In a city where the skyline is as varied as its population, the arts scene in Seattle Public Schools is experiencing a renaissance, or so says the buzz around town. Over the past decade, The Creative Advantage, Seattle's answer to arts education deficits, has expanded its reach – increasing the number of arts teachers from 189 to a more robust 253, as Art Beat reported.
This March, which is recognized as Arts Education Month, advocates like CreateCA are pushing hard to ensure that every young mind in Seattle has access to the arts. It's not hard to see why. With the Media Arts Skills Center now up and running, funded by big names like the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, opportunities for student growth in the arts are better than ever. And, for those keeping score, every single one of the city's 73 elementary schools now boasts at least one arts discipline.
But the changes aren't just about quantity; they're about quality and access too. The city's middle schools now recommend two semesters of arts education, and high schools have set a state requirement of two arts credits for graduation. On top of this, professional development systems are being bolstered to keep arts educators at the top of their game. The numbers are especially promising for students of color and those who previously found themselves on the outskirts of educational justice, with notable gains in equity for Latinx and Black students, according to their statement.
The infrastructure supporting arts education has also seen some tightening up. Seattle Public Schools has coordinated a system for arts partnerships through The Creative Advantage Community Arts Partner Roster. What's more, the initiative has not only flowered in the community but has taken root in the schools themselves. Eighty-six out of 104 Creative Advantage schools now have arts visions, action plans, and partnerships. And by next year, they're planning on being, in every school, period. Add to that a long-term commitment by the City & District to keep central office staff in the SPS Visual & Performing Arts department, and you've got a formula for sustained arts advocacy.
There's something else worth noting – a statewide initiative called Arts 4 All. It's gunning for the same kind of comprehensive arts access throughout Washington, proving that Seattle isn't the only city recognizing the essential ingredients in the arts can be for a student's education stew. If the progress in Seattle's public schools is any indicator, the arts might just be setting the stage for a veritable cultural revolution in the state's education. With such a focus on creative disciplines, who knows what future masterpieces might be born from the halls of Seattle's learning institutions?
