Arts Education is Creativity in the Classroom. This Organization is Restoring Arts in our Schools.

What happens when a community decides the arts aren’t a luxury — they’re essential?

In this episode, I sit down with Allison Cagley, Executive Director and the driving force behind Friends of Sacramento Arts, an organization leading the charge to restore arts and music education in public schools across our region.

We talk about what was lost after Prop 13, what’s possible through Prop 28, and why this moment is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Sacramento’s students.

This conversation goes far beyond paintbrushes and pianos.

We explore:

• Why arts education impacts graduation rates, attendance, and student engagement
• How creativity fuels workforce readiness and economic development
• The long game of advocacy — and why patience and persistence matter
• The real challenges of implementing Prop 28 funding
• What it looks like when students finally have access to choir, band, theater, and visual arts

Allison shares how this small but mighty nonprofit has navigated pandemic pivots, state-level partnerships, and school district bureaucracy to keep one bold vision alive:

Arts every day. For Every child. In Every school.

We also talk about the deeper human impact — the moment when a child beams on stage, when parents from 15 different cultures gather in a school cafeteria to watch their kids shine, and when students say, “The only reason I come to school is my drama class.”

That’s not enrichment.
That’s belonging.

If you care about Sacramento’s future — its culture, workforce, and community vibrancy — this episode matters.

About Friends of Sacramento Arts

Friends of Sacramento Arts advocates for equitable, comprehensive arts and music education in public schools. Through policy engagement, statewide partnerships, and community leadership, they are working to ensure every student has access to meaningful arts learning opportunities.

🔗 Learn more: https://friendsofsacramentoarts.org
🎉 Arts Education Month Celebration: Every March

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story!  We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/  And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing. 

Transcript

Allison Cagley: [00:00:00] So you think about a child, seven or eight years old and they have an opportunity to to be in a choir, and a lot of the schools in our area have maybe 15 or 20 different cultures and languages spoken. And so the parents from all those different cultures come together in the cafeteria on an evening to watch their children shine, and their kids are standing there waving at mom and dad.

It provides that sense of community and celebrating. It's not about competition. And to see their children engaging with each other.

Jeff Holden: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. Our purpose and passion are simple to highlight the incredible nonprofits that make our communities stronger. Each episode is a chance for these organizations to tell their story in their words, sharing, not just what they do. But why it [00:01:00] matters to the people they serve, to their supporters, and to all of us who believe in the power of community.

Through podcasting, we hope to amplify their voices, inspire connection, and give them one more tool to impact the hearts of donors, partners, and neighbors alike. This work is made possible through the generous support of our incredible partners, captrust, offering fiduciary advice for endowments and foundations.

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What happens when a city decides the arts aren't extra? They're essential. This [00:02:00] episode I meet with Allison Cagley, the founding force behind Friends of Sacramento Arts, an organization on a mission to restore arts and music education in every public school across our region. And when I say restore, I mean rebuild what was lost decades ago.

We talk about the long arc of advocacy from the impact of Prop 13 to the game changing opportunity of Prop 28. What it really takes to move policy, funding and school systems towards something that feels so obvious. Every child deserves access to arts and music. Allison shares how this small but mighty organization has navigated, pandemic, pivots, statewide partnerships, and bureaucratic complexity, all in pursuit of one bold vision arts every day, or every child in every school.

This conversation isn't just about creativity, it's about confidence, community, graduation rates, workforce [00:03:00] development, and the simple, powerful movement when a child realizes I made that this is a story for the future of Sacramento. It's culture, it's workforce, it's vibrancy. This episode recognizes the impact of the arts in our classrooms and its effect in our community.

Allison Cagley, welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. 

Allison Cagley: Thank you. 

Jeff Holden: I'm so excited to speak with you because you are one of the organizations I wasn't familiar. Not, not that there's not many I'm unfamiliar with. 

Allison Cagley: Sure. 

