AISD School Board Candidate Positions on the Arts and Creative Learning 2022
As the backbone organization of the Creative Learning Initiative, we invited the Austin ISD School Board candidates to share their views on the arts and Creative Learning in the district.
We thank the candidates for their commitment to education, service to the young people of Austin and for sharing their positions with us.
The candidates in the school board elections are:
District 1: Roxanne J. Evans, Candace L. Hunter
District 4: Kathryn Whitley Chu, Clint Small
District 6: Andrew Gonzales, Geronimo M. Rodriguez
District 7: David Kauffman
Trustee-At-Large Position 9: Arati Singh, Heather Toolin
The survey responses we received are published below (complete and unedited), listed by district number and in the order they will appear on the ballot.
Thank you for taking time to learn the candidates' positions on the arts and Creative Learning—and for celebrating and honoring civic participation!
Roxanne Evans
1. In what ways, if any, have the arts and creative learning impacted you - in your career, school, or life experiences?
My schools provided an array of creative offerings for students. I availed myself of a variety of creative writing opportunities, such as journaling, which I still do today, and journalism, which was my first career. As a parent, I worked hard to provide creative outlets for my sons, who found their outlets in sports and band and science club. It is critical to the development of a well-rounded person.
2. What value, if any, do you think the arts and the Creative Learning Initiative have for students and teachers in Austin ISD schools? (e.g. student engagement, academic achievement and preparing students for college, career, life and the 21st century workforce)
Students and teachers alike benefit from environments that make room for creative self-expression. Arts and music, in particular, add to the richness of the educational environment. And, as we are emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, the creative arts can play a valuable role in recovery from trauma, which is important.
3. In what ways, if any, will the Visual and Performing Arts and the Creative Learning Initiative be a part of your priorities as a school board trustee?
Over the years, I have grown weary of the difficult budget years when the administration and the board too quickly looked to cuts to art and music as a way to balance budgets. As a trustee, I would no more support cuts to arts and music than I would to reading and math. Music and art would not be viewed as second class curricula if I am on the board.
4. What would a visual and performing arts program that values diversity and is committed to inclusion look like to you?
A visual and performing arts program that is infused with a diverse array of visual and performing artists and musical and artistic genres and a broad array of types of disciplines would be at the heart of a diverse and inclusive arts programs. Students should see and hear art and music that reflects their backgrounds and life and experiences as well as exposes them to other cultures.
5. Please add any additional comments on the arts and the Creative Learning Initiative.
If we believe that education should focus on the whole child, then creative learning opportunities must be central to that belief.
Candace Hunter
1. In what ways, if any, have the arts and creative learning impacted you - in your career, school, or life experiences?
As a child raised in poverty, I was exposed through my public school's Art and Music classes. I was also exposed to acting and music at the Rosewood summer camp. There was a huge benefit to having the TV as a babysitter -- not having cable meant I spent a lot of time with PBS watching "Sesame Street," "Electric Company," "Masterpiece Theater," "Julia Child" and "This Old House."
2. What value, if any, do you think the arts and the Creative Learning Initiative have for students and teachers in Austin ISD schools? (e.g. student engagement, academic achievement and preparing students for college, career, life and the 21st century workforce)
The value of the arts and creative learning is incalculable for the district overall. We know that for the most part, kids come to school for those co-curriculars -- classes like music and art, not necessarily core content. The important life lesson of the arts and creative learning is the idea that there's more than one way to get there, that knowledge serves to build relationships, foster communication, and create cooperation.
3. In what ways, if any, will the Visual and Performing Arts and the Creative Learning Initiative be a part of your priorities as a school board trustee?
The biggest lever a trustee has is the budget. As a trustee not only will I continue to support CLI and Visual and Performing Arts, I will initiate and support access and expansion.
4. What would a visual and performing arts program that values diversity and is committed to inclusion look like to you?
A program that values diversity and is committed to inclusion would be accessible and would intentionally select pieces for performance that are drawn from multiple genres of theater, dance and music. It would include diverse artists along with the masters and also highlight modern, contemporary and local artists.
