every time a question of educational quality arises. For years it remains the ‘hush’ term of the US’s slowly declining educational infrastructure. Although NCLB began as a noble cause (like most legislation), it has slowly skinned the values of a dynamic education.

The program is based on a series of standardized tests relating to reading and math fundamentals. Once a year, students are quarantined into their seats for an epic series of ability tests. The results are subsequently dished out to the government for an evaluation. The school’s entire financial stability rests in the hands of the results. After taking a peek at these results, the legislators decide if the school has met the standards. If not, government intervention occurs which involves a serious faculty and administrative flop, and a charter initiative, which redefines the schools rights and privileges. Generally, this is the last thing a school district desires.

In the case of most fiscally impaired school districts, all educational power is shifted toward meeting the requirements of NCLB. Although NCLB and other educational legislation acknowledge the necessity of a ‘full spectrum’ education, the budgetary needs are insufficient to teach beyond the math and reading standards. In stable and well-funded schools, a broad education helps students learn the problem solving and thinking strategies that are needed to succeed in the US. ‘Problem schools’ are left teaching students how to punch buttons in a calculator and good page turning edicate. Occasionally, a school has to cut the majority of its ancillary educational systems such as art and music, relying solely on outside community funding to maintain even a semblance of creativity. This must be done to ensure the school passes the cold basics.

I agree ‘No Child Left Behind’ has a nice ring to it… but c’mon.

For direct information on NCLB, please visit http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml.

I can’t see myself in the Scantron!

A recent study conducted by the Rand Corporation suggests that art education falls short at the state and district levels, while the national standards continue to push broader levels of education. Too bad the average High School doesn’t provide an adequate amount of time in the day for art education. High stakes standardized testing led by legislation stemming from the “No Child Left Behind Act” has severely reduced the class time for the arts as well as the humanities. Although national standards suggest art education can broaden teaching practices, the actual frequency of such skills is well below the ‘desired’ level.

The Rand Corporation suggests that the lack of adequate art education is beginning to show in the attendance and participation of art events such as theater and classical symphonies. Many believe that schools focus too much on art education physical resources and less on teaching art appreciation. Without such knowledge, the individual is less likely to take on a specialized art due to their misunderstanding of its importance. How can people expect a student listening to the pop sounds of Miley Cyrus to pick up a violin and play Vivaldi? Without a broader understanding of music composition and theory, music appreciation is bound to plummet. This same principle applies to all the arts.

What can we do? There are a few theories that hint at art acceptance and appreciation including: discussion and personal reflection with a piece of art, historical and cultural influences with works of art, and most importantly the ability to diligently create within an art form. Focusing on these practices and levels of understanding can only broaden a students ability to problem solve and learn. Lessons of morality and personal reflection seem to fall off the Scantron page in the cold dry classroom.

The Rand Corporation is a non-profit organization that focuses on researching issues that are affecting our society, anywhere from education to global warming. For more information about the Rand Corporation visit www.rand.org.

Our First Hero

Pat Wayne is the Director of Programs and Education at the Arts Orange County Organization. In coordination with the Orange County Board of Education, Arts OC has set up 14 of the 28 school districts in Orange County with strategic arts plans and arts coordinators to help reestablish stability. These districts include: Access, Capistrano, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Newport-Mesa, Ocean View, Orange, Saddlebck, Westinster, Anaheim, Cypress, Irvine, and Lowell.

Within this interview, Pat lays out a couple of contributing factors to the financial burdens in Orange County schools. She also reinforces the importance of creativity in the school environment. Her devotion towards the arts has crowned her the first hero on the site.

For more information about Arts OC please visit their website: www.artsoc.org

A Colorful Adventure

I have decided to embark upon a journey; some may even call it a field trip. I am going to travel around Orange County in search of the public schools whose financial situations have slumped in recent years, specifically regarding their creative education departments. The first a foremost district at the stake is... dum, dum, dum.. Santa Ana Unified School District. I plan to portray the findings thorough a number of interviews, photographs, and facts taken directly from the source.

In drastic economical times it is easy to turn away from the fundamental necessities of a society, such as an EDUCATION. To ensure a COLORFUL and freethinking future we must prioritize in favor of public creative education.

Please join me as we meet the people in charge and the people making a change.