Jeff Holden: But there's such a tight arts community and knowing that there's somebody that's really advocating for art in the schools.

Is not only impressive, but so necessary. 

Allison Cagley: It is. And I know I grew up before Prop 13 when we still had arts and music in, in public schools, and when that happened, that money was taken away. And so we have generations of children. That have never had arts and music [00:04:00] on a regular basis in their classroom.

And Mayor Steinberg, Darryl Steinberg, when he was mayor, he was working with Dennis Manger, who is a local arts patron and and leader in our community. And they worked together to do an audit and analysis of the creative economy and arts and culture in Sacramento back in 2018. Lot of focus groups, lot of town hall meetings and analysis.

And out of that came what's called the Creative Edge Culture plan, and it's a plan that's housed at the city. But the number one goal is restoring arts ed in K 12 public schools. Because without that beginning, you don't have future creatives and you don't have future patrons of the arts. 

Jeff Holden: Which is a double-edged sword.

Allison Cagley: Exactly. 

Jeff Holden: Because then there's, there's no consumption, there's no contribution. And we know that our cities thrive. On the arts in so many ways. 

Allison Cagley: It does. You know, you think about when major employers come into a city to look to see if they will develop or not. They wanna see what the quality of education is [00:05:00] for their employees families.

What's the vibrancy that their employees will be attracted to, to come to Sacramento? And we don't pretend to be San Francisco or LA, that we are thriving and a vibrant culture and arts community on our own. 

Jeff Holden: And that's so significant. 'cause they do look at all those elements and culture is one of them.

Allison Cagley: Exactly. 

Jeff Holden: And that's, that's a strike if you haven't got much culture or opportunity for the arts. 

Allison Cagley: Well, and you know, not only building future creatives that wanna stay here. They are educated here. They might go away to further education, but then to come back and reinvest in the arts here. And, you know, Greta Gerwig is a, is an example of one who grew up here in Sacramento and came back and, and has been a part of the community still with a wonderful movie making experience.

Jeff Holden: And we have another gentleman that passed through Sac State that is also an Academy Award nominee, whose name escapes me at this point in time. But 

Allison Cagley: yeah, there, I believe the, 

Jeff Holden: the movie 

Allison Cagley: was sins. So many that have that have and then come back again 

Jeff Holden: Yes. 

Allison Cagley: To, to [00:06:00] whether it be fine arts and painting and sculpture or with performing arts.

Jeff Holden: So tell me a little bit about the organization, and you mentioned Prop 13, but there's also another proposition that's really significant, 

Allison Cagley: right? 

Jeff Holden: In. Your sphere of influence. 

Allison Cagley: Right. So when we started, um, in 2019, we had a board of about 14 people and we were partnered with the Community Foundation, Sacramento Community Foundation and, uh, Sacramento County Office of Education and the city to really partner to look at policy reform and education reform in the public schools in Sacramento County.

And so we started with that part of it and really looked at. How do we change permanent funding? So we weren't looking at how do we fundraise and sponsor buses for field trips because while that's wonderful, it's not a permanent change in equitable access to comprehensive arts curriculum. And when we talk about our mission statement, equitable [00:07:00] access and comprehensive are key words that we focus on.

So it's not have an assembly. Or go to a field trip and you can check the box. That's, that's not enough. It needs to be equal to the other subject areas that children are being taught, especially in the K eight area. 

James Beckwith: Mm-hmm. 

Allison Cagley: So we think about when children go into high school, they're required to have arts and humanities and um, and music for graduation requirements.

If they've never had it in K eight, there's no affinity or interest or comfort level to say, oh, I'm gonna pick up a flute at 14. Well, maybe not. 

Jeff Holden: Right? 

Allison Cagley: So they need to have that introduction early. 

Jeff Holden: So tell me a little bit about your launch, so to speak, because it was 2019, something happened in 2019 and 2020.

