Survey responses provided by each candidate are for voter information purposes only. Arts for LA does not endorse candidates seeking office. We are committed to fostering respectful, nonpartisan dialogue about issues relating to arts and culture. For more information, please read about our mission and values.
All eligible candidates were contacted to participate in the survey. If you would like to revise or submit responses, please contact Abe Flores at info@artsforla.org or 213-225-7526.
The candidates below reflect only those still in the running for election.
Candidates:
District 3 Candidates: Hampton, Hueso
Question 1: What meaningful experiences with the arts (visual arts, dance, drama, and/or music) did you have growing up?
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
My parents, Jesus and Virginia Hueso, gave my eight siblings and myself a love for music and the visual arts that has enriched our lives. Throughout my childhood, we attended operas and concerts of many different genres. My parents encouraged us to be creative as well. I recall spending countless hours each day playing with modeling clay, making figurines and other three-dimensional objects. My brothers and I made our own wooden go-carts. Many of my siblings learned to sing and play the guitar and piano. Several brothers sang and played for the Mariachi de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe on Sundays at church in San Diego. Several family members also founded El Ballet Folklorico de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. This dance group performed at various church and city festivals throughout the year and also taught neighborhood students how to dance.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
My experience with the arts growing up included piano lessons all through my childhood. I also studied modern dance for just a few years. I don’t remember that there was much arts education in my elementary school in San Francisco. There was no instrumental music offered in S.F. elementary schools then.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
Drawing and painting classes, both in school and outside of school. Roles in some school plays. Guitar class in school.
Question 2: What role do you think the arts can play in supporting key priorities of the district, such as closing the achievement gap, reducing the dropout rate, and preparing more students for college eligibility and the twenty-first century workforce? (Approximately 75-100 words)
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
The arts play a major role in every child's education. As a 20-year classroom teacher, I can't imagine teaching without including music and the visual and performing arts. Arts programs help create excitement in schools. They foster creativity and innovation that make for an enjoyable learning experience for everyone. Studies have shown that children who participate in music programs, for example, are less likely to drop out and tend to score higher on standardized tests. Their coordination, concentration and self-confidence also get a boost from their participation.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
I believe the arts serve as a wonderful motivator for students who might be reluctant about school. Playing school music or being in other performances can sustain student interest through to graduation, and also provide preparation for workplace skills like dedication, work ethic, and collaboration. The arts are a window on the world, allowing students’ imagination to prosper. Everyone benefits equally from the chance of self-expression. The arts can be confidence-building and often restorative as children grow and develop.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
I think the arts are very engaging for students, which makes them better students. The arts also involved 21st century skills such as critical thinking, the ability to access resources, communicate and collaborate.
Question 3: A standards-based arts curriculum is one of the five core subjects in No Child Left Behind and critical for developing job skills vital in the creative economy and the twenty-first century workforce. Yet, most often, only "what is tested is taught" in our schools. How do you envision bringing balance back for a comprehensive education and ensuring all students have access to a quality, standards-based arts education curriculum?
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
As a PUSD School Board member representing District 3, I will push for the inclusion of an enriched curriculum at all schools that incorporates the instruction of music and the performing arts alongside science, social studies, geography, health, technology and physical education.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
To bring balance between core subjects and the arts, I believe that the arts can often be used directly to teach the core (tested) subject matter. For example, the Pasadena Unified School District is expanding its Math and Arts curriculum. Social studies and even sciences can be expressed and amplified through art. Many more interesting connections are undoubtedly possible.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
PUSD is planning to incorporate the arts into a planned STEAM academy at one of our middle schools beginning next fall. We have had a wonderful community arts program in our elementary schools for years, including partnerships with local arts institutions and the award-winning My Masterpieces program, so our elementary students have benefited from this over the years. We also have an arts-themed K-8 school and high school programs (career academies) that are popular. Our district has participated in over a decade of building this vision with the community, including an annual district showcase of students' art displayed in a community venue in May of each year.
Question 4: If elected, how will you engage classroom teachers, arts teachers, parents, and community arts organizations to implement your district's strategic arts plan? If you are not familiar with the plan, how can the district make the plan more visible?
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
I will communicate with all stakeholders — parents, teachers, PTSA members and community groups, both private and public — by attending monthly PTSA meetings and being a visible and regular presence at school, district and city functions to spread the word and create alliances. It is imperative that all stakeholders understand the district’s arts plan and do everything that can be done to implement the program. There needs to be an annual or semi-annual community arts festival in a public arena that showcases the artistic abilities of our students. I will make sure that the media is aware of the great things that will be happening in the district so that the larger community also becomes aware.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
The Pasadena District does have a strategic plan for the arts. There is also a District and Community arts team that meets regularly. Still, the plan could be more visible to classroom teachers, and to parents. I will continue meeting with the team and see whether outreach to those two groups can be expanded.
This candidate has not yet submitted a response.
It is being implemented, as I mentioned in Question 3, as a result of over a decade of collaboration and planning and implementation.
