Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly Magazine Issue 16 by Teaching Artists Guild

Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

Quarterly Magazine Staff:

TAG Executive Director: Jean Johnstone

TAG Membership Director: Kenny Allen

TAG Quarterly Magazine Design Associate: Wyatt Slate

National Advisory Committee:

Glenna Avila (Los Angeles, CA) Eric Booth (Hudson River Valley, NY) Lindsey Buller Maliekel (New York, NY) Christina Farrell (Cedar Rapids, IA) Kai Fierle-Hedrick (Denver, CO) Nas Khan (Toronto, Canada) Tina LaPadula (Seattle, WA) Miko Lee (San Francisco Bay Area, CA) Louise Music (San Francisco Bay Area, CA) Maura Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Malley (New Rochelle, NY) Amalia Ortiz (San Antonio, TX) Nicole Ripley (Chicago, IL) Victor Sawyer (Memphis, TN) Jean E. Taylor (New York, NY)

TAG Quarterly Magazine Design Associate: Wendy Shiraki

Teaching Artists Guild is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives.

Teaching Artists Guild is also made possible through the generous support of our members.

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Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

Teaching Artist Assessment - FALL 2019 -

Hello Everyone, The autumnal tumult continues to swirl as our season progresses. We are so glad youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here, flipping through this document- and perhaps even on paper! This is our first real printed version of what has been a digital journal since its inception a few years ago. This month we bring you a focus on teaching artist assessment, as well as our usual updates and collected knowledge from the field. There are new regional organizations supporting teaching artists, and we hear from one of the oldest teaching artist organizations, Association of Teaching Artists, too! Our field is quickly evolving. New legislation in California is moving teaching artists from independent contractor status to the employee roll. Certification efforts new and established are evolving and connecting locally and globally. There is a new teaching artist book out! The teaching artists asset map prepares to go international thanks to our friends at the International Teaching Artist Collaborative! So much is afoot. Stick together, enjoy the ride, and read on. With Great Appreciation,

Jean Johnstone Executive Director Teaching Artists Guild

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Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

CONTENTS

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Photo by RubĂŠn Rodriguez on Unsplash

Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

Meet the New N.A.C. MEMBERS Get to know Victor Sawyer, Amalia Ortiz, and Christina Farrell, the three newest members of TAG’s National Advisory Committee. p. 6

EDUCATION FOR ALL

Mia Branco and Nicole Agois reveal 5 tips developed as part of Massachusetts’s COOL (Creative Outlook On Learning) Schools initiative to help develop a support system for empowering Teaching Artists. p. 12

TEACHING ARTIST RESOURCES: MAP, CALCULATOR, JOBS & TRAININGS A walkthrough of TAG’s digital tools for teaching artists. p. 16

THE IMPACT OF TEACHING ARTISTRY Results from a study of Arts Corps’ Highline Creative Schools Initiative show the impact of classroom teacher + TA partnerships. p. 18

WHAT MAKES A TEACHING ARTIST? Tennessee-based Teaching Artist Victor Sawyer argues that to measure the effectiveness of teaching artistry, one must ask the questions: What makes someone a TA? Who can assess and evaluate their work, and how? p. 22

22 Making Teaching Artists Employees California’s new law puts new limitations on who can be classified as contractors. Jean Johnstone explores how it affects TAs in California and how similar measures are cropping up in almost every state. p. 28

Certifying Teaching Artists

All about TAG’s new partnership with CREATE CA, an endeavor to create a digital badging system to certify Teaching Artists in a way that honors the field. p. 34 Page 5

Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

MEET THE NEW NAC Meet the three new advisors who joined the TAG National Advisory Committee this year.

TAG is guided by a National Advisory Committee, representing the depth and breadth of the teaching artist field across the US. It exists to provide input, guidance, and strategy towards our mission and vision and to connect TAG to other organizations and teaching artists locally and nationally. This year we welcomed three new members.

Victor Sawyer (Memphis, TN) serves as a Fellowship Coach for the Memphis Music Initiative, working with a team of teaching artists to create engaging and impactful arts programming for youth in underserved communities throughout the Greater Memphis Area and as an instrumental Teaching Artist at the world famous Stax Music Academy. It is at Stax that Sawyer has worked within the ever more popular music education field. Utilizing contemporary music from the Soul, Rock, Blues, and Pop genres, students at Stax Music Academy learn the fundamentals of music performance while also developing socio-emotional skills via the group rehearsal process. Sawyer performs primarily in Memphis, TN as a freelance trombonist frequently recording at legendary studios such as Sun, Royal, and Ardent and has performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival, South by Southwest, and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in New York City’s Lincoln Center. Most recently Sawyer received the honor of performing with legendary Memphis recording artists 8Ball and MJG, Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, and Valerie June. Amalia Ortiz, (San Antonio, TX) Tejana poet and playwright, appeared on three seasons of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO and the NAACP Image Awards on FOX. NBC Latino named her book of poetry, Rant. Chant. Chisme. one of “10 Great Latino Books of 2015,” It was awarded the 2015 Writers’ League of Texas Poetry Discovery Prize. Amalia was chosen to speak at TEDx McAllen 2015. Latina Magazine honored Amalia for founding and performing in the all-female performance troupe, Women of Ill Repute: Refute! which raised money for the San Antonio Rape Crisis Center. She was awarded the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation Grant and a writing residency at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. She is a CantoMundo Fellow and a Hedgebrook writer-in-residence alumna. She was the inaugural performing-artist-in-residence at ArtPace in 2018. Amalia received her MFA in Creative Writing from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is the director of theatre Page 6

Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

arts for SAYSI’s ALAS (Activating Leadership, Art, and Service) Youth Theatre Company. Serving San Antonio’s youth, SAYSI is a year round, long-term, non-profit multidisciplinary arts program. Christina Farrell (Cedar Rapids, IA) is a teaching artist, performer and consultant. She is the Founding Director of Opera Ignite, a nonprofit which has served as an educational collaborator with organizations including Toledo Opera, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Pittsburgh Festival Opera. As a Master Teaching Artist with Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, she has led classroom residencies, professional development and teaching artist trainings across the U.S., as well as Singapore and India. In 2018, the Iowa Arts Council contracted Christina to conduct an environmental survey of teaching artistry throughout the state with the goal of providing recommendations for teaching artist training and sustainable practices for the field. She has been invited to serve on the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Education Advisory Committee, Opera America Teaching Artist Network Leadership Committee and the Gallagher-Bluedorn Education Advisory Council.

