Monterey County Office of Education Launches California Arts Advocacy Toolkit

MCOE Encourages Schools to Advocate, Rebuild and Teach Arts in
Education
SALINAS, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
The Monterey County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Nancy Kotowski,
announced today that the Monterey County Office of Education has
launched the California Arts Advocacy Toolkit, a resource available
for all California schools to advocate, rebuild and teach arts in
education.

There is a proven recognition that the 4th R, the arts, along with
reading, writing and arithmetic, teach children lifelong skills. Yet,
a recent SRI International study called "An Unfinished Canvas"
reported that fully 89 percent of K-12 schools fail to offer a
standards-based course of study in the four arts disciplines.

The California Arts Advocacy Toolkit is a vehicle for all schools
statewide to advocate for a comprehensive and standards-based arts
education in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts for California
students in kindergarten through high school. Complete with a public
service announcement by Dina Ruiz Eastwood (Mrs. Clint Eastwood),
background information on the importance of arts in education and
sample templates to promote awareness and advocate for the arts, the
California Arts Advocacy Toolkit can also be used by district leaders,
county offices of education, parents, teachers, state-policy makers,
and community members.

"We are excited that we can offer this comprehensive tool for all
California schools to advocate for the arts in education," said Hamish
Tyler, Coordinator/Administrator for the Visual and Performing Arts at
MCOE. "An education in the 4th R, the arts, educates the whole child,
giving them the skills necessary to be successful in the 21st
century."

The California Arts Advocacy Toolkit was funded through a grant
from the California County Superintendents Educational Services
Association's Arts Initiative, which is sponsored by the William and
Flora Hewlett Foundation. Armanasco Public Relations, Inc. was engaged
by the MCOE to create and develop the California Arts Advocacy
Toolkit. Under the grant, county superintendents work with the
business community and the arts community to begin a systemic state
and local approach to bringing the arts into the classroom at every
grade level.

For a copy of the California Arts Advocacy Toolkit, visit
www.CaliforniaArtsToolkit.com or contact Hamish Tyler at 831.784.4192.
For more information about the California County Superintendents
Educational Services Association's Arts Initiative, visit
www.ccsesaarts.org.

About Monterey County Office of Education

The Monterey County Office of Education works closely with its 24
school districts, local institutions of higher education, and the many
diverse communities of interest around it, by providing service,
leadership, and support designed to advance education in Monterey
County to world-class standards. MCOE provides K-12 professional
development, instructional strategies, assessment tools, arts
resources, network meetings, fund raising support and planning
support. To learn more about MCOE visit www.monterey.k12.ca.us.

About Armanasco Public Relations, Inc.

Established in 1985 by David Armanasco, APR is an associate of
Hill & Knowlton, Inc., one of the world's leading public relations
firms. APR has grown to become the largest privately owned public
relations firm on California's Central Coast, with offices in downtown
Monterey and oldtown Salinas. APR's client roster cuts across a
variety of industries, including agriculture, foodservice, education,
hospitality, real estate development and utilities. Services include:
public affairs, community relations, strategic planning, marketing
communications and crisis management. To learn more about Armanasco
Public Relations, Inc. visit www.armanasco.com or call 831.372.2259.

Armanasco Public Relations, Inc.
Shelley Gesicki, 831-372-2259
sgesicki@armanasco.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008