Yes. Which was the pandemic. And here you are starting a nonprofit organization. About arts, which many are [00:08:00] performing, right? Which means nothing's happening. What was that like? 

Allison Cagley: Well, we did some pivoting in 2019. We decided when we saw that outside arts groups had lost their contracts with schools for onsite arts education because of COVID.

Um, we went ahead and were able to fund about 20 teaching artists. For them to digitize their art form and being able to provide that virtually. And a great example of that is Milton Bowens, who had been in Sacramento many years, he's now in Atlanta and has grown. He had a wonderful gallery for middle school students in the Twin Rivers district.

And every seventh grader went through it and it was merging art with civil rights and social justice messaging. It was a wonderful, but then when they closed, they couldn't use it. So he provided a docent lead. Video curriculum, and so that way both the children and their families could enjoy that art form during COVID.

So that was one way we did [00:09:00] it. The other part was just building relationships, so understanding with patients and Grace, all of the challenges that public school districts face. But how do we keep being. Grace filled, but tenacious in our messaging of how the arts, both with curriculum as well as social emotional benefits, help the schools solve problems.

So whether it's truancy or graduation rates, the arts can be part of that solution. 

Jeff Holden: I know one of your website posts is something to the effect of art for every student in every school. How are we doing? 

Allison Cagley: It's a long road. 

Jeff Holden: Of course not, 

Allison Cagley: and not one size fits all. Some districts are well on their way and are have their district leadership has well embraced the importance of arts education at a K 12 level.

Some are still working on it. We, we build the relationships with both the parent side of a school district through our partnership with [00:10:00] PTA and other parent groups. Then also at the school district level to educate and inspire the school board members to take fiscal responsibility for providing that arts education.

So it's, it's through those long-term relationships. And you mentioned Prop 28. So Prop 28 for us was a real game changer. Two things that happened in about 2021, we became partnered with Create California. Which is a statewide arts education advocacy organization based in Pasadena, and we became the local regional voice to get Prop 28 on the ballot.

Very grassroots out there at events with a clipboard getting signatures and Prop 28, which is the Arts and Music and schools law is 1% Prop 98, which is part of the general fund. So it's permanent funding regardless of who's in office. Four schools, and it was written in part with Austin Butner. Mm-hmm.[00:11:00] 

Who was the, uh, former LA Unified superintendent. 

Jeff Holden: So we have permanent funding. Is that funding? Optional for the school districts. Is that why it isn't everywhere 

Allison Cagley: automatically? Yes. Yes, it is optional. You know, it couldn't have come at a worse time that it was passed in 22. So here we are with schools just coming back into, into on person, um, in person rights and you know, during all that time that I call it the great resignation, great retirement of the school education system.

So, for instance, you know, one school district. 40% of their principals were brand new. 

Scott Thomas: Wow. 

Allison Cagley: So trying to initiate Prop 20 eights funding while they're dealing with learning loss and trauma and so, and the paperwork. Mm-hmm. That, of course, in public education is always there, that the school districts have to fill out and complete to use the funds correctly.

And to be accountable for it. 

Jeff Holden: Of course, there's some [00:12:00] bureaucracy to it, which I can see slowing everything down. 

Allison Cagley: It does. It does. And there sometimes is not a clear communication between a district level leadership and the individual principals of, I had one principal ask me, oh, do we get this many? Every year is, and I'm.

Yes, 

Jeff Holden: technically in perpetuity it's 

Allison Cagley: there. Yeah, it's perpetuity. And the way it was designed not to get too much into the weeds is they get a new amount every year, but they have up to three years to spend it. So that's not a use it or lose it every year. So for instance, at the end of this school year, in June 30, is when they have to report how much they've used the last three years.

In Prop 28 funds with both new teachers, new programs, new materials. Otherwise they do have to turn back some of that money if they haven't used it up in three years. 

Jeff Holden: And it would certainly seem now that the awareness of 2022 we're we're [00:13:00] four years out. 

Allison Cagley: Right. 

