Lt. Governor’s Creative Economy Convening

Guest Speakers

Brianna Schetzler, a visual arts teacher at Odessa High School, Appoquinimick District shared insights on the visual and performing arts pathways, where students are currently receiving one-on-one counseling to identify and direct their interests and work-based learning in the arts. The program allows students to collaborate with community artists and explore their interests within the arts and create outlets, providing real life experiences and opportunities for students. She emphasized the importance of skill-building opportunities for art students, to further the fact that there are viable career options in the arts. Schetzler also highlighted the need to shift the mentality and perception of the arts, encouraging communities to see artistic careers as a worthwhile option, which with time, resources, and support, can lead to long-term benefits and return on students coming back to their artistic communities. As emphasized, those pathways developed for arts students are done locally and only within certain schools and districts, which is different from a state-accredited or state-designated pathway. Funding is directed towards the pathways that the state sees as areas of job growth, such as engineering or healthcare, but fails to address and support the arts pathways in Delaware which are booming and producing well-rounded students.  

Tracy Friswell-Jacobs, a theater teacher at MOT Charter High School, Delaware Thespians Chapter Director, and owner of the Delaware Arts Conservatory in Bear, discussed the importance of educating students on the numerous career opportunities in the arts available in Delaware. She highlighted the challenges and opportunities regarding the integration of the arts in Delaware’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways. Nationally, the Visual and Performing arts are recognized as pathways, but Delaware does not currently include them in CTE funding. This lack of funding creates inequitable access resulting in a highly limited perspective, absence of recognition statistically in careers and futures within the Arts, and presents challenges to supporting the costs and manpower necessary to support CTE programming. Tracy advocates for building a standalone arts pathway that emphasizes performance skills, rather than combining with other pathways through arts entrepreneurship. This will be challenging though, as not all schools are in the situation to develop their own programs without state support. She also emphasizes the importance of educating students and families about the thriving possibilities, opportunities, and legitimate, profitable careers within the arts sector. Delaware is in a position to be a leader in the Arts pathway movement, which will further stimulate the Creative Economy and encourage growth, starting with high school students.

Mary Caligiure, a K-8 vocal music educator at an Arts Magnet Middle School in the Indian River School District, spoke on her students developing strong skills and passion for the art over 9 years, but then can lose access to art programs when entering high school due to lost momentum or limited availability, which results in a loss of interest in further pursuing an arts education. Her district specifically is facing a referendum, which if fails, will most likely cut the entire arts program entirely. Mary suggests that a CTE arts pathway with state-level funding would provide more stability and protection for the arts and further contribute to the creative economy. She also addresses equity concerns, pointing out that districts may not have equal access to artistic opportunities, which requires a state-backed solution to ensure all students have access to an artistic education. If done so, Delaware has the potential to lead efforts in closing equity gaps in arts education nationally.  

Lt. Governor Kyle Evans Gay reflected on these insights and emphasized the importance of addressing problems in the ‘middle area’ of government which is where leadership can connect with those impacted by their policies and make changes that better serve their constituents day-to-day. She also acknowledged the value of the points made earlier regarding better, more representative data tracking to reflect the work done in artistic sectors and the challenges with funding on state and individual school district levels. She also expresses commitment to working on these comments and suggestions, focusing on adjustments to the current systems while thanking everyone for their contributions and taking the time to help address these concerns.