Our school, East Oakland School of the Arts is highly recognized because of its unique arts integration. I’ve been in education for 30 years, 25 years teaching Art Education K-12 in urban settings, (five summers were spent working additional time with the city of Boston, ParkArts program- Very Special Art Massachusetts.) College summers were spent as art director and counselor at a summer camps. I started out teaching in preschool; I understood the importance of the arts and cognitive development. Then I moved into teaching K-12. East Oakland School of the Arts is one of the small 9–12 schools in a larger school called Castlemont Community of Small Schools- (2,000 teens divided into three schools on one campus).
I’ve been there 3 years as the visual arts teacher- teaching 6 classes per day with the average of 25-32 students daily.
I’ve taught visual arts my whole career and I feel like a lone ranger. When phase-outs happen, they always phase out the arts first. This is discouraging over a 25 year career in arts education- always in flux.
I just really believe the arts teacher has to be part of a building. As the resident art teacher, it’s so important to be part of the community of the teachers there. It is equally important to have guest artists come in to compliment the existing program.
One school had 3 music teachers — the students were so enriched with knowledge and good with the task of making music. Art helps students with behavior problems; as a resident teacher, I saw every student from K to 5th grade. For example, if there is a child who experiences the parent’s getting a divorce, the resident arts teacher there is a consistent presence for him/her. At times a student could have an explosive attitude — the arts can temper that. They can sit in the art room and think about their feelings; if they can’t put it in words, they can put it in pictures.
