BARACK OBAMA:  A Champion for Arts and Culture

A PLATFORM IN SUPPORT OF THE ARTS

Reinvest in Arts Education: To remain competitive in the global economy, America needs to reinvigorate the kind of creativity and innovation that has made this country great. To do so, we must nourish our children’s creative skills. In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts education. Unfortunately, many school districts are cutting instructional time for art and music education. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that the arts should be a central part of effective teaching and learning. The Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts recently said “The purpose of arts education is not to

produce more artists, though that is a byproduct. The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society.”

REPORT ON THE STATUS OF PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA, 2004

With Special Emphasis on the Status of Equality in Public School Education - A Survey of a Cross-Section of Classroom Teachers In California Public Schools

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Between February 12 and March 7, 2004, the Peter Harris Research Group on behalf of Louis Harris conducted a total of 1056 telephone interviews with teachers in California. The margin of error for a survey of 1056 teachers is approximately ±3 percentage points. This follows a similar survey conducted in 2002 by Louis Harris for the Rockefeller Foundation that measured gaps in the basic conditions for learning in schools with high numbers of at-risk students compared to the majority of schools with relatively low numbers of at-risk students.  The 2004 survey asked teachers about a proposal developed by researchers and being considered in Sacramento. Both surveys used a new set of measures that document basic conditions for learning using teachers as de facto reporters. These surveys document the observations of more than 1000 witnesses to California education, as it is actually taking place in the classroom. The results are striking:

1.            Fifty years ago, Brown vs. the Board of Education promised an equal education to all of America’s children. This survey of California’s teachers reveals that this promise is being broken every day: far too many California children are not getting a quality education and African-American and Latino students, in particular, are not given a fair and equal opportunity to learn.

2.            Many California students are not getting a quality education. This poll documents in detail that huge numbers of schools fail to hire and keep qualified teachers, far too many students lack textbooks and other essential materials to use in school or at home, many classrooms are severely overcrowded, and large numbers of schools are infested with rats and cockroaches.

3.            The survey shows for the first time that teachers overwhelmingly support a new proposal to improve public schools by setting budgets based on individual student needs and giving local schools both authority and accountability, not only for student

Prepared for the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

By LOUIS HARRIS with the Peter Harris Research Group

May 2004, Louis Harris for the Hewlett Foundation

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