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Norwalk schools partner with Arthur Miller Foundation to expand theater teacher development
Summary
The district announced a new partnership with the Arthur Miller Foundation to support theater teachers through mentorship, residencies, classroom resources and professional development; the program currently supports five full fellows and supplemental staff in Norwalk schools.
The Norwalk Board of Education heard a presentation on March 18 about a new partnership between Norwalk Public Schools and the Arthur Miller Foundation (AMF) to provide discipline-specific professional development and resources for theater teachers.
Jay Gerlach, the district’s director of grants and a former theater teacher, described district arts staffing and the need for targeted professional learning for theater educators. Jamie Sleitmans, Connecticut program manager for the Arthur Miller Foundation, explained AMF’s model: mentorship from veteran theater teachers and master teaching artists, cultural-partner residencies and classroom toolkits, tickets to professional productions and membership in the Educational Theatre Association. "Arts education is a right, not a privilege," Sleitmans said, describing the foundation’s mission.
AMF staff said the program provides ongoing, in-district professional development, opportunities to observe peer classrooms, and material toolkits for year-one and year-two fellows. The foundation is currently supporting five theater teachers as full fellows and is providing supplemental support to additional staff named during the presentation. Staff and board members praised the partnership as a low-cost way to bolster arts instruction and highlighted a recent AMF visit that included professional learning in New York City.
Why this matters: Board and district leaders said the program helps sustain and grow arts offerings at a time when districts face staffing and fiscal pressures. Superintendent Estrada and staff thanked the grants team for pursuing the opportunity; AMF said it can expand support if the district adds certified theater positions.