Victor

Amalia

Christina

1. When were you first aware of TAG? How did you first get involved?

I became aware of Teaching Artists Guild by simply googling Teaching Artists. I scrolled through a few different organizations and their websites before finding Teaching Artists Guild. I was immediately intrigued. After attending the National Guild for Community Arts Education’s Conference, I learned a great deal more and am happy to be a part of it.

SAYSI’s Executive Director and Director of Programs both share the TAG Quarterly with staff members. Last October, our Director of Programs asked me to write an article for the Quarterly.

I first learned about TAG as I was searching for resources to support Iowa teaching artists. When the payscale calculator was launched, I shared it with several colleagues.

2. Who approached you about joining the NAC, and how did it go down?

SAYSI’s Executive Director, Jon Hinojosa was on the NAC and had to step down. He recommended me for the position. A few days later I had a phone interview, and

Eric Booth invited me to join the NAC after attending the Lincoln Center Leadership Lab. He knew I was looking for ways to help support and grow the field of teaching

2. Who approached you about joining the NAC, and

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Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

Victor

Amalia

how did it go down?

the rest is history.

Eric Booth recommended me for the NAC and after a follow-up call with Jean Johnstone I was onboard!

3. What is your role on the NAC now - are you working on anything exciting?

3. What is your role on the NAC now - are you working on anything exciting? Most recently I wrote an article on Teaching Artist Assessment for the TAG Quarterly. Working directly with Teaching Artists and as a Teaching Artist is where my interests mostly lie so I was very happy to be a part of this. 4. What is your vision for the future of TAG: 2 years from now, and 15 years from now? Two years from now I would like to see robust representation from the various artistic disciplines and the regions where Teaching Artist work is happening. 15 years from now I would love to see TAG as an organizational leader in the field that influences policy, best Teaching Artist practices, and a living record of the journey of Teaching Artistry in America. Page 8

I am the team leader of the Communication Subcommittee. We have mostly focused on the Quarterly so far, but we would like to expand our social media presence. 4. What is your vision for the future of TAG: 2 years from now, and 15 years from now? When I was first starting out as a teaching artist, I felt alienated in that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know a lot of people working in the same field in my city. With all of the technical advances since, it makes sense that teaching artists should have at least an online community. I think the Teaching Artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Asset Map and online TAG Quarterly are projects which have the potential to grow and create more connections between teaching artists. 15 years from now, it would be great for the teaching artist field to be unquestionably viable for sustaining artists. Now, that cannot all be put on the shoulders of TAG, but

Christina artistry in Iowa, and he thought it might be useful to have a representative from the Midwest on the NAC. 3. What is your role on the NAC now - are you working on anything exciting? I am working with Jean Johnstone on the External Relations committee to identify opportunities to connect TAG with other organizations. I am also excited about the badging initiative and hope to contribute ideas about how it might be useful to small and rural communities. 4. What is your vision for the future of TAG: 2 years from now, and 15 years from now? In the next few years, I envision TAG continuing to investigate the needs of the teaching artist community and strategically growing its offerings based on those needs. In 15 years, I hope TAG will be a familiar resource to all stakeholders in the teaching artist field and can demonstrate how its efforts have had tangible impacts on the growth of the field.

Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

Victor

Amalia

Christina

5. Tell me about what you do in your day job.

I know that TAG will have a huge hand connecting people to make that a reality.

5. Tell me about what you do in your day job.

It is challenging but ultimately rewarding as the outcomes and impact we have is one I am passionate about. Creating and bolstering music programs in our Memphis schools is very rewarding. Beyond the classroom my role with the Memphis Music Initiative allows me to connect Teaching Artists, musicians, education organizations, and traditional non-profit organizations in a way that increases the infrastructures for musicians to sustain themselves and for young people to matriculate into a thriving music culture. 6. If you could wave a magic wand and change any ONE thing about the field of Teaching Artistry, what would you change? I would love for the Teaching Artist ethos and values in arts education to be the default, not the exception. I want Teaching Artist methodology to be the framework for which all approach arts ed! 7. Where can readers find

5. Tell me about what you do in your day job. I am the Director of Theater Arts at SAYSI (San Antonio Youth Yes). I facilitate theatre in the high school afterschool program and WAM (Working Artists and Mentors) middle school program. In both, students create original theatre with an emphasis on youth voice. Students write the majority of the shows we produce, and their productions are influenced by social justice issues. 6. If you could wave a magic wand and change any ONE thing about the field of Teaching Artistry, what would you change? Well, the entire education system needs an overhaul. Pay teachers decent, living wages. Stop the emphasis on teaching towards standardized tests. Acknowledge the value of arts education and the creative thinking skills it builds. Can I get a few wands?

I am an independent teaching artist who works with a variety of organizations, including the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts. Since moving to Iowa in 2016, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working with arts organizations across the state to develop teaching artist trainings and residency models. I am also the Founding Director of Opera Ignite, which provides educational consulting and programming for small to mid-size opera companies. 6. If you could wave a magic wand and change any ONE thing about the field of Teaching Artistry, what would you change? Awareness! I meet so many people who are not aware of teaching artistry or its value, school districts who are unaware how artist partnerships might address some of their toughest challenges, arts organizations who are unaware of how to strengthen their educational programs by providing quality training for artists,

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Victor

Amalia

Christina

out more about the work you do? Any upcoming events you want to promote?

7. Where can readers find out more about the work you do? Any upcoming events you want to promote?

colleges who are unaware of professional opportunities they could provide for their students, neighborhoods that are unaware of how to leverage the artists in their community. I would love for there to be a general understanding that artists make great partners!

You can learn more about the work I do as Fellowship Coach at Memphis Music Initiative at: https://tinyurl.com/ memphismi You can also follow the work I do as Junior Academy Instrumental Instructor at Stax Music Academy: https://staxmusicacademy. org/ Lastly, follow my work as an artist playing in Lucky 7 Brass Band at: https://www. lucky7brassband.com/

My book The Canciรณn Cannibal Cabaret & Other Songs, was just published by Aztlan Libre Press, and is available on amazon or https://aztlanlibrepress. com/the-cancion-cannibalcabaret/. When performed live, the poetry manuscript transforms into a punk rock musical, which I am currently performing various places. My schedule is listed at http://amaliaortiz.net/ I am also completing a NALAC Fund for the Arts Grant to create 3 music videos for the project. One video has been released on youtube and the rest should be up by the end of the year. https://tinyurl. com/amaliavideo

7. Where can readers find out more about the work you do? Any upcoming events you want to promote? In October, I will be working with a rural school district in Charles City, Iowa in partnership with the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center to explore immigration through the lens of traditional Mexican dance. In November, Opera Ignite will be partnering with Toledo Opera to facilitate two-week arts integration residencies for preschools in the Toledo Public School district inspired by the opera Hansel and Gretel. Learn more about Opera Ignite at https://www.operaignite. org/.

