Arts education of all types is a necessity, and Jolene is an exceptional teacher. I hope with these unfortunate cuts she considers doing and is offered more work at SRJC, where her students could continue their studies with her while in high school and beyond.
I’m an alum from El Molino and it is sad to see our west county schools struggling. But happy to see so much support for the dance program at Analy. When I was at El Molino I was in the dance program where we learned to use our bodies, our strength and expression to make beautiful art. Hope the dance building is still being used in some way! I would absolutely be happy to jump on an organizing campaign to help the dance program at Analy and it is commendable work Jolene is doing with her students.
Thank you for the story. I think our extended community can easily raise $30,000 to keep the dance program alive at Analy. When arts and special program funding cuts were threatened at Kenwood around ?2008 or so, the community came together and geld a silent auction. They raised a million dollars!
We can raise $30,000 in the WSCUHSD territory and with help from alumni and supporters. Is there an Analy Boosters or PTA or appropriate parent-community organization to receive the funds and transfer them to the District? If so, and if the process in Sebastopol/Analy/WSCUHSD works like in SF & Kenwood & other places, I'm happy to donate the first $100 towards funding the full dance program at Analy HS for the 2025-2026 school year.
Honestly, I consider it a good investment in our community public health and safety Dance has been so important in my life :)
It is surprising to me thst the District has identified a significant student mental health crisis amd threatens to cut the dance program and others. But I should have known! They're painting the El Molino campus dsrk grey -- "Paint it Black." It's sad that the darkness is now being exported to Forestville, to paint our well loved 41 acre high school campus that is now fully devoted to at-risk high school students rather will now be painted black, in my opinion. I'm not going to argue about whether it's dark grey or black. How offensive, and in complete violation of the Board's commitment to the El Molino community.
Nonetheless, I'm happy to donate $100 to keep the Analy dance program fully funded for the 2025-26 school year. Thank you 💃
Oops! Scratch that. Just read in the SF Standard that PTA donations can no longer be used to hire teachers in schools where positions are being cut. Don't know why cuz I can't read the whole article, not being a subscriber. Argonne Elementary in SF. I'll try to contact CA DOE to get the info -- I think that ban on allowing parent groups to fund teacher positions should be put on hold during this period of education funding chaos and uncertainty. Very silly to let our educational programs deteriorate when supportive funds to restore programs may be available. Sad that WSCUHSD has so much public money locked up in facilities and building projects -- would be nice if there were more funds available for educating students. Paint it black!
I feel like this story is missing discussion of what might potentially be cut instead, or whether there might be some other pathway to getting the necessary funding for arts programs. Obviously there won't be any federal money, but there is clearly a lot of community support here.
As a proud Analy grad-Go Tigers!-whose music and theater roots were firmly planted there, I can say that this is more than disheartening. And, once again, I fear that those who are tasked with doing work in the best interests of their constituents are not actually listening to what those constituents want. Having sat on many a Board tasked with making responsible fiscal decisions, I know that it is a difficult and taxing job to do so. I applaud those willing to take it on. But I also know that the voices of the community need to be strongly considered in these moments and not as an afterthought. And, in my opinion, the temperature of the political climate in this country at the moment might also be considered here. The arts are under attack at the Federal level. Let's do our best to protect and support them locally.
Arts education of all types is a necessity, and Jolene is an exceptional teacher. I hope with these unfortunate cuts she considers doing and is offered more work at SRJC, where her students could continue their studies with her while in high school and beyond.
I’m an alum from El Molino and it is sad to see our west county schools struggling. But happy to see so much support for the dance program at Analy. When I was at El Molino I was in the dance program where we learned to use our bodies, our strength and expression to make beautiful art. Hope the dance building is still being used in some way! I would absolutely be happy to jump on an organizing campaign to help the dance program at Analy and it is commendable work Jolene is doing with her students.
Thank you for the story. I think our extended community can easily raise $30,000 to keep the dance program alive at Analy. When arts and special program funding cuts were threatened at Kenwood around ?2008 or so, the community came together and geld a silent auction. They raised a million dollars!
We can raise $30,000 in the WSCUHSD territory and with help from alumni and supporters. Is there an Analy Boosters or PTA or appropriate parent-community organization to receive the funds and transfer them to the District? If so, and if the process in Sebastopol/Analy/WSCUHSD works like in SF & Kenwood & other places, I'm happy to donate the first $100 towards funding the full dance program at Analy HS for the 2025-2026 school year.
Honestly, I consider it a good investment in our community public health and safety Dance has been so important in my life :)
It is surprising to me thst the District has identified a significant student mental health crisis amd threatens to cut the dance program and others. But I should have known! They're painting the El Molino campus dsrk grey -- "Paint it Black." It's sad that the darkness is now being exported to Forestville, to paint our well loved 41 acre high school campus that is now fully devoted to at-risk high school students rather will now be painted black, in my opinion. I'm not going to argue about whether it's dark grey or black. How offensive, and in complete violation of the Board's commitment to the El Molino community.
Nonetheless, I'm happy to donate $100 to keep the Analy dance program fully funded for the 2025-26 school year. Thank you 💃
Oops! Scratch that. Just read in the SF Standard that PTA donations can no longer be used to hire teachers in schools where positions are being cut. Don't know why cuz I can't read the whole article, not being a subscriber. Argonne Elementary in SF. I'll try to contact CA DOE to get the info -- I think that ban on allowing parent groups to fund teacher positions should be put on hold during this period of education funding chaos and uncertainty. Very silly to let our educational programs deteriorate when supportive funds to restore programs may be available. Sad that WSCUHSD has so much public money locked up in facilities and building projects -- would be nice if there were more funds available for educating students. Paint it black!
I feel like this story is missing discussion of what might potentially be cut instead, or whether there might be some other pathway to getting the necessary funding for arts programs. Obviously there won't be any federal money, but there is clearly a lot of community support here.
I just heard that there might be developments on this front. Will know more soon.
As a proud Analy grad-Go Tigers!-whose music and theater roots were firmly planted there, I can say that this is more than disheartening. And, once again, I fear that those who are tasked with doing work in the best interests of their constituents are not actually listening to what those constituents want. Having sat on many a Board tasked with making responsible fiscal decisions, I know that it is a difficult and taxing job to do so. I applaud those willing to take it on. But I also know that the voices of the community need to be strongly considered in these moments and not as an afterthought. And, in my opinion, the temperature of the political climate in this country at the moment might also be considered here. The arts are under attack at the Federal level. Let's do our best to protect and support them locally.