Joe Norton resigns EdTA veep position

FCC sets wireless microphone exit date from 700 MHz band

Arts stakeholders meet with Department of Education

CCSSO endorses gathering of arts data by states

Two millionth Thespian inducted

Arts Advocacy Day registration begins

TOTS-EAT program harvests 166 tons of food

Selection criteria for Governing Board positions

Second annual EdTA student essay competition underway

Secretary Duncan releases statement in support of Arts Education

Joe Norton resigns EdTA veep position
Governing Board Vice President Joe Norton tendered his resignation to a surprised Educational Theatre Association board during a weekend (February 5-6) meeting, saying he had concluded it was the best course of action to preserve a continuing good relationship between EdTA and his employer, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Norton’s board colleagues accepted his resignation “reluctantly and with deep regret,” and then, after a lengthy discussion, appointed board member Rachel Evans to complete Norton’s term as a board officer, which includes two years as president beginning in August 2011. Former board member Robert Strickland was selected to fill the vacancy created by the Evans appointment.

Norton, who is associate director of education and outreach for Broadway Cares, noted in his resignation statement that student members of EdTA’s International Thespian Society had in recent years raised more than $600,000 for the charity, which funds AIDS service organizations around the country. “This is no small feat; on the contrary, it is quite exceptional, in that Thespians are helping us to care for hundreds of thousands of people in need by supporting our programs,” he wrote.

Recently, Norton said, he became aware that some EdTA members were questioning whether his service on the board was a conflict of interest because of the Thespian efforts to raise funds for his employer. While he doesn’t agree with that assessment, he said, he has concluded that it is in the best interests of both organizations for him to resign his board position.

“I do not wish for my involvement with EdTA to interfere at all with the great enthusiasm that Thespians have for supporting Broadway Cares,” the statement said. “And so, in the interest of pursuing the best possible relationship between EdTA/ITS and BC/EFA, I hereby willingly resign my position as board vice president, effective immediately.” (See the complete text of Norton’s statement.)

President Debby Gibbs said board members were shocked and surprised by Norton’s resignation, and “for a long time I didn’t think we were going to be able to get a second on the motion to accept it.”

“The board doesn’t believe there was any actual conflict of interest,” Gibbs said. “We reluctantly honored Joe’s wishes because he was looking out for what is best for EdTA, which he has always done. Joe is one of the best and most valuable board members we’ve ever had, and he has always been committed to what’s best for the organization.”

“The irony here is that Joe has reliably been the board’s moral compass when we have faced difficult questions,” said Executive Director Michael Peitz. “He has always been a class act and a dedicated board volunteer, giving without asking for anything in return, to the association, to the International Thespian Officers, which he loves dearly, and to individual Thespian troupes.” Thespian fundraising efforts on behalf of BC/EFA have been largely grassroots, student-run campaigns. No EdTA or Thespian Society budget funds have been contributed to the organization.

Norton first joined the EdTA board as an appointed director in 2001 and last year was elected vice president for a term that began in August 2009.

Rachel Evans, selected by the board to be its new vice president, is theatre education program coordinator at Kean University in New Jersey and a former high school theatre teacher. She’s been a member of the board since 2008.

“We were fortunate to have Rachel to turn to,” said Peitz. “As a former high school teacher, who is now a teacher of teachers, Rachel’s past work also has helped envision the National Expectations for learning in the arts.”

Dr. Robert Strickland, a longtime administrative staff member at Miami-Dade County Public Schools and author of several theatre arts textbooks, served on the board from 2007 to 2009. (Posted 2/8/2010)

FCC sets wireless microphone exit date from 700 MHz band
The Federal Communications Commission has issued a "vacate date" prohibiting the sale and use of wireless microphones operating in the 700 MHz frequency. The Commission stated that June 12, 2010 would be the final date for the use of wireless microphones in the bandwidth (specifically 698-806 MHz). Wireless microphones have been used without regulation in the bandwidth for more than thirty years. Future use of the band will be dedicated to emergency services and new, so-called TV band devices such as phones and personal computers.

The FCC’s January 15 statement said: “These unlicensed devices cannot continue to operate in the band as they may cause harmful interference to public safety entities and the next generation consumer devices that will be utilizing the 700 MHz frequency.”