Learn about the other members of the NAC at teachingartistsguild.org/national-advisory-committee Page 10

Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

Save the Date for Face to Face 2020

April 15-16, 2020 The City College of New York, Shepard Hall

Join the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable for the largest, most comprehensive arts in education conference in New York State. Featuring 40+ sessions including hands-on workshops, career meet-ups, informative panels, networking, and more! Registration will open at the end of February. For more information, visit our website at http://nycaieroundtable.org/. #F2F2020 @nycaier

You are an artist, living the artist's life. But you also want to make a difference in the world as a teaching artist. You know how to pursue excellence in your art form; how can you pursue excellence in teaching artistry? A Teaching Artist's Companion: How to Define and Develop Your Practice (Oxford University Press, 2019) is a how-to reference for veteran and beginning teaching artists alike. Artist-educator Daniel Levy has been working in classrooms, homeless shelters, and correctional facilities for over thirty years. With humor and hard-won insight, Levy and guest contributors narrate their successes and failures while focusing on the practical mechanics of working within conditions of limited time and resources. With the aid of checklists, worksheets, and primary sources, A Teaching Artist's Companion invites you to define your own unique view, and guides your observing, critiquing, and shaping your practice over time.

AVAILABLE NOW AT INDIEBOUND.ORG & AMAZON.COM Page 11

Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

EDUCATION For All.

COOL Schools are changing the way we think about inclusive education and assessment. By Mia Branco and Nicole Agois

s Teaching Artists (TAs) work hard to develop responsive teaching practices that nurture the individuality of our students, we as their administrators need to turn our attention to developing assessment practices that nurture our TAs and are responsive to the individuality of each classroom they work with. Design for assessment can be complex as there is often a wide variance in experience and training amongst TAs. With this in mind, VSA Massachusettsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; COOL Schools Program piloted an Inclusion Support

Student artwork created in COOL Schools showing the impact of inclusive learning. Page 12

Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

Initiative that focused on developing tools and processes for TA support and development. VSA Massachusetts, an affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation, is a nonprofit located in Boston that works at the intersection of art and disability to improve access, expand participation, change perceptions, and disseminate practices that contribute to a cultural community that truly represents all people. Our COOL Schools Program (Creative Outlook On Learning) provides instruction to more than 1,700 students of all abilities ages 3-22 each year in schools and communities across Massachusetts. COOL Schools engages partnerships between TAs and classroom teachers to develop inclusive arts-integrated learning experiences that support students’ academic, social/emotional and artistic growth through drama, dance, visual arts, movement, literary arts, and media arts. During a staff debrief in 2016, we realized that each staff member was approaching TA support in a different way. We were not consistent or clear in our language or expectations, and this was confusing for our TAs. It was vital that we create a tool that would allow for support, language, and expectations to remain consistent and transparent no matter the staff member implementing it. Our opportunity came when we were awarded an Inclusion grant by Liberty Mutual Foundation, and we were able to embark on our Inclusion Support Initiative. The process began with an internal brainstorming amongst VSA MA staff in which we articulated practices and began to organize trends in expectations, considerations, and processes for inclusive teaching practice. Thinking about how a TA goes about their daily practice greatly informed the language: What happens when you first enter the room? How are we usually bringing/ storing materials? Who are my resources/collaborators at the school? These many components, often unique to the TA process, formed how we structured and articulated each category and the best practices.

“THIS ALLOWED THE PROCESS TO BE A CONVERSATION THAT FELT EMPOWERING FOR THE T.A. RATHER THAN INTIMIDATING AND OVERWHELMING” With our first draft created, we convened our TAs. With markers, tape, post its, and paper, we discussed, collaged, and revised the document to form a new and improved assessment tool. With language and content collectively agreed on, we then together determined the process for implementation. A big takeaway was the importance of TAs having the opportunity to express a self-assessment of their teaching before we expressed ours. This allowed the process to be a conversation that felt empowering for the TA rather than intimidating and overwhelming. This convening also gave us the opportunity to express to our TAs that we understand the complexity of the job, and that we feel it is our responsibility to make sure that they have all the support they need in this challenging work. This creation process resulted in the development of the MICC Check for Inclusion, a selfPage 13

Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

assessment and coaching support tool designed to be responsive to the idea that teaching is a forever evolving practice. The MICC Check provides a set of best practices under four categories: Materials and space, Instructional techniques, Collaboration, and Classroom management. In its implementation, TAs and their COOL staff coach set a date for the MICC Check: a classroom visit and post conversation. Prior to that date, the TA uses the MICC check to self-assess, going over each of the practices listed and rating their proficiency with a + (area of strength) or a â&#x2C6;&#x2020; (area of growth). At this time, they also write notes to their COOL coach communicating any specific areas of growth they would like support with. During the visit, the COOL coach uses the same tool, system, and practices to frame their observations. After the visit, they have a discussion in which notes are

VSA MAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Teaching Artists and Staff at the convening in 2016 discussing language, content, and implementation of the MICC check.

discussed and compared, followed by setting 2-3 actionable steps for improvement. If we want our TAs to feel empowered by the feedback and support we are offering, we need to be sure that our assessment also offers clear pathways for learning. This process led our collective experience in assessment to be seen as a partnership between us, a collective commitment to learning. Based on the process we followed, here are five tips to develop your own support system for TAs to improve their practice.

CREATE A SYSTEM OF TRAINING AND SUPPORT

Developing a system (group meetings, one-on-one meetings, feedback mechanisms) that is consistent and predictable allows for meaningful discussion and sustainable growth. The system will allow for reliability and focus, and will help you get a clearer idea of common growth areas and how you can best support them.

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DESCRIBE AND MODEL BEST PRACTICES UPFRONT

Setting expectations of what quality inclusive teaching and learning looks like upfront allows TAs to visualize those practices in their teaching and consider them in their planning. Getting input from TAs during the process of naming and defining these practices is essential to keep them relevant and useful in their teaching.

EMPLOY TEACHING ARTIST-RELEVANT LANGUAGE

Avoid academic jargon and practices that are not relevant to the contexts in which your TAs work. Keep the language concrete and understandable.

