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Lesson Plans


Beware! Art Coordinator? <LYR4069-9028-2000.03.10-16.33.29--apeshet#pacbell.net>

From: Alix E. Peshette (apeshet)
Date: Sat Mar 11 2000 - 09:11:05 PST

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    Hi All,
    I have tried to restrain myself during this topic, but finally have to
    say something about art coordinator positions based on my
    experience.

    I was the district level Elementary Visual Arts Coordinator for a
    Northern California school district for nine years. The position was
    soft-funded by a non-profit and matching funds by the school
    district. My job description was pretty-wide open as they had
    never had that position before; so I created the job. It was a 50%
    classified position, no benefits.

    For the first four years it was wonderful. I did staff development,
    created curriculum packages, developed 'art cadre' people at each
    school, ordered art supplies for special art boxes, had a recycling
    program for 'art supplies', ordered all the art prints, labeled and
    created art questions for them and did some demonstration
    lessons in the classroom - on a 50% position. I was often on 1-3
    job sites in the morning and then moved across town (on my non-
    existent lunch time) to teach 3 periods of art at the junior high (hey,
    I needed a full-time job and I cobbled together these two jobs to
    make one salary) The program won a California Golden Bell Award
    for excellence.

    Then the school district grew, and while they hinted they would
    someday add more time to the position, they never did. In the
    meantime, principals demanded that I give more time to each of the
    now seven campuses. So, in the end, I was a dog and pony show
    going into one-hundred classrooms a year ONCE! Needless to
    say, this was NOT an art program, I was always sick and
    exhausted and being layed off each year due to soft funding. It
    was the ultimate use and abuse! On the last lay-off, I had just
    received a social studies authorization added to my credential and I
    left to be in my junior high full-time as social studies and art. It was
    the best decision of my teaching career in that district!

    Everyone was surprised and saddened, but when principals were
    asked to fund the position for the following year, they decided that
    if I wasn't going to do it, they would let the position die; and so they
    did. This wasn't a testament to my wonderful program, it was the
    realization that no one would be likely to work under the same
    conditions as I had for nine years!

    The moral to this story? Beware of art coordinator positions that
    expect the moon and stars, put you on many sites per day and are
    only very part-time positions!! Many thanks to all of you for letting
    me vent; I have never told this story on ArtsEdNet and I know it
    probably sounds like I am bitter about it. I now consider it a
    valuable learning experience and a benchmark of what I will NOT
    put up with again in my career!

    -Alix Peshette

      

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