GIFTED IN THE ARTS TWO DAY CONFERENCE

What a treat! Honestly. For many of us who attended this two day conference at the Four Points by Sheraton in Norwood this was a great opportunity for networking and getting inspired. I want to thank the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Univesity of Massachusetts, Amherst, all members of the planning team, and all the wonderful students who performed for all of us at the conference. I heard many of my fellow arts educators talk about the sad conditions under which many of us are working and our struggles to turn around our arts programs to better serve our community. It is a reality that the arts are not a priority for many in positions of leadership, yet this conference took place thanks to the leadership of many others who truly support us and our students' right to a well rounded education. Hats off to them! These two days were inspiring. Our conversations exposed the fact that many of us should advocate and get more involved. I hope you take the time to post your thoughts on this blog and join with other arts educators to begin this very important networking process so we can all support each other. Oh yeah, and what about talented students?