CDEA being presented with
“Dedication to Dance Award”

On a very positive note, we are very pleased and proud to announce that the United Dance Merchants of America (UDMA), as a part of their mission to encourage the growth and development of dance, has chosen CDEA as one of the first recipients of the UDMA “Dedication to Dance Award.” The award will be presented in Long Beach on September 18th. As the date approaches, we will give you more details, but mark it on your calendars, as you will be included amongst the honored guests at the event!

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ACTION ALERT
Assembly Bill 2446 (Furutani)

Recently we sent out an Eblast alerting you to the need to voice our opposition to Assembly Bill 2446 (Furutani). This bill, if passed, would change high school graduation requirements in the state of California, allowing students the option of taking either a class in the arts OR foreign language OR career technical education (CTE) in order to graduate.
Presently, the state of California mandates one year of either visual and performing arts or foreign language for high school graduation, and the UC/CSU systems require one year of visual and performing arts and two years of a foreign language.

This bill raises many red flags for all who advocate for the place of the arts in education. First of all, it pits CTE against the arts and foreign language, and does not recognize the collaborative relationship that could and should exist between CTE and VAPA programming. Furthermore, it creates the potential for reduction of arts programming in our secondary schools. As we struggle to build and maintain secondary dance programs throughout the state during these times of unprecedented budget cuts to education, we cannot allow for this possibility. Therefore, CDEA has voiced their strong opposition to this bill.

Unfortunately, the bill boasts many supporters, and passed easily through the State Assembly Education Committee the week before last with an 8-0 vote. Happily though, arts educators and advocates voices were heard this past Wednesday, and the bill was “tabled” in the Assembly Appropriations Committee until mid-May. There is still work to do but we, along with our arts education colleagues, will continue to monitor and oppose the bill. As the bill moves through the legislative process, we will be calling on you again to make your individual voices heard in opposition to AB 2446. We’ll keep you posted!

Included in any proper discussion of AB 2446 is a discussion about the relationship between CTE and VAPA programs, and their collaborative potential to prepare our students for the demands of the 21st century workforce. We know as dance educators, that we are truly keepers of the 21st century skills of innovation, creativity and collaboration. Knowing this, let’s work collectively and individually to make this explicit to those around us. We can’t be left out of this very current and critical educational dialogue.

Shana Habel, Co-President, Southern California
Ted Warburton, Co-President, Northern California