Jeff Holden: That they're starting to recognize they're settled in a little bit with their responsibilities.

Yeah. And they can say, okay, I see now where I can use this funding. And I would imagine Yes. It's sadly over time it doesn't happen overnight. 

Allison Cagley: No, it doesn't. But, well, and we've, we've talked, uh, both at the statewide level and the regional level, it is so important for a school district to have a strategic plan for arts education.

So it's not a scattershot, reactionary aspect mm-hmm. To how to use the money. And so there are a lot of the larger districts that have. Directors at the district level that manage the arts education for every school. And so they'll have a three to five year plan so they can see how regular funds, how prop 28 funds and other funds can all drive how much, how many hours a day or hours a week a child will get arts and music in their classroom.

Jeff Holden: Well, it's wonderful that you were able to be a part of the advocacy to move it forward. Very, [00:14:00] again, such a small organization getting involved in an advocacy movement, that's a lot of involvement and engagement and time. 

Allison Cagley: Yeah, it's a lot. You know, I, I think about my own career path has been a lot in fund development.

Marketing and it, it has the same skillset. Yeah. And it's about building relationships and listening. And one of the things I like to do, whether it's a elected official or a school board member, is I first ask them, so what's your experience been recently with arts or music? Have you attended a concert?

Did you play an instrument in school? We were doing a donor cultivation event. In the early days and a gentleman came up and, and he had, he was attorney and he came up with tears in his eyes and he said, I remember playing the drums for little drummer boy. And then he wrote a big check, so, so it's good 

Jeff Holden: stewardship 

Allison Cagley: it.

Yeah, exactly. Well, but it's getting people to see the [00:15:00] universality of arts and music in their own lives and how without it, children's lives are just so empty. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. You mentioned a couple of organizations. I want to drill down a little further on the Sure. Collaborative elements. Obviously the school systems are very collaborative 'cause you're engaged, that's where you Right.

Exercise the program. Who else do you work with? What other organizations might be part of the collaboration to carry this message forward or in, in involve different areas of the education system? That you work with? 

Allison Cagley: So there's a number of them. We do have a partnership with Create California, which I mentioned before, is a statewide arts ed.

And with them, it's interesting because they're based in Pasadena and a lot of their leadership and work has been either Bay Area or la. That's, that's an area that we want to change from this location. PTA, California PTA is a partner with us. In fact, the head of the California PTA, Josiah Tonga is on our board, and [00:16:00] we've been doing regional virtual workshops and messaging out to the PTAs in the third district, which is about six counties in this region.

We also, of course, work with County Office of Education, both the Sacramento one. Placer and El Dorado. And then we also work with individual arts organizations that are providing school-based arts programs to help them navigate through the plethora of vocabulary that a public education system has and to help them understand what contracts might look like, how to spend Prop 28, how do they fit into the Prop 28 formula for a school district to take advantage of that.

Jeff Holden: That makes sense. 'cause I can only imagine. The nuance of everything as you start to drill down and say, okay, where does this money apply? 

Allison Cagley: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: And can I do X, Y, or Z? 

Allison Cagley: And then we also work with the Department of Education. So one of our, um, former board members knows the [00:17:00] superintendent of public Education well.

And so we've had a couple meetings with him as well, because. Just getting the staffing adequate at the state level to answer the questions at the district level. 

Mm-hmm. 

Allison Cagley: Is really important. The other organization we work with is the California County Superintendents Association, and so, as you know, there's 58 counties in California.

Mm-hmm. And so there are 58 County Office of Education. Offices that are, uh, located. So they have a person focused just on arts education at that association. 

Jeff Holden: Good. 

Allison Cagley: Yeah, 

Jeff Holden: I'm, I'm glad to hear that, 

Allison Cagley: right, 

Jeff Holden: that at least you have a go-to person that can help facilitate Yes. Once you get into the system, right.

So that they can navigate and get you. Where you need to go. 

