December 02, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

High standards

by Terry Tang

Using scissors and markers, kindergartners in Debbie Rea Scalero's class at Escondido Elementary have transformed sheets of coarse, brown paper into colorful Navajo rugs. Thanks to visiting teacher Sandra Nielson, the crafts project is more than coloring and cutting.

During the lesson, the young artists thought about such concepts as patterns and vertical versus horizontal lines. And Nielson even squeezed in a bit on the Navajo culture.

"I'm coming in and teaching about the color wheel, blending primary colors, talking about line and color and shape and form -- a lot of texture, value, art vocabulary," Nielson said. "I'm even talking about foreground and background. A classroom teacher probably wouldn't get that detailed."

Hired in August, Nielson gives eight to 10 lessons at Escondido each week. She visits 13 classes that range from kindergarten to second grade. On top of borrowing ideas from lesson binders, she preps her own. The only thing she doesn't do as a teacher with the Spectra Art program is grade students.

"No mistakes in art. No worries. You can start again," Nielson said. "I try to make it as relaxing and fun as possible."

Since 1983, the Palo Alto Unified School District has supported Spectra, a standards-based elementary art program offered at the district's 12 primary schools. Part-time artists -- many of whom have classroom experience -- give weekly art lessons in classes with credentialed teachers who are in their first, second or third year on the job. The rookie classroom teachers are expected to observe and glean ideas on how to conduct art lessons themselves. Meanwhile, the students, who fall between kindergarten and sixth grade, get at least 33 weeks' worth of lessons.

Both Spectra and Meet the Masters, a kid-oriented discussion series on celebrated artists (see related story), are district programs that bring attention to the visual arts, which means they fall under Sharon Ferguson's watch. On the job since August, Ferguson took over as PAUSD's art coordinator after Patty Larrick's retirement.

Ferguson comes to Palo Alto from the East Side Union High School District in San Jose, where for the last 10 years, she juggled dual roles of teacher and district art coordinator for all 12 high schools. The prior 11 years, she worked exclusively as a teacher, offering drawing and painting, contemporary crafts and AP art history classes.

Although new to Palo Alto, she has high hopes, given local residents' reputation for valuing art alongside academics. An avid water-colorist who enjoys doing hand-colored photography, Ferguson has always enjoyed applying her passion to education.

"If you understand art from the inside out, it's really rich for you and the students," she said.

Nancy Coffey, music education coordinator for PAUSD, has been impressed with Ferguson as an artist and a teacher.

"She values teachers and the art and the process of art," Coffey said. "She's so clear about how art contributes to a person, not just how it plays to a child's development, but (in helping) to be a viable person, how to deal with emotions and get them out in a productive way."

Similarly, Spectra seeks to open the creativity floodgate for young people, in an organized fashion. Spectra lessons must meet California's Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards, which were refined by Larrick. Each lesson plan addresses some if not all five program strands: artistic perception, creative expression, historical and cultural context, aesthetic valuing, and connections and applications of visual arts to other subject areas.

For those unfamiliar with Spectra, the adjective "standards-based" may sound like a grading tool for children's art classes. But the standards serve more as benchmarks for teachers to ensure that youngsters gain a foundation in art skills and appreciation, Ferguson said.

The standards "give a breadth and a depth to the art lesson," she said. "It enters into an intellectual activity with historical perspective and connection to other art subjects and disciplines."

Currently, there is no strategy to assess how much kids have learned from Spectra by the time they finish middle school. According to Ferguson, there was talk at one time of instituting exit exams in art that students would need to pass before entering high school. However, she can't see this becoming reality.

"One of the problems with it is that students differentiate at the middle school level," she said. "They start to choose. If they choose to do music, theatre or visual arts, you can't have one test for all of that."

Spectra teachers go through a rigorous week-long training session at the district office with Ferguson and other staff. Although a credential isn't required, Nielson said experience in the classroom is definitely a benefit, as Spectra teachers need to have such skills as classroom management and materials organization.

Meanwhile, Spectra educators also provide a clear benefit to the classroom teachers whose rooms they visit, Ferguson said: For any classroom teacher, finding time to introduce art in between the state-mandated three R's can be intimidating.

Like many school programs these days, Spectra has faced financial worries. But Measure A, which was approved by voters in June and brought a yearly $493 parcel tax, meant that the district was able to restore a $20,000 cut to Spectra's budget.

Overall, the district-wide arts education budget came out to be slightly more than $1.2 million this academic year. According to Cathy Mac, the district's fiscal services manager, $212,000 of those funds cover elementary school arts education: Spectra aides, a part-time secretary, arts materials and Ferguson's position as coordinator.

District money covers Spectra lessons in the classrooms of credentialed teachers in their first three years on the job. After that, funds from the individual schools may be used to bring Spectra into the rooms of more experienced teachers.

Although they might be luxuries in other communities, these art programs are seen as necessities to many in Palo Alto. Some Palo Alto educators credit district leaders for facilitating support from parents and schools. John Lents, principal at Addison Elementary, said past administrators and superintendents have been steadfast in not letting arts "fall from our collective consciousness."

"I think the district's philosophy and practice recognizes what we would call a well-rounded education from a variety of angles, not just academic," he said. "Children have a multitude of skills, all of which need to be nurtured in a school environment. Our history and philosophy recognizes the importance of how these skills play into a happy life."

Melissa Baten Caswell, president of the Palo Alto Council of PTAs, thinks another reason why the arts are thriving in Palo Alto is the level of parental involvement. She has frequently witnessed distressed principals having to make cuts, but the PTA tries to patch up financial wounds with parental volunteers, either as an aide or lecturing for Meet the Masters.

"Palo Alto is not going to cut science, math, English, those things," Caswell said. "In that sense, they're the same (as other communities). There are enough people who know how important art education is. When budgets have been cut, parents have stepped in to help. There may be less when they cut budgets, but they at least make it consistent so that everyone gets some."

Linda Lewis, a parent who volunteers as a first-grade aide at Duveneck, likes to contribute her own art instruction and supplies.

"If you want the project to be just right, you go buy the right paper for a project," she said.

Ferguson is hoping there will be a budget for some of her future ambitions, such as bringing Spectra lessons to other grade levels. She and Coffey, who share duties overseeing dance and theater instruction, want to develop the curriculum. Theater experience and movement classes are things Ferguson envisions at the elementary level because "it can't be all about kids who can have private lessons."

"I wish that every student on the planet could have opportunities that a district provides," Ferguson said. "It's wonderful to be in a community where arts are appreciated. I hope I can bring something good to Palo Alto."


Info: For more information on art education at the Palo Alto Unified School District, call (650) 329-3939 or email arted@pausd.org.

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