Re: "perhaps you can ask some parents to speak on your behalf at the board"
As a "seasoned" teacher, the best advice I can give is to court your
community.
1. Write about the good stuff in the local paper or your school
newletter. People have an incredible aversion to "writing," but we are all
writers on this list. Tell your stories about field trips, competitions,
and even project successes. Write them as you would write to a friend
making sure the stories are always upbeat and heart-warming. Take and
publish photos.
2. We have a great event. "Art a Loan," where we professionally frame,
mat, and tag fifty pieces of students work, K-12, for lease in a public
place for $100 a year. We have a gala opening allowing kids to invite 10
guests of their own plus we invite the community businesspeople. We have a
clown, live music, a magician, T-sirts with every kid's artwork imprinted
upon them, a "champagne" fountain and fancy goodies. Every year, the works
lease in the two-hour opening - a bit of a miracle. BUT, we are in the
public eye every day, and the community is proud of us.
3. Enter competitions. I know there has been a thread about competitions
diverting the art curriculum, but in our small sports-crazy school our
teams do not often win. We do win lots of art competitions which, if
properly publicized, give pride to students and their families. This year,
from our small HS of 330, we had 9 Scholastic winners including five gold
keys and an American Vision Award winning portfolio, 5 regional MAEA
winners, 3 state arts festival winners, 1 placed in the Governor's
Traveling show, 2 winners in the Very Special Arts competition, 3 winner
($100 each) in a financial aid poster contest (with $400 for the art
dept.),8 won in a local arts festival, and two winners in the Congressional
Arts Competition, (ne taking first place and winning a trip to Washington).
It is not my point to boast, my students did this, I just bothered to mat
and enter. My point is, we tell the stories and take the pictures, and the
community loves us. Don't be a mole in an artroom hole.
4. We've cooperated with the Lions Club and the Garden Club making
posters (it only yakes an hour...). We've painted Seurat-style murals for
the community and chairs for a "chairity" auction.
I'm president of the local Art Club, a small group with a median age of 70.
They, however, support my art buget with $1500 additional dollars.
5. Join some local organizations. Know the taxpayers that don't send
kids to your school who only ever read bad news.
6. I'm old-fashioned here, it would not hurt to live in the commuinity.
The other evening we were in a restaurant and my husband overheard someone
at a nearby table say, "That's the art teacher you're always reading about
in the paper." It is a win/win situation that depends upon publicity.
Tell your stories. Get out in the community. Sell your program and your
kids.