Allison Cagley: Exactly. Yeah, 

Jeff Holden: because that's, 

Allison Cagley: and we also work with, because of Korea, California's partnership, we work with a similar organization in the Bay Area, one in Sonoma, one in Fresno, and so there's a whole network of those of us that are working in this arena.[00:18:00] 

Jeff Holden: We'll be right back with more from Allison Cagley of Friends of Sacramento Arts, right after these messages of support from those who bring us this program. 

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Allison Cagley: Well, 

Jeff Holden: we 

Allison Cagley: are 

Jeff Holden: small almighty. The expect, the expectation is not that you're gonna give me millions here.

Yes. Because I know this is something that you are really driving with the support of community leadership. 

Allison Cagley: It is. Yeah. Up until July, I was the only staff person. I contracted out my bookkeeping and social media. But otherwise it. Me, myself, and I. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. 

Allison Cagley: And then we did hire a halftime person in July, and then I became halftime because of budget.

Although, you know, I'm not necessarily working halftime, but we are completely an independent nonprofit. We earn money, uh, raise money through. Private individuals, some corporate support and grants that are more for general operating grants. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. 

Allison Cagley: California Arts Council or the city. And then we have a, an annual [00:22:00] fundraising event in March.

Jeff Holden: Okay, so it's every March is your event and I think it's the hero's event of 

Allison Cagley: some. Yes. It's, uh, so Heroes of Arts Education event came up with that three years ago, almost four years ago now, and it was, had multi levels of purpose. One of them was of course, to raise money. The other one, I really felt like arts and music teachers are not recognized and honored the way they should be.

And I, I just remember from my own experience that arts and music teachers have such a special relationship with their students and the nurturing and the seeing them, seeing the children is so special and they, they're not recognized enough for that. Mm-hmm. The other part was to design an event to bring all the different caregivers that are concerned about quality education.

For school children. And so whether it's a city council member, it's a school board member, it's an employer, it's a community leader, it's parents, it's teachers all to come every year to the Sophia and [00:23:00] honor outstanding arts teachers. And for some of them, last year when we did it, there were a few teachers that they were retiring that year, and so this was their capstone, so to speak, to be honored in front of a couple hundred people.

A Superintendent Thurman came and spoke and so it's, it's a great. Very happy celebration. 

Jeff Holden: You certainly have the engagement of the right people. Yes. Just listening to the names and the organizations and the government entities that are involved. It's amazing that you've done this in just five, six short years.

70, yeah. By yourself. 

Allison Cagley: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: So to speak. I mean, it's early 20, 26, 20 19, so, 

Allison Cagley: yes. Right. 

Jeff Holden: And two years of a pandemic in there too. 

Allison Cagley: I know. Exactly. Well, uh, you know, it takes patience, you know, I think part of it is, and this past year when we were doing year end giving, the three words we really thought about that defined us was about educate.

Advocate, invest and invest has a, a very future, long-term [00:24:00] relationship embedded, I think in that, in that instead of a fast buck, 

Jeff Holden: right? 

Allison Cagley: And so how do we invest in the children that are in school today, and the children are in school 10 years from now? We know it's a long road to get where we want to get.

Mm-hmm. So there is patience in educating and advocating and calling to action the decision makers about arts and music. And one of the board meetings I was at, they were presenting their strategic plan, which was so exciting, and the chair of the board started singing a song. Delores and he said, I was interested in learning Spanish because I learned that song in kindergarten.

Jeff Holden: Isn't that amazing? 

Allison Cagley: Yes. So just those touchstones of how universal arts and music is to our lives. 

Jeff Holden: You had to feel like I've got this taken care of with that sort of a performance, so to speak. Right? 

Allison Cagley: Hopefully, yes. Hopefully. Yeah. [00:25:00] But it, but it takes tenacity and patience and gentle patience. 

Jeff Holden: Which is a great segue to this next question, which is the, the dream, the vision.