5. Please add any additional comments on the arts and the Creative Learning Initiative.
Austin ISD is in one of the most creative places. Yet our district has lost sight of the priority to ensure our students have access to high quality Arts Education. The Essential Areas redesign has left many children with minimal Art and Music minutes weekly and in some cases, no music at all. I would like to see an overhaul of the redesign to meet Physical Education minutes without reducing minutes in Art and Music. The district removed 6th grade from Martin and Mendez with assurances that students would have the same access to Visual and Performing Arts, but this promise has not been fully realized at this time.
Austin ISD District 4
Clint Small
Candidate has yet to respond.
Andrew Gonzales
Candidate has yet to respond.
Geronimo Rodriguez
Candidate has yet to respond.
Kathryn Whitley Chu
1. In what ways, if any, have the arts and creative learning impacted you - in your career, school, or life experiences?
Investment in the arts in my public school in Houston allowed me to learn to play a musical instrument. I played the flute from sixth grade until High School. Band class gave me a place to go and get lost in music and gave my brain a daily break from the stresses of middle and high school. My career is not in music, but playing the flute and (attempting) to teach myself to play the piano gives my brain a fun workout and provides the same mental health benefits that it did in my teen years.
2. What value, if any, do you think the arts and the Creative Learning Initiative have for students and teachers in Austin ISD schools? (e.g. student engagement, academic achievement and preparing students for college, career, life and the 21st century workforce)
The Creative Learning Initiative and arts education increases student engagement and motivation. Creative thinking is an essential 21st century skill for college and career.
3. In what ways, if any, will the Visual and Performing Arts and the Creative Learning Initiative be a part of your priorities as a school board trustee?
As a Trustee, I will advocate to bring back the elementary art and music positions that were cut this school year by the previous superintendent in the essential areas redesign process.
4. What would a visual and performing arts program that values diversity and is committed to inclusion look like to you?
Commitment to diversity and inclusion means that ALL students at each campus have access to equitable opportunities to participate in arts electives at the secondary level and specials at the elementary level. Learners should not lose an arts elective to meet high-stakes testing goals.
5. Please add any additional comments on the arts and the Creative Learning Initiative.
Students with access to arts enrichment perform better in all subject matters. It is essential to protect and fund existing arts programs in the district and continue to expand and grow opportunities for all students.
Austin ISD District 7
David Kauffman
1. In what ways, if any, have the arts and creative learning impacted you - in your career, school, or life experiences?
The arts, including music, visual art, theater, dance, poetry, and literature, greatly enhance the quality of my personal life. I am more of a consumer of the arts than a creator, with a passion for concerts, museums, and recorded music, but band was an important part of my public school experience. (I played saxophone in the concert band, jazz band, and marching band.) Watching my own children perform in choir, band, and theater or create art at home took my appreciation to a whole new level. Music helped me to learn Spanish, and now my whole family knows the bilingual songs of José Luis Orozco. Although I was an amateur musician, I brought a guitar to school and sang with my sixth grade students. As a principal and district administrator, I fully supported the arts and creative learning, including supporting art and music teachers, extracurricular opportunities for students, and professional performances for our students.
2. What value, if any, do you think the arts and the Creative Learning Initiative have for students and teachers in Austin ISD schools? (e.g. student engagement, academic achievement and preparing students for college, career, life and the 21st century workforce)
The arts are an essential component of a complete education, worth learning to create and appreciate for their own sake. In addition, the arts can support multiple pathways for students to access other curriculum areas, including speaking, reading, math, science, and social studies. Furthermore, arts classes and extracurricular activities help many students to enjoy school and develop authentic relationships, and sometimes provide a safe environment for students to be themselves. Creative Learning Initiative has been providing support for arts integration in AISD for years, and I have witnessed wonderful examples of how this strengthens instruction, motivates students, helps differentiate instruction, and makes learning more fun.
3. In what ways, if any, will the Visual and Performing Arts and the Creative Learning Initiative be a part of your priorities as a school board trustee?
