NAEA Position Statement on Importance of State or Province Level Agency Directors of Arts Education

NAEA believes that certified visual arts educators are well served by state or province departments of education when one or more positions within their department represents the arts for all matters including those pertaining to exemplary visual arts programs in public schools. This person holds the title of arts education director, specialist, coordinator, or consultant, depending on the department. The responsibilities vary among departments and may include developing policy in arts education; maintaining state standards aligned with the national standards; providing professional development for teachers and administrators; fostering collaboration among local, state/province, and national organizations; certifying elementary, secondary, and post-secondary program approval; ensuring accountability; and creating data visualization for arts education.

These individuals are key to the facilitation of the development and implementation of national and state standards and professional development needed to guide educators toward quality, standards-based, PreK through post-secondary programs. This includes teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education.

This role includes:

• Serving in a leadership position in the state/province department of education
• Advocating for highly qualified and fully certified arts educators,
• Providing resources and training for arts teachers in meaningful assessment,
• Recommending adequate time for planning, instruction, and evaluation,
• Advocating for community support and funding for such programs,
• Promoting vital professional development for educators,
• Collaborating with school administrators to support the professional development of teacher leaders in the arts.

While NAEA recognizes that the visual arts share characteristics with other arts disciplines of dance, media arts*, music, and theatre, it stands as its own unique discipline within the arts. Therefore, it is important that the person in this position be knowledgeable in the field of visual arts education and holds a license to teach within a least one of the arts areas.

Resource:

NAEA Position Statement on Media Arts