ALLOW SPACE FOR SELFASSESSMENT

Provide opportunity for TAs to reflect on their strengths and growth areas and to identify the supports they would like to receive. This allows for coaching that is targeted and relevant.

PROVIDE IN-PERSON COACHING SUPPORTS AND ARTICULATE ACTION STEPS

VSA MA’s Teaching Artists and Staff collage their ideas for what quality teaching looks like.

Be sure your system involves coaching supports that are grounded in observation. Let the TA’s self-assessment on best practices guide the conversation and focus the tone of the discussion on growth rather than evaluation. Furthermore, work together to articulate action steps for the TA to focus on and follow up on how they are being incorporated.

Mia Branco is the Director of Education for VSA Massachusetts where she designs and oversees collaborations between teaching artists, schools, and cultural institutions with the goal of providing inclusive and accessible arts experiences. Before joining VSA Massachusetts, Mia was the Access Program Coordinator for Imagination Stage in Washington, DC. Mia@vsamass.org Nicole Agois Hurel’s work centers at the intersection of art, disability and education. She directed VSA MA’s education programs for 13 years before assuming the Managing Director role. She served on the Leadership Council for the city of Boston’s cultural plan, and advises on the boards of local arts organizations. Nicole@vsamass.org www.facebook.com/VSAmass | @vsamass | LinkedIn: vsa-massachusetts Page 15

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JOIN THE TEACHING ARTISTS ASSET MAP teachingartistsguild.org/asset-map

What is the Asset Map and Why WAS IT CREATED? The vital work of Teaching Artists has historically been undertaken in a wide range of settings, with diverse types of participants, and often by those working in isolation or with limited resources in far-flung communities throughout the country. TAG is dedicated to making visible the underrepresented work of Teaching Artists and to capturing the breadth and depth of the Teaching Artist field on a national scale. The Asset Map serves the field by mapping: Where are Teaching Artists and organizations working? Who is being served, and how equitably? How do we find each other? It articulates and deepens understanding of the field at large, maps and promotes the work of teaching artists, enables partnerships to grow, and builds connections regionally and inter-regionally in a field that has been traditionally disconnected and siloed in regional pockets.

HOW DOES IT WORK? The map houses account profiles to showcase: 1) Individual Teaching Artists, 2) Organizations, and 3) Programs, in addition to “field assets” – the institutions or people that support the work of teaching arts as funders, field leadership, or through professional development. Users can search or filter the map by area, asset type, art form, experience level, populations served and more. Any individual, organization, or program can be registered on the map in as little as three minutes. Page 16

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How much should you be making? You can now use the Teaching Artist Pay Rate Calculator to find out! Plug in your information and give the calculator a whirl. The purpose of this tool is to help Teaching Artists to negotiate at least a living wage, and to help hiring organizations advocate for funding to pay teaching artists that living wage.

CALCULATE YOUR TEACHING ARTIST PAY RATE

The Teaching Artist Pay Rate Calculator is meant to act as a catalyst for the field. This will help us work towards securing livable, equitable wages for Teaching Artists and for the field of arts education. Teaching Artists and arts administrators both struggle to make a living wage. Together, we believe we can spark an important dialogue about this issue and work to better stabilize and strengthen the arts education, creative youth development, and community arts fields across the United States. https://teachingartistsguild.org/pay-rate-calculator

FIND YOUR NEXT TEACHING ARTIST JOB or TRAINING Teaching Artists Guild hosts the largest list of professional development and training programs for the field of teaching artistry. You can view the list at: https://teachingartistsguild.org/training-programs.

We know that, more than anything, Teaching Artists want to work. We want to share our skills and experience and passion with the world. So, when we hear about a job, you hear about a job. The Teaching Artists Guild job board is open to all of our members (both free and premium) and allows teaching artists to search for jobs by location, type (part-time, full-time, temporary, freelance, or internship) and category of art. https://teachingartistsguild.org/jobs

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IMPACT

THE

OF TEACHING ARTISTRY

Study shows partnership between classroom teachers & teaching artists helps close achievement gap. Photo of Burien, Washington, where the Highline School District is located.

By James Miles

Arts Corpsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Highline Creative Schools Initiative (HCSI) was a multi-year project in partnership with Highline School District, funded by the US Department of Education from 2014-2018. Researchers examined the impact that partnerships between classroom teachers and teaching artists had on 5th and 6th grade studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; academic mindsets and behaviors, school climate, and transition to middle school. The study shows that thoughtful collaboration between teaching artists and classroom teachers can help close the achievement gap faced by students from marginalized communities, like those in the Highline School District.

READ THE KEY RESULTS

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KEY RESULTS • In 2015-16, at least 25% of students attending treatment schools exhibited increases of 5% or more in all thirteen areas assessed. • In 2016-17, the same rate of growth was observed for the same proportion of students in eight areas. • In 2017-18 at least 25% of students attending treatment schools exhibited increases of 5% or more in all thirteen areas assessed. • Comparing rates of change for students attending treatment and control classrooms also revealed that students in treatment classrooms exhibited much smaller declines in school and classroom belonging than their peers in control classrooms in the 201516 and 2017-18 academic years. Although students attending treatment- and control-group schools exhibited losses in both school and classroom belonging, the fact that HCSI mitigated this loss is vitally important. Belonging and engagement in school and classroom is a strong predictor of academic achievement, grade promotion, and graduation. But, in many schools, students lose their sense of belonging and engagement starting in upper elementary school. Thus, the fact that HCSI buffered students’ losses in both school and classroom belonging is significant. • These patterns of findings were especially marked among students with IEP’s, who are frequently the most vulnerable in classroom settings.

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THE OBSERVATION TOOL The observation protocol was designed to capture two areas:

1. overall classroom climate in treatment classrooms (use of time, partnership and

integration); and... the combined frequency and depth of behaviors related to the development of learner mindsets as exhibited by both students and staff (teaching artists and classroom teachers).

Observers scored the classrooms on a 5-point scale, ranging from 1 = no discernable evidence observed in this session to 5 = high level practices that create an engaging classroom. The observations were conducted in both treatment and control schools participating in the initiative. The bulk of the observations were conducted by a team of trained observers from MEM Consultants, in partnership with evaluators from WolfBrown. This cross-organizational team conducted twice-yearly joint observations to establish and maintain reliability. The protocol focused on five clusters of mindsets that have been identified in the literature as contributing to and having measurable effects on students’ learning (see Farrington et al, 2012; Lee et al). These mindsets include: Challenge: higher order thinking, larger projects Belonging: interaction, inclusion, collaboration Relevance: youth voice, connection, choice Self-efficacy: skill development, valuing, improving work, leadership/mentorship Growth mindset: new challenges, persistence, growth-oriented response, mindset Below is an example of one mindset from the tool.