As an AISD Board Trustee, I will support the Visual and Performing Arts as an integral part of the curriculum and advocate for investments and other support for the Creative Learning Initiative to strengthen instruction and improve student educational outcomes. As soon as possible upon joining the Board, I will join with a majority of fellow trustees to require that the Superintendent provide concrete, specific, and accurate data regarding the impact of the recent changes to essential areas and to adjust the plan as needed based on that data. I will also propose changes in policy and the Superintendent’s evaluation process to ensure that future decisions that significantly impact students, teachers, and programs are made collaboratively and transparently.
4. What would a visual and performing arts program that values diversity and is committed to inclusion look like to you?
The quantity and quality of visual and performing arts programs should be consistent across schools so that all students have access. That said, there is a benefit to having some schools of choice that provide enhanced programming for students specifically seeking those experiences. The curriculum and teaching staff for visual and performing arts classes and activities should reflect the rich diversity of the Austin community. Enrollment, participation, and achievement data should inform changes to the program.
5. Please add any additional comments on the arts and the Creative Learning Initiative.
I am grateful to all of the AISD students, staff, families, and partners who provide arts and creative learning opportunities at Austin schools.
Austin ISD At-Large Position 9
Heather Toolin
Candidate has yet to respond.
Arati Singh
1. In what ways, if any, have the arts and creative learning impacted you - in your career, school, or life experiences?
I have ten technology-related patents to my name, which took a bit of creativity. Being creative allows one to identify unique problems and unique solutions; it is fulfilling intellectually and is very empowering to see one’s creativity result in something tangible. I am also the mom of two classical Indian dancers, and have greatly enjoyed watching them develop socially, physically, and mentally through this practice.
2. What value, if any, do you think the arts and the Creative Learning Initiative have for students and teachers in Austin ISD schools? (e.g. student engagement, academic achievement and preparing students for college, career, life and the 21st-century workforce)
With our high stakes testing environment, school systems sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that good results come from intense “drill and kill” worksheets and memorization. This is absolutely untrue. The CLI supports AISD in creating environments that respond to the brain science research, which clearly states that trauma-informed practices, creativity, and culturally relevant learning are key pathways to prepare students for college, career, and life. In fact, a 2020 AISD report found that ": Creative Teaching had a significant impact on the change in STAAR reading scores from 2016–2017 to 2017–2018 for students who had teachers using Creative Teaching at least 1.5 times per week, with moderate competency."
3. In what ways, if any, will the Visual and Performing Arts and the Creative Learning Initiative be a part of your priorities as a school board trustee?
I will support creative instruction across the curriculum by ensuring arts funding is adequate and equitable across the district, that our 1882 partnerships include creative learning opportunities and have access to CLI, that students’ access to arts are not reduced through the essential areas redesign, that the district preserve requirements for teachers to be properly credentialed, spread the word about CLI events and achievements, and request information about studies on the impact of creative learning on student success. I would also include questions about creative learning in the superintendent interview process. I am also available to meet with CLI staff or partners any time!
4. What would a visual and performing arts program that values diversity and is committed to inclusion look like to you?
An arts program the values diversity and inclusion would look like having an abundance of opportunities for students to engage, regardless of their zip code. It would look like culturally-inclusive arts activities—from various regions of the world. It would look like deliberately creating a pipeline of diverse students to enter our arts-related special programs at Lamar, McCallum, etc. but also ensure EVERY school is an art-rich school. It would look like having ample teacher training and student field trip opportunities that are inclusive of languages and students of various abilities. I appreciate that CLI is already doing so much in this area, including its new within-school and between-school “inclusive participation” measures.
5. Please add any additional comments on the arts and the Creative Learning Initiative.
I want to mention that the arts are an important way for families to become engaged in their children's schools. Just last night I attended a Diwali celebration at Patton ES, and we saw so many families from my community there dancing, creating rangolis (sand mandalas), and breaking barriers. I have seen a similar phenomenon at other campuses during their international celebrations. The arts build our brains, but they also build our hearts!