State politicians, business leaders, educators, artists and parents are making a big push to restore the arts to California public schools, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Among the factors driving the effort is a realization by business that creativity is a valuable asset in the workplace, the newspaper says.
Public funding for the arts dried up in most California classroom after 1978,when voters approved the Prop 13 property tax cap.
A new statewide initiative, called Create CA, is backed by Gov. Jerry Brown and many lawmakers and involves legislation, more funding for the arts and increased public awareness, the newspaper says.
Among the ideas is to require more art classes for a high school diploma; mandatory art training for new teachers; a tax inc rease to fund art education; and the creation of theater and dance teaching credentials, in addition to those for visual arts and music that already exist.
One idea already making its way through the legislative process is to include art in the state's scorecard used to evaluate schools.
"The things that survive are the things that we measure," Craig Chesla, adviser to the state superintendent of public instruction, tells the Chronicle.
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