SMART Board Member makes OC Metro 40 under 40

Congratulations Alejandro Angulo for being named in OC Metro as one of their 2011 40 under 40! This program recognizes 40 overacheiving professionals in Orange County under the age of 40. For details visit http://digital.ocmetro.com/publication/?m=10213&l=1 and select page 46.

Alejandro (Alex) is a SMART Foundation Board member and a Partner at the the prestigious lawfirm of Rutan & Tucker LLC in Costa Mesa. Alex joined the SMART Board of Directors because he has a passion to make sure kids have access to a music and arts education.

CA Legislature Lacks Vision for Education

By Chris Clark, CEO/ Founder, The SMART Foundation

Last week I was honored to join members of the LA Chamber of Commerce as a current Fellow of the Leadership Southern California Network on their annual trek to meet with state legislative leaders in Sacramento, CA. The event was called Access Sacramento and the purpose is to express where the chamber stands on key issues such as the budget, healthcare, business and education.

At first I was excited at the opportunity to witness the political process up close and in person. However, to be honest, my initial excitement was soon turned into disappointment as we were confronted head on with the gloomy reality of the current budget crisis and the crippling effects of a legislative body seemingly choosing party politics over productivity. I felt as though I was smacked in the face with the worst politics had to offer, the political blame game.

The chamber put together seven focus groups made up of 6-10 members and set up appointments for each group to meet with 7-8 legislative leaders and their staff. Four of the seven focus groups were education based which shows the chamber’s commitment to education. I was assigned to a group focused on the need of K-12 education.

My goal in each of these meetings was to ask a simple question: what is your vision for education in CA? What I hoped to hear was, “Every child deserves the best,” or “We want to get back to being #1,” or even “Children are the future of CA.” I felt through this question I was handing them the proverbial baby to kiss, and the opportunity to share their grandiose vision for education. After all, we were delegates from the largest chamber in the state ready to be told what we came to hear, that Sacramento valued education as much as we did.

The response was disappointing. Not one legislative leader or staff member we met with shared any resemblance of a vision for education. They seem to be so mired in the current budget crisis that they have lost the ability to establish a clear vision for what they are working towards. The Education Consultant to Senator Darrell Steinberg stated she thought the vision for education was going to need to come from outside of this building, meaning the capitol. Richard Zeigler, the Chief Deputy Superintendent, poised the question, “Will the proposed tax extension buy us the schools we want… probably not.”

This is not to say that good work is not being done. Assembly member Julia Brownley, the Chair of the Assembly Education Committee, has authored two bills supported by the Chamber. AB 18 deals with school district finance reform and AB 250 is regarding the implementation of the next generation of comprehensive curriculum standards. Both are necessary actions, but how do you establish goals without a vision?

This excursion to Sacramento taught me two things:

1. Although the battle for music and arts education is an every/all proposition and needs to be fought on all fronts, support for our schools will have to come from the local level. We need to tell the legislature what our vision for education is. As parents and community members we need to do all we can to make sure our children benefit from a well rounded education.

2. Organizations like the LA Chamber of Commerce should be praised for their efforts at making sure our children have access to a quality education. They understand that business is the greatest beneficiary of education, and our children are worthy of the investment.

The SMART Foundation has developed a step by step program for starting a music and arts education support group in your school or community called Champions for Music and Arts Education. To become a Champion in your community visit www.smartfoundation.org and download the free starter kit.

KKLA Radio Host Sue Fries Highlights SMART on Blog

The Smart Foundation (Support Music & Arts)
Posted on 14 February 2011 by Sue Fries

Sixteen area schools have received the first of two contributions to their music programs from the SMART Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports “music education for all children.” The schools received almost $16,000 as supplemental funding in January, with a second contribution planned for this coming June.

In addition, the SMART Foundation also provides instruments at reduced rates for qualified students. Under its GI/FT (Grant Instruments/Funding Talent) program, the Foundation reduces its rental fee according to financial need. Support from this program comes primarily from individual donations.
Recently, however, a new threat is rising for school music programs. In a recent ruling (Jane Doe v. State of California), schools that require fees or equipment provided by the parents are in violation of California law promising a “free” education. This ruling could threaten a music program in which parents must rent instruments for their children to participate. With this ruling, it is absolutely imperative that our community support the availability of music education for every child. “A $20,000 donation to the SMART FOUNDATION would provide 100 students with access to a musical instrument each year, states Chris. “With a lifespan of up to fifteen years, these instruments would potentially provide 1,500 students with training that results in increased creative and innovative skill sets, and start them on a path of success and significance.”

The SMART Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is also supported by business organizations such as the Boeing Corporation, the CPA firm of Haskell & White, and the Rutan & Tucker law firm to create a self sustaining model that grows and restarts music programs in line with national standards. It has also created a unique combination of music education support initiatives and an instrument rental plan that provides ongoing contributions to the schools.

The SMART Foundation has successfully run its programs since 1999, when parent and former music dealer, Chris Clark, saw the need for a non-profit model when his children’s school was forced to cut back on music and arts classes. “Advocacy for music education was really at a standstill when the first cuts came down,” said Clark. “We saw that, while advocacy was building, there was real need for some temporary funding so that the programs could continue. State law prohibits private enterprises from funding teacher salaries but, through the PTA and Educational Foundation, there was an opportunity to provide assistance and support the programs in a significant way.”

For more information, visit www.Smartfoundation.org or contact Chris Clark at Chris@smartfoundation.org

Chris Clark is the Founder and CEO of the SMART Foundation. SMART stands for Support Music & Arts and as a for-benefit organization their goal is to make sure music and arts remains a part of our children’s education. Chris is a professional trombone player and music educator. As a business man he owned a musical instrument rep firm and two music stores before starting SMART in 1999 and is a member of Convene. He attends Saddleback Church where he has served in the music ministry for 21 years, developed the Saddleback Academy of Music and serves as a church counselor.

Boeing Awards Second Grant to SMART

The SMART Foundation is pleased to acknowledge a second grant from The Boeing Company in support of its mission: Music Education For All Children. In October of 2010 Sarah Murr, the Arts and Culture Community Investor for the Boeing Company, provided a Grant of $4500.00 for Chris Clark, the CEO/Founder of the SMART Foundation, to serve as a Fellow on the Leadership Southern California Network for 2011 (LSC2011). Sarah said, “The mission of the Southern California Leadership Network is to develop a productive network of exemplary and diverse leaders in the business, government and community sectors who are capable of addressing the critical challenges facing the Southern California region”.

The Boeing Company believes that an education which includes the arts provides students with skills and abilities to succeed in life and navigate careers in the 21st century.

“Music and Arts education is proven to be a key component in developing creativity, innovation and imagination skills in students” said Clark. “These skills are valued by 21st century companies looking to grow through and beyond the current economic crisis. Music and Arts education is not about building artists as much as it is about putting students on a life path of success and significance.”

Boeing CEO W. James McNerney Jr recently stated, “Ultimately, our ability to compete now and in the future rests on our ability to cultivate a quality workforce. If we can provide an educated, prepared workforce, everything else we desire will follow: economic development, quality jobs with competitive salaries, you name it.”

The LSC2011 grant was the second awarded to SMART from Boeing in 2010. The first, received in the spring included funding to develop new materials for the Champions for Music Education advocacy program. The CFME program helps local music and arts advocate groups by providing materials and social enterprise opportunities that generate sustainable and reoccurring funding for school music and arts programs.

Victory for Music

From Chris Clark, CEO/Founder, The SMART Foundation

March 10, 2010:

Last night I attended the SVUSD Board meeting with a friend and Colleague Pat Wayne, the Director of Programs and Education for Arts Orange County. Our purpose for attending the meeting was to address the School Board members regarding an item on their proposed cut list; the elimination of the elementary instrumental music programs. The meeting was packed with parents, community members and music teachers all ready to make presentations on behalf of the students.

SVUSD is facing the same drastic budget cuts that districts throughout California and the US are being forced to address; they have to cut $33 million dollars which represents more than 10% of their annual budget.

After a lengthy budget update, and as we prepared to make our presentations, the Superintendant made a surprise announcement; he told the Board that through moving these funds here and those funds there (a layman’s explanation) his staff had come up with a proposal to keep the elementary music programs. The Board responded by accepting the initial proposal stating they agreed to move forward based on the parent and community commitment to music education.

A Miracle… Not Hardly!

This decision from the Board was made through the committed efforts of arts organizations such as Arts Orange County, The Pacific Symphony Organization and others providing program and advocacy support, through the 4th District PTA developing an Arts Advocate Leadership program, and the SMART Foundation providing support and funding directly to the schools. The decision was also bolstered through county and state wide support from companies such as Boeing, the Hewlett Foundation, the Orange County Department of Education, and the CA Alliance for the Arts.

Gathering all of this support didn’t happen overnight, it started a few years ago with a handful of parents and community members who were concerned over the developing trends facing education. We wanted to make sure that our children would continue to have the opportunity to gain from the benefits of a music and arts education.

Although we are celebrating this victory, we know that the battle is long from over. We also understand the need to share the process of this victory with our neighboring school districts. We have plugged one whole in a sinking ship; we as advocates for music education need to work together if we are ultimately going to “right” the ship.