CLICK TO EXPAND IMAGE

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WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING “Arts Integrated co-teaching was a phenomenal experience because I came to it with all of the skills of regular academics and the teaching artist came to it from the skills of all of their realm of expertise, whether it be visual or theatre arts, and so we were really able to work well together over the years... and I was ready to jump in and do any of the things that they needed me to do. It broadened my horizons as a teacher...and the teaching artist was always willing to give that kid a second chance or find a different route for them to be successful in the project.” —5th Grade Classroom Teacher, Highline Creative Schools Initiative “Representation matters. In my experience as a native Spanish speaker, I had students who immediately had a connection with me by speaking to me in Spanish. I had a student’s mom who came up to me and asked me questions about the school not related to Arts Corps because she knew I spoke Spanish. I formed a connection with that parent and explained my role in Arts Corps along with answering her question. Language barriers are an obstacle for parents and students. I am grateful to have the opportunity to bring my language and understanding into my classrooms.” — Sabrina Chacon-Barajas, Visual Arts Teaching Artist, Highline Creative Schools Initiative “Never before have we worked so closely with teaching artists and classroom teachers as codesigners and co-researchers. We depended on their acute powers of observation throughout the research process. They gave the research its eyes and ears.” -- Dennie Palmer Wolf, Principal Investigator, WolfBrown Special thanks to the teaching artists involved in this project: Meredith Arena, Sabrina Chacon-Barajas, and Carina del Rosario. Thanks, also, to the former TAs and program managers: Lauren Appel, Nate Herth, Jéhan Òsanyìn, Eve Sanford, Angela Brown, Hillary Moore and of course, the former ED, Elizabeth Whitford.

Read the Full Report here. James Miles worked in NYC public schools for 20 years as an educator before joining the Seattle- based Arts Corps as their Executive Director. Originally from Chicago, James has worked internationally as an artist and educator, and his work has been featured in Complex Magazine, Seattle Times, KOMO, NPR, CBS, NBC, and the US Department of Education. He sits on the board of the Seattle Arts Commission, Artist Trust, and the SXSW EDU Advisory Board. A former professor of teacher education at NYU, James speaks all over the world about the intersection of arts, education, public health, and equity. He will be delivering a TedXTalk on hip hop pedagogy in November 2019, and is writing a sequel to the nationally recognized book, Fresh Ed: A Guide to Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. Page 21

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WHAT MAKES A TEACHING ARTIST?

According to Eric Booth, the “Godfather of Teaching Artistry,” it’s 80% who you are and 20% what you know. The summation of experience, personal ethos, and artistic passion versus the traditional training, methodologies, and educational structures that dominate the academic landscape. So what makes a stellar Teaching Artist. The answer is ever elusive as many in the field and institutions of learning K-infinity seek to capture the fire and passion of the artist. The most basic answer is, “who knows?” Article by Victor Sawyer

Every artist is different, as is every learner, and the quest to codify the effectiveness of those who have dedicated their lives to individualistic expression via their chosen art form is a Herculean task to say the least. To compound the complexity of an answer to the question, “Who are the TA (Teaching Artists) rockstars?”, is the reality that every single learner ever in the world brings to the creative space their own 80% who they are. My work with the Memphis Music Initiative has led me to the experiential conclusion that in order to measure teaching artists’ effectiveness one must build an assessment structure and process that allows for individual practice and individual outcomes to co-exist. Put in other words...the assessment and evaluation process must reflect the artistic process itself. Freedom within boundaries. Constraints that enable. The assessor must be prepared for the unexpected outcomes of a courageous creative learning space. An assessor of Teaching Artists must in fact, think like a teaching artist. In my own artistic practice as a musician I’ve come to believe that an artistic experience is not a momentary event that exists in a vacuum nor is it a spontaneous expression of one’s innermost self. It is the unique interplay of intent and outcomes. The past and future existing as one. It isn’t the specific moment of the dramatic scene or the final movement of a concerto as it is performed with gusto. The arts experience is the reaction to an in the moment artistic event ie. the outcome. How did you feel about the art just performed or created? What has resonated? What will you take away? Those are Page 22

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the questions that spur the critical-thinking and self-reflection inherent to TA practice. Conversely, an artist must actively think to the future and prepare. Turn their head towards past experience to drive towards a desired yet ultimately unknown outcome. The TA and learner must actively draw from the 80% of who they are and the 20% of what they know to reach the unexpected. The intersection point is execution. By framing TA assessment as an intersection of these two sides of the coin we can strike a balance that acknowledges the “meet them where they are” philosophy for both the learner and TA while also leaving room and space to reflect on the unexpected outcomes. I prefer this method of thinking because it reduces subjective judgement, frees the TA to build a learning environment that embraces their personal TA practice, urges the TA to more deeply think about their plan of creative action, and still allows for outcomes that are judged not on standards and benchmarks but on the unexpected outcomes. To reiterate we are not looking at at the how. We are honing in on the why and the what happened. To judge an arts learning experience by honing in on intent and outcomes reveals the effectiveness of execution and (if the assessor is thinking like an artist) invites the evaluator to learn something new about their preconceived notions of the how. It takes the subjective self out of assessment and celebrates the individuality of the artist, the artistic process, and the results of intent. The how of teaching and artistic performance has been codified, modified, transcribed, and enshrined in pedagogy for centuries. Point your toes, drop your jaw, avoid prepositions, cheat towards the audience. Create a “Do Now”, “yes or no” questions, stick to progressive discipline plans, etc. The artistic experience, however, should always be unique and unexpected. It is the balance of intent and outcome that drives evaluation devoid of ego, subjection, and bias. To accept the TA and their audience for who they are and who they have become beyond the artistic event. Proper TA evaluation should celebrate the 80%.

Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

TEACHING ARTISTS REGIONAL UPDATES ASSOCIATION OF TEACHING ARTISTS Association of Teaching Artists is thrilled to announce our first ever Digital Professional Development Series. ATA recognized that teaching artists are often isolated in their careers and those outside of larger urban networks such as New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles don’t have as many professional development opportunities available to them. ATA seeks to create a network of advocacy and support for these often isolated artists by providing professional development to help teaching artists develop their skills, build a sustainable career, and meaningfully engage with community partners. We will provide this professional development on a digital webinar platform so that it can be accessed by teaching artists working across a wide range of geographic locations and settings. Thrive as an Artist; financial investment for the teaching artist will be ATA’s first pilot of the series. Taught by financial professional and former modern dancer David Maurice Sharp this class will walk teaching artists through the steps needed to empower a diversified and stable financial portfolio. Designed specifically for artists who have fluctuating, uncertain, and sometimes limited streams of income, this course will strive for understanding of finances and the investment world by offering clear, basic explanations of how finances work and tips and tools on how to participate in them as an investor. This series will have registration in real time with benefits for the participating teaching artists such as Q & A sessions and interaction with David. A recording of these webinars will also be maintained on ATA’s website for a lower viewing fee in the future so that they can remain a resource for future viewers. This recording will be closed captioned so as to make this program as accessible as possible. Find out more at www.teachingartists.com More about David Maurice Sharp: David’s unique background allows him to relate to his audience both as an artist and as a financial professional. He danced with the Mimi Garrard Dance Theatre from 1993 to 2001, as well as with other companies including Lucinda Childs, Blondell Cummings, Sean Curran, Rachel Lampert, Heidi Latsky, Lonne Moretton, and Anna Sokolow. Currently, as a financial professional, David works for Prime Clerk as a Director of Solicitation in their New York office, specializing in US and Page 24

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international restructurings, particularly those that involve public securities. He is an industry expert in both domestic and international corporate restructurings, as well as for Rights Offerings and Subscriptions, and authored several articles in industry publications such as the Daily Bankruptcy Review and FinancierWorld.com. He is the author of The Thriving Artist: Saving and Investing for Performers, Artists, and the Stage & Film Industries and a contributing author to A Life in Dance: A Practical Guide. More info at www.DavidMauriceSharp.com The Association of Teaching Artists: • Is a forum and a knowledge commons for the professional practice of Teaching Artists; • Is a practitioner led network for communication, connection, and the exchange of resources; • Is a community of practice to support and expand opportunities for the work of Teaching Artists in education and in communities; • Recognizes and celebrates distinguished achievement by Teaching Artists; • Advances policies and initiatives that broaden opportunities and recognition for the work of Teaching Artists. More at www.teachingartists.com | @assocoftas Social Media https://www.facebook.com/AssocOfTAs/ https://twitter.com/assocoftas https://www.instagram.com/assocoftas/

TEACHING ARTISTS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC WHAT IS TAMA? TAMA is a network that advocates for, supports and empowers Teaching Artists in the Mid-Atlantic Region. By, for and about teaching artists, we listen to the interests and needs of the individual Teaching Artist as we define our collective voice. REGIONAL UPDATE Over the past year TAMA has been convening, organizing and advocating in our region. After electing its first board and establishing a set of by-laws, TAMA is striving to shape an organizational structure that is rooted in the needs and aspirations of the membership. CONVENING TAMA is working diligently to understand, organize and promote regional thinking from TAs who live and practice in the Mid-Atlantic region. By holding quarterly meetings across the region throughout 2019 in Bethlehem PA, Newark NJ, Washington D.C. and next month in Richmond Virginia - TAMA is facilitating in-person dialogue to form an agenda by, for and about TAs and the practice of Teaching Artistry. Page 25

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ORGANIZING Additionally, TAMA has developed a strategic plan for 4 areas of organizational development: Governance, Communications, Fiscal Responsibility and Programming & Community Engagement. With multiple strategies under each of these headings, The TAMA board has prioritized a to-do list to begin implementing strategies. One of the most exciting strategy actions: TAMA is exploring a structure of local coordinators seeded throughout each Mid-Atlantic state to facilitate community TA meet-ups and communicate regularly with a state director. While the local coordinators develop and maintain relationships with TAs and arts organizations in their locality, each state director facilitates a two-way system of knowledge-building and support between the TAMA board, the various localities, and the state’s arts agencies. The board is currently recruiting TAs in the Mid-Atlantic region to take on positions still unfilled in some states. Consider the position descriptions. Email us at TAsMidAtlantic@gmail.com to learn more about the open positions. ADVOCACY Who will educate our local, state and regional decision-makers about the importance of our field if we don’t? TAMA members understand that part of our job is to be a Teaching Artist advocate. In January 2020, through an unprecedented number of local network meetings, we are supporting each other to make advocacy a part of each of our individual routines. Local Coordinators will survey its members prior to the day to identify a professional development training of interest to its members. Topics can range from game swaps to a book club discussion to lesson planning strategies to social media tips, and so much more! On organization day, a special hour will be dedicated to advocacy! Local coordinators may present ideas suggested by each state’s advocacy organization and promoted by Americans for the Arts. Networks can plan individual and group action steps for the year. Or members of a group could write and practice pitches to specific community member targets that they need to transform into arts advocates. For advanced advocacy groups, networks may opt to invite a legislator to attend their meeting, making an opportunity for groups to share first-hand knowledge about the field and persuade the legislator to become an advocate! We expect that an unprecedented number of local meetings will simultaneously occur across the region during January 2020. Won’t you join us? Become a TAMA member! We will connect you to your Local Coordinator, or support you as you start your very own local network. And don’t forget to like us on FaceBook.

www.teachingartists.org A TAMA organizers huddle moments before members gathered in Newark NJ for the April 2019 Quarterly Member Meeting. Page 26

TAsMidAtlantic@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/TAsMidAtlantic/

Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly: Issue 16

AN UPDATE TO LINCOLN CENTER EDUCATION’S TEACHING ARTIST DEVELOPMENT GUIDE A few years ago, Lincoln Center Education (LCE) teaching artists and staff convened to create a document — the Teaching Artist Development Guide — that teaching artists could use for selfassessment and staff could use for observations. After “field-testing” the Development Guide over the past few years, a team of LCE teaching artists and staff have gathered again to revise and deeply think through how to make the document a more effective tool. Three main changes and updates are being made to the document: • Acknowledging and celebrating teaching artist mastery as flexible and fluid • Considering the role of contextual information in culturally responsive facilitation • Highlighting the connection between rigorous planning and effective implementation These changes are helping us transform the Development Guide from a standard rubric into a pliable, useful resource for our teaching artist faculty and staff. We look forward to continuing to refine this document and including the Development Guide in national and international conversations about teaching artistry. For more information contact: Jean E. Taylor jtaylor@lincolncenter.org Assistant Director, Curriculum and Instruction Teaching Artist Development Labs Page 27

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BREAKING NEWS

MAKING TEACHING ARTISTS EMPLOYEES California Law, effective Jan 1st, will re-classify millions of contractors as employees

Article by Jean Johnstone

How can we assure that our sector stays healthy across the board: that workers are rightfully protected and that non-profit, arts, and arts education organizations maintain the ability to offer quality programs to the most people? Across the United States, Teaching Artists are typically employed as either independent contractors or as part-time (and occasionally full-time) employees. What are the differences between them, and what does the law say with regard to these arrangements? A law passed September 10th, 2019 in California throws the conversation into stark relief. Here we take a look at the history of classification and what to do next, as this decision reverberates across sectors nationally. Teaching Artistry is what we often call a hybrid profession. A teaching artist fuses the skills, practices, and sensibilities of an artist with the expertise of an educator; a foot in two fields is required of a successful teaching artist.1 Under our current system, the nature of work available to teaching artists is usually part-time; often either project-based or temporary.2 For example, a teaching artist might be hired during the school year only, or for a summer camp, or for the duration of a specific grant. Thus, its professionals

[1] https://www.berklee.edu/careers/roles/teaching-artist [2] The Teaching Artists Shared Benefits Research Project Report, Next Step Consultants, 2014 Page 28

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often operate as “gig workers,” participating in income-earning activities outside of traditional, longterm employer-employee relationships.3 As any gig worker knows, without a long term, regular, or otherwise stable employment situation, a teaching artist pieces together work at a variety of organizations in order to make a sustainable living, often wearing different hats: teaching artist, artist, educator, arts administrator, and other related and unrelated work. In Teaching Artist Guild’s 2014 study, conducted by Next Step Consultancy, a majority of teaching artists who were surveyed reported working for 5 different organizations in the course of a week. 41% of teaching artists in the same survey reported that they perform their work as independent contractors, with only 14% classified as W-2 employees. However, their work arrangements varied: 45% are paid as both independent contractors and employees, depending on the project or work structure. So what does it mean to be classified as either an employee and an independent contractor? And what legal and tax status is granted to each? Here’s what the IRS says:

EMPLOYEE “Under common-law rules, anyone who performs services for you is your employee if you can control what will be done and how it will be done. This is so even when you give the employee freedom of action. What matters is that you have the right to control the details of how the services are performed.”4 In exchange, employees can expect: • To receive wage and hour law protections (like minimum wage, overtime, rest and meal breaks) • That their employer withholds payroll deductions and taxes, sharing the tax burden with the employee • A regular method and timing of payment (2x per month) • W-2 reporting • Legally mandated benefits (Worker’s Comp, Unemployment, State Disability, and paid sick leave) • To qualify for protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Civil Rights Act • The ability to unionize

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR “The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if the payer has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done. The earnings of a person who is working as an independent contractor are subject to Self-Employment Tax.”5

[3] https://www.gigeconomydata.org/basics/what-gig-worker [4] https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/employee-common-law-employee [5] https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-defined Page 29

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An independent contractor can expect: • No paid sick leave, vacations, unemployment benefits, wage or hour protections, or other legally mandated protections or benefits. • To shoulder the entire payroll tax deduction, lowering your take-home pay by approximately 14% (and saving your employer this expense). • No ability to unionize The long and short of it: Using workers as contractors positively benefits an employer’s bottom line, but they have no control over their workers’ schedules or technique, only the desired outcome. Working as a true, legal independent contractor affords a teaching artist flexibility and some amount of freedom, but incurs more expense and offers little worker protection. In cases where being an independent contractor is warranted and legal, a teaching artist may decide that this is indeed the best fit for their lifestyle, and they may forge their career in business for themselves as such (ready parallels include the plumber or handyperson, hired by households or other businesses to fix a toilet or put in new flooring, in business independently and not for a larger organization). Alternately, arts education employers may desire the flexibility to try out a new program and gauge its success, or whether it can be further funded, before bringing on teaching artists as employees. In the past, much of this wiggle room might have been afforded to hiring organizations, but the landscape is quickly changing.

RECENT RULING = MAJOR CHANGES While the IRS definitions seem relatively clear, they also leave some room for interpretation. However, a recent ruling in California, now codified into law via Assembly Bill 5, lays out a crystal clear set of new guidelines to determine a worker’s status, and the effects are already being felt across the country. Since 1989, the main test in California for whether a worker was classified as an independent contractor, was comprised of 9 different factors, set out in the Borello case.6 Because the Borello test required balancing so many different factors, and did not include strict instructions for how those factors should be weighed, there was more room for interpretation by employers, or those wishing to be employed in a certain way, to argue their case.7 The new ruling (referred to as [6] https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-supreme-court/1774638.html [7] http://www.lgclawoffice.com/new-test-for-employee-vs-independent-contractors-in-california/ Page 30

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Dynamex, or the ABC test) makes this nearly impossible, and has had some California organizations lobbying in Sacramento to create an exception for their particular kind of business. According to the Dynamex ruling, now law in CA, employers must establish all three of the following in order to treat someone as an independent contractor:

(A)

The worker is free from the control and direction of the hirer in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of such work and in fact; (For teaching artists, this means that an employer may not give you a specific schedule, such as where to show up at what time; nor can they dictate your curriculum or other aspects of your teaching)

(B) That the worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business;

and (This means that the organization that hires you must not be in the same business as you, ie, not in the business of providing arts education)

or business of the same nature as the work performed for the hiring entity. (This means that if you are hired as a teaching artist with independent contractor status, this must be the kind of work that you regularly do; this must be what you are in the business of providing, typically) Part B of this test has major implications for hiring organizations in the arts education business in particular because typically those organizations are in the business of offering — what else? — arts education, making their teaching artist workers inarguably employees. Yet many arts education hiring organizations do not classify their teaching artists as employees, and doing so will require a significant shift. How significant? Re-classifying contractors as employees will incur a roughly 30% increase in payroll expenses.8 For a non-profit organization working in the arts and/or education fields, this increase in expenditure will mean major reallocations of resources in often already scant budgets.