In addition, a wireless microphone user is required to terminate service in the band within sixty days of receiving notice that a 700 MHz public safety or commercial device will be beginning service earlier than June 12. If a user is notified that the microphones are actually causing interference to any public safety device or commercial licensee, they must cease operation immediately.

The Educational Theatre Association, along with several performing arts, sports, and religious organizations (the Coalition of Wireless Microphone Users) filed suit last year expressing concern that wireless devices would not be eligible for protection from interference under the new FCC rules. Partly as a result of that lawsuit and work by CWMU attorney David Pawlik, the FCC is now considering qualifying wireless microphones under a set of rules that would provide for licensing, registration in a database that would monitor transmitter locations, and protection from interference. No deadline for this decision was announced.

For more information about the FCC’s ruling, go to www.fcc.gov/cgb/wirelessmicrophones. The website offers information for consumers as to whether their wireless devices are currently operating in the prohibited band and if their devices may be retuned to operate on another band. Consumers may also call 800-CALL-FCC to ask questions regarding this transition.

School theatre directors are urged to do an inventory of their existing equipment; survey other users of wireless devices in their schools and district; and educate administrators, school boards, and community members about the wireless transition and the FCC deadline.

Currently, three manufacturers are offering discounts on new wireless equipment: Shure is offering trade-in rebates of up to $1,000 on their or other manufacturer’s 700 MHz systems until June 30, 2010. Sennheiser is offering rebates on their systems purchased prior to December 1, 2008; discounts are also available for other manufacturer’s systems. Rebate claims for Sennheiser must be postmarked by July 15, 2010. Sony is offering rebates of up to $400 on select systems until March 30, 2010. (Posted 1/27/10)

Arts stakeholders meet with Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education held an arts education “stakeholders” meeting January 20 in Washington, D.C. to discuss the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The meeting was led by Assistant Deputy Secretary Jim Shelton. The Educational Theatre Association’s Director of Educational Policy, James Palmarini, was among the invited participants. The meeting was significant in that it was the first time that the national arts education community had been invited to specifically address reauthorization policy efforts. The DOE has been holding meetings since last June to discuss various education topics, in anticipation of a vote by Congress on reauthorization of the education act, known in its most recent version as No Child Left Behind. To read the remarks presented on behalf of EdTA, go to www.edta.org/eseameeting. The U.S. Department of Education’s complete summary of arts stakeholders may be found at www.edta.org/eseameetingsummary. (Posted 1/27/10)

CCSSO endorses gathering of arts data by states
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has endorsed the collection of key data in all core subjects as defined by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). CCSSO plays a major role in policy decisions by the U.S Department of Education and state departments of education. The recommendation was proposed by the Education Information Management Advisory Consortium following a presentation at their annual meeting about rising concerns among education leaders that non-tested subjects would be excluded from the development of state data gathering systems.

The recommendation states: “Chiefs should encourage data collections of school courses, teachers, and numbers of students enrolled. Collections should include the core academic subjects as defined by ESEA as well as physical education, health, and career technology education.” (ESEA defines core academic subjects as English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography.)

The Educational Theatre Association, along with other professional arts education associations, partnered with State Education Agency Director of Arts Education (SEADAE) to push for the inclusion of the arts in the data collection endorsement. Currently no data exists to determine the number of students participating in arts education across the nation, the number of schools with arts programs, or the schools in which arts offerings are not available.

EdTA Executive Director Michael Peitz called the recommendation a major step forward in the effort to learn more about the status of arts education in public and private schools throughout the country. “If we expect our legislators, administrators, and teachers to make sound decisions about curriculum we need to know as much information as possible about students, schools, and educators,” he said. “This data can make a real difference to all non-tested subject areas.” (Posted 1/27/10)

Two millionth Thespian inducted
The Thespian Society is now indisputably the largest cast in the history of the theatre.

photo by Tracina Wyatt

The two millionth Thespian, a fifteen-year-old sophomore at Ola High School in McDonough, Georgia named Raymond (“R.J.”) Harding, was inducted as a member of Thespian Troupe 7321 this fall, joining a line of theatre students that extends back to a small West Virginia town in 1929. Many of R.J.’s 1,999,999 predecessors have gone on to do important work in the performing arts—among them Tom Hanks, John Goodman, Goldie Hawn, Stephen Schwartz, Dick Van Dyke, and Madonna—and other Thespians have distinguished themselves in virtually every field of human endeavor.

