Lindsey T. Kunisaki '15, the Arts for LA 2024 Laura Zucker Fellow for Policy and Research and research and evaluation Specialist at the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture's Visual and Performing Arts Education (VAPAE) program, authored a first-of-its-kind report for nonprofit Arts for LA that examines the implementation of Proposition 28 across school districts in Los Angeles County.
Overwhelmingly passed in November 2022, Proposition 28: the Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act, is the largest investment in arts education in U.S. history. It increased funding for arts and music education — typically the first to be cut during financial setbacks — in California's K-12 public schools by redirecting a portion of existing state tax revenues toward the Creative Education Fund. Eighty percent of the fund is allocated to hiring staff, just under 5,500 new teachers to serve California's six million K-12 students.
Coming at a time of heightened concerns from parents, teachers, and community members around transparency and potential misuse of funds, Kunisaki's report, entitled "Arts and Music in Schools: Exploring Prop 28 Implementation and Public Perception in Los Angeles County," provides an analysis of varying district level implementation and public perceptions of Proposition 28 in practice. The report highlights both successes and challenges since the measure passed in 2022 and created upwards of $1 billion in ongoing arts education funding.
According to Kunisaki, some districts took rapid, decisive action, leveraging existing strengths in their arts programs and strategic plans to hire full-time teachers. Meanwhile, other districts are still in the pre-planning phases, while working to establish the infrastructure needed to expand arts education programs. Key challenges identified in the report include shortages of qualified arts educators, insufficient classroom space and limited time in school schedules to accommodate additional arts programming.
"One of the central insights of the report is the link between confidence in Proposition 28's success and perceived public involvement," Kunisaki said. "Survey respondents expressed less skepticism when they believed their communities were actively involved in the initiative's implementation. However, there is also a gap between public interest and actual engagement. While community members show high interest and expectations for Proposition 28's impact, few are currently involved in their local schools' implementation efforts."
Kunisaki's report also addresses the shortage of arts teachers, for which the report recommends subsidizing teacher credential programs to help ensure a sustainable pipeline of qualified educators.
"We know Proposition 28 is an enormous opportunity to expand arts education in schools across L.A. County and California. It even has the potential to serve as a model for the rest of the country," said Ricky Abilez, director of policy and advocacy at Arts for LA, which commissioned the report. "To meet the promise of Proposition 28, we must make it easier for teaching artists to obtain credentials, and we must leverage the expertise of community based organizations."
UCLA stands to play a substantial role in expanding the roster of qualified arts educators through its academic degree programs and streamlined credentialing for current and prospective teachers.
"In the School of the Arts and Architecture, primarily through the VAPAE program and minor, we are committed to continue offering relevant arts ed coursework and experiential learning opportunities for our students," said Kevin M. Kane, VAPAE director. "Our classes and academic minor support undergraduate students as they design and implement original arts lessons in local K-12 Title I schools. That's great, but considering the pressing need for more arts teachers, it's clearly not enough. We are now imagining ways to expand this coursework, hopefully developing certification or credential programs in teaching artistry, ensuring students are well-prepared and properly positioned to enter the teaching profession if that's the path they want to pursue."
The report underscores the shared desire for greater oversight and transparency in the rollout of Proposition 28. Both district arts leaders and the general public voiced a need for increased accountability in how funds are used and how decisions are made.
This call for transparency has led to one of the report's key recommendations: the creation of a statewide oversight and advisory committee to include administrators, teachers, students, families and community partners. Kunisaki encourages all community members to engage in strategic arts planning within their districts and to champion county-wide technical assistance centers that would provide essential support to districts and educators as they implement Proposition 28 funds.
To download the full report, visit the Arts for LA website.
