The Residency Lab
Creative license: Strengthening teaching and learning in the visual and performing arts
This blog post by the Hewlett Foundation highlights the importance of artistic freedom and expression, a value that underpins the Hewlett Foundation’s commitment to arts education as essential to whole-child development and community well-being. While the 2022 Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) Act represents a historic investment—allocating nearly $1 billion to expand arts access across California—significant inequities remain due to longstanding shortages of credentialed arts educators. A new analysis by SRI Education estimates that California will need approximately 5,457 additional arts teachers statewide, underscoring both the promise of the AMS Act and the urgent need to strengthen the arts educator workforce to fully realize its impact.