Actually, if it were not for a Thespian of a previous generation—Ola High principal Ross Iddings—R.J. might not have had the opportunity to become a milestone member.

When Ola drama teacher Cynthia Sigler started her job at the then-two-year-old school in 2007, Iddings called her into his office. “He was a Thespian,” Sigler said. “And he told me, ‘I want a Thespian troupe here. I want a full drama program. Let’s get this thing going.’ ”

Sigler now runs a program that involves 150 of the school’s 1,700 students. She teaches two dance classes and four theatre courses.

R.J. first got interested in theatre as a middle school student, when he and a friend prepared a scene for an in-school competition. At Ola, he had a small role in Grease as a freshman and has worked on one-acts for Georgia Thespian events. He loves doing improv and also works as a technician on lights and scenery, and dabbles in making short films with friends. Outside the theatre department, he’s an enthusiastic member of the Ola marching band’s drumline.

He said he likes acting well enough that he might consider it for a life’s work, but is also thinking about other options, including joining his family’s plumbing business.

As the two-millionth inductee, R.J. will attend the 2010 Thespian Festival as a guest of the Thespian Society. Executive Director Michael J. Peitz said a special observation of the membership milestone is planned for the Festival. (Posted 1/21/10)

Arts Advocacy Day registration begins
Registration for Arts Advocacy Day 2010 is now open. Sponsored by Americans for the Arts, the annual two-day gathering in Washington, D.C. draws arts advocates from throughout the country to lobby on behalf of legislative initiatives and financial support for the arts and arts education. This year’s event will be held April 12-13. The Educational Theatre Association is a national co-sponsor of the event. Last year, nineteen EdTA adult and student members representing nine states attended. EdTA Executive Director Michael Peitz is optimistic that even more will attend in 2010.

“We had a great turnout last year, and I think we can do even better,” said Peitz. “I’d really like to see as many states as possible represented this year. EdTA’s role as the national voice of theatre education has grown considerably in the last few years, and we need to show that we’re working on the state and local levels, too. Arts Advocacy Day is so much about grassroots advocacy—when you go up the Hill to meet with your representatives it really does give you the chance to speak up for arts education in your school and district.”

To register for Arts Advocacy Day, go to AAD registration.

In support of Arts Advocacy Day, EdTA and Americans for the Arts are co-sponsoring the second annual EdTA Student Essay Competition. The winner and a chaperone will receive $1,500 towards expenses to attend the event. Americans for the Arts will waive the registration fees for the winner and chaperone. The winning essayist will take part in all scheduled Arts Advocacy Day events, including legislative training on current arts issues circulating on Capitol Hill; the Congressional Arts Breakfast; visits to Congress members’ and senators’ offices; and the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The winning essay and a photo of the winner will be published in Dramatics.

This year’s prompt is, “How creativity can change the world.”

The prompt is a timely one. Creativity, in work and in life, is getting a lot of attention these days. A few months ago, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued a letter stating his support of arts education as a core academic subject area in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). In the letter, Duncan said that the arts play an important role in providing American students a well-rounded education and can help them “become tenacious, team-oriented problem solvers who are confident and able to think creatively.” (Posted 12/1/09)

Find the complete essay submission guidelines here.

TOTS-EAT program harvests 166 tons of food
Thespian volunteers harvested a record-breaking 332,746 pounds of donated food in the International Thespian Society’s annual Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat community service program. A total of 282 Thespian troupes in thirty-five states participated in the 2009 program, which delivers its collected food to community food banks for distribution to needy families.

The previous record of 308,000 pounds was set last year.

“Every year, we set the bar higher for total food collection, and each year our members rise to the challenge,” said TOTS-EAT Campaign Chair Ginny Utz. “It is inspiring to know that Thespians and their troupe directors will donate their time and energy for this worthwhile cause. Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat sends such a positive message about schools and their theatre programs.”

Utz announced the following Cornucopia Award winners for this year’s most successful collection efforts: