Dear Bolinas-Stinson Community,
At our last board meeting, the Trustees expressed their desire to move forward with the two priorities below for our students' core enrichment program:
- Equally support the Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Digital Arts
- Provide a sustainable Arts education model that addresses our declining enrollment, while maintaining the integrity of a small studio environment.
The board felt that these priorities were in keeping with stakeholder input, while being fiscally responsible and sustainable. They recognized the importance of the Art studio model, and wished to reconfigure the structure of the Art shops to run more efficiently, as well as provide space for the development other Arts.
While Trustees made the decision not to rehire for the current ceramics position, that will become vacant when Kathy Bustamante retires, they acknowledged the importance of ceramics instruction for our students and expressed their desire to have ceramics continue to be taught at our school.
NEW ART SHOP PILOT FOR 2022-23
An alternative Art shop model that offers a sustainable solution, supports the board's vision, and allows us to continue utilizing four art shops effectively, is shown below. I will be discussing the specifics of this model in more detail at the next board meeting on Tuesday, June 7th, 2022 at 5:00-8:00 PM.
The plan below merges a currently vacant full time paraeducator position with the ceramics position and uses existing personnel to staff this new position. This will not increase our staffing numbers, but will utilize our existing staff more effectively.
We currently have a qualified staff member who would be interested in this position, has studied for many years under Kathy Bustamante, and has successfully substituted as a ceramics specialist in the past. The district is committed to providing continued training for whomever is teaching ceramics in the future, as well as continue special projects (like raku) and utilize the expertise of our local artists. We hope that Kathy will be able to continue to share her expertise by provide training to the new ceramics specialist and oversee special ceramics projects in the future.
I believe the proposal below supports the integrity of our Art shop/studio model, while offering the scheduling flexibility needed to meet our school’s many needs. Below are the key features of this proposal.
Maintain four distinct Arts shops as follows:
Multimedia Studio:
Certificated teacher will:
Oversee all Art shops K-8
Oversee curriculum and provide scope/sequence the development and mastery of key Visual Arts skills
Monitor and report on student progress each trimester
Provide Mixed Media instruction K-8
Assist with Biliteracy program as needed
Collaborate with homeroom teachers to provide interdisciplinary, grade level, special projects as needed
Provide PreK Art experiences and projects
Steam Enhanced Wood Shop/Digital Media:
Classified Specialist will:
Design, facilitate, and provide Steam enhanced wood shop/Digital Media Arts projects K-8
Collaborate with homeroom teachers to provide interdisciplinary, grade level, special projects as needed
Provide PreK Art experiences and projects
Painting Studio:
Classified Specialist will support:
Design, facilitate, and provide painting instruction K-8
Collaborate with homeroom teachers to provide interdisciplinary, grade level, special projects as needed
Provide PreK Art experiences and projects
Ceramics Studio:
Ceramics Specialist/Paraeducator will support:
Ceramics instruction K-8
Collaborate with homeroom teachers to provide interdisciplinary, grade level, special projects as needed
Classroom support K-8 (Grade levels TBD)
Yard supervision (as needed)
Benefits of this Pilot Proposal:
Maintains the integrity of four distinct Art shops
Provides much needed Art Specialist support for our PreK program
Provides full time employment for staff member, in a position that has been part time, by consolidating two existing positions
This model offers the benefit of utilizing our existing staff by consolidating a full time paraeducator position with the part time ceramics specialist position and is more cost effective
Provides maximum scheduling flexibility to support the diverse needs of our PreK-8th school
Provides staffing support for unplanned absences. Art rotations may continue even with staff absences
I hope you are able to join us at the next board meeting to share your thoughts on the above Art shop Pilot, on Tuesday, June 7 at 5:00 PM. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or suggestions before then.
Warmly,
Michelle