WHO DOES THIS DECISION EFFECT? Even if you aren’t in California, this decision probably affects you in some way. Here’s the low-down from Forbes Magazine: “Although the ABC Test isn’t law in every state, it is being used in some capacity in nearly every state. Massachusetts and New Jersey already use the ABC Test to restrict the number of workers classified as independent contractors. Other states use the ABC Test for specific situations, such as determining unemployment compensation. Because current independent

[8] https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/pros-cons-hiring-independent-contractors-30053.html Page 31

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contractor vs. employee laws are ambiguous and lead to misclassification (one source estimates that 10-20% of employers misclassify at least one employee), the adoption of the ABC Test is on the rise in other states.â&#x20AC;? 9 Democratic presidential-nominee contenders are weighing in as well, with Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren making statements in favor of the codification of the ruling into law as a protection of workers.10

WHAT ABOUT THE ARTS SECTOR? Gaining the protections and benefits of the employee status for workers formerly classified as contractors may signal a new era for worker rights, but there are concerns from employers about the effects this will have on them, some of which are particular to the arts education community. TAG recognizes that small arts organizations may have a valid fear that this increase in payroll expenses and related costs will push them out of existence; larger organizations with more established programs may handle the expense by providing fewer services, which in the short term will affect teaching artists and students. In a field already challenged to provide necessary services in deviance to their true cost, what will the effects of this law be? It should be noted that this bill (AB5), which may affect some 2 million workers in CA,11 was not written with arts organizations, or arts education, in mind. It sought to curb the purposeful mis-classification by major corporations, including tech firms, based on the contention of the California Labor Federation and others, that the gig economy perpetuated by Uber, Lyft, Doordash, and others, has opened the door to mass exploitation of low-wage workers, a trend that is worsening income inequality. That said, many sectors actively lobbied for, and achieved, exemptions for certain workers, particularly licenced professionals, such as barbers, physicians, realtors, and notably for this field, fine artists.

[9] https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikekappel/2018/08/08/the-end-of-an-era-how-the-abc-test-could-affect-your-useof-independent-contractors/#7df566c01f66 [10] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/06/what-you-need-know-california-ab-5-gig-economybill-uber-lyft-drivers/2213459001/ [11] https://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2019/07/06/california-debates-law-requiring-2-million-independentcontractors-to-become-employees/ Page 32

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AS WE MOVE FORWARD The Dynamex ruling is clear; the law passed in the CA Senate on Tuesday, September 10th 2019, and signed by the Governor just 10 days later, is even clearer. Lobbying for an exception for our field will not, in the long run, serve our interests as a whole. It does not lift the value of the arts in American perception, nor fix a system that requires a reliance on under-payment and philanthropy to eke out its existence. It does not entice young people and artists of color to choose a career in the arts and arts education as they view it (rightfully) as unsustainable; it loses us our brightest stars in the profession, who find they must switch careers in order to raise a family. The conversation must now become, not how to work around these vital worker protections in order to stay afloat in a system which does not fully value our services, but how can we assure that our sector stays healthy across the board: that workers are rightfully protected and that non-profit, arts, and arts education organizations maintain the ability to offer quality programs to the most people? How can we mitigate the effects of the new law on arts organizations by helping teaching artist hiring organizations advocate to funders for increased support? How can we use this moment to elevate awareness of the importance of our services and their true cost? How can we honor the whole field by standing up for the rights of arts workers, while supporting the arts organizations who hire them? Teaching Artists Guild @teachingartistsguild

Jean Johnstone is the Executive Director of Teaching Artists Guild. She was Interim Director of the Alliance for Arts Learning Leadership of the Bay Area, and founded the Applied Theater Action Initiative, developing international multimedia programs for youth, programs for artists transitioning from homelessness, and incarcerated youth. She sits on the Policy Council for the California Alliance for Arts Education, and is Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Francophone School. Teaching Artists Guild (TAG), a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, is a member-driven organization committed to the professionalization and visibility of artists who teach. We are the voice of the teaching artist, communicating the depth and breadth of work that teaching artists provide our educational systems and communities. For more information, visit teachingartistsguild.org. Page 33

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Certifying Teaching Artists

a comprehensive strategy of approach to certification of teaching artists

TAG is launching another endeavor to elevate the field of teaching artistry. In partnership with a statewide arts education coalition, CREATE CA, TAG plans to develop a comprehensive strategy of approach to certification of teaching artists through a system of digital badges, also known as micro-credentials, which honors the multitudinous pathways into the field of teaching artistry and prior knowledge and certifications.

WHY: This would serve to strengthen the field of teaching artistry through the creation and proliferation of professionalized and widely accepted standards, creating a trustworthy mechanism for schools and arts providers to verify the skills, knowledge and experience of its workforce. It would serve doubly to lift both the field of arts education and its workers through a shared framework of quality, and create a more sustainable living for those upon whom we rely to deliver this content and experience. Teaching artists deserve to be valued for their services and paid strong wages in order to keep doing their good work. We see this as one way to encourage this. HOW? This is a big undertaking with many nuanced aspects to understand thoroughly. Phase One covers the following research and areas of exploration: First, we start by understanding what is already out there. We are surveying existing programs of teaching artist preparation, professional development or training, and any existing certifications. Using our initial compilation of 60+ known programs in the United States as a starting point, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll

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update it to include recent offerings such as the Young Audiences’ National Residency Teaching Artist Credential, Teachers College at Columbia University’s Teaching Artist Certificate Program, and the online course series via Kadenze “The Work of Teaching Artists” (a partnership with Lincoln Center Education, the Sydney Opera House, and the Queensland Performing Arts Center). From there, we’ll identify commonalities and differences in the types of offerings, towards the identification, ultimately, of competencies, and the creation of a shared framework of quality. We’ll also start off by collecting input and recommendations from practitioners on the topic of the certification of teaching artists. Here are a few things we know we need to dig into:

(A)

Explore ethical issues concerning salary and benefits, and the relationship between teaching artists in the TK-12 school system and credentialed arts specialists, with a goal of developing parameters by which teaching artists collaborate in the school system that adds value to the existing role of credentialed arts specialists.

(B)

Explore and discuss the validity of a credential system: Do we tie certification to an accrediting institution of higher learning (a college or university), or is the value of any certification based on the level or rate of employment that becomes accessible, and/or an increase in salary?

(C)

Look deep: will this really help our field? We think so, but we want to hear from you. We know we want to make something that works for the teaching artist, that isn’t a hoop to jump through but a useful tool to get you the amount of work you want at the rate you need to keep this hybrid profession sustainable. We know that if teaching artists can’t get this, they eventually leave the field, and arts education organizations are left with less experienced teaching artists. We see certification as a way to make the profession more viable.

What would you like to add to this conversation? Tag us anywhere on social media @TeachingArtistsGuild or email us at membership@teachingartistsguild.org Page 35

TEACHING ARTISTS GUILD

Teaching Artists Guild Quarterly Magazine Issue 16

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