You've got a theater, arts, performing arts, a big philanthropic arts fanatic who says, Allison, I want to give you a huge check to do whatever you need to do with the organization to get this into the schools. What would it look like? What would you do? 

Allison Cagley: I would wanna expand into Northern and central California.

I know talking to the person that was in charge of the Arts Initiative program with California County Superintendents is that the rural counties are in their own special, unique challenges. They don't have. A 20 minute drive to see a professional ballet at their disposal. So how do we, and some of them are very small, Butte County, some of them have, you know, one school districts, and [00:26:00] so we want them all to win at this.

Campaign. And so how do we, how do we help them figure out training and bringing in teaching artists how to recruit a newly credentialed arts teacher up to their district? So we would love to have representation and working up to the Oregon border for that kind of thing, to really look at how do we penetrate every county?

Jeff Holden: And we know, we know so well that every child. At such a young age that exposure is so critical. 

Allison Cagley: Oh, 

Jeff Holden: it's there. It's in all of them. 

Allison Cagley: Yes, 

Jeff Holden: it was in all of us until we were taught it out. 

Allison Cagley: Well, yeah. You think about a toddler that hears, you hear it on, see it on Instagram or TikTok and 

Jeff Holden: And you see 'em 

Allison Cagley: moving and dancing.

Yes. And they're moving around or they take a crayon to the wall. In fact, I was doing, had a booth at Race for the Arts a few years ago, and this woman came up to me and she had been a teacher, a kindergarten teacher in the fifties, and she said that every kindergarten teacher had a [00:27:00] piano and a guitar.

They were required to know how to play them. So what happened? 

Jeff Holden: Right? 

Allison Cagley: It's just so sad that, that some of the, the teach to the test. Kind of thing. Mm-hmm. That happens versus how to heal and teach the whole child. And again, going back to having the arts and music in the classrooms on a regular basis helps lower truancy rates, increases graduation rates.

I was interviewing a couple kids at McClatchy a few years ago, and they said, the only reason I come to school is my drama class. And so if that keeps them engaged and going to school. Then why doesn't every school have it? 

Jeff Holden: Whatever it takes, right? 

Allison Cagley: Because not every kid is going to be on the football team, right?

Or on the debate team. And so if, if the kids are in a ceramics class or a choir and they feel seen and valued, and they build the teamwork and the importance of practice and communication [00:28:00] that every employer requires, regardless of what industry it is. It's a balance between thinking that we're providing arts and music for a specific career path versus we are providing it because it's what makes us whole.

Jeff Holden: Correct. 

Allison Cagley: Regardless if they become an engineer or a doctor or, you know, a garbage truck driver. It's a, it's a balance between career path. Because of my work with Broadway, Sacramento, a lot of the interns that come through, they have arts education in schools and then are doing internships during the summer.

Jeff Holden: Arts is a creative application, whereas if we stay linear, they aren't exposed the same way. So just an exposure to the arts could make you a better engineer or computer programmer. Construction worker. Well, 

Allison Cagley: music increase math skills. 

Jeff Holden: There we go. 

Allison Cagley: Because music is math. 

Jeff Holden: Alison, when you visit schools, surely you have the opportunity to see some of the arts in action [00:29:00] and I think one of the things that maybe people aren't picking up or, or.

Don't see if they haven't been exposed. But if they have been, they recognize it is what that brings to that student. And STEM has now added the A to steam and there's a creative element that comes from the arts that maybe makes you a better engineer 'cause you think differently or a better mechanic or you know, a better performer in whatever that category you choose to pursue.

When you see it in the schools, what does that look like? 

Allison Cagley: So you think about a child, seven or eight years old and they have an opportunity to to be in a choir. The, the choir teacher and their fellow students come together and they're going to do a concert. And so, and a lot of the schools in our area have maybe 15 or 20 different cultures and languages spoken.

And so the parents from all those different cultures come together in the cafeteria on an evening to watch their children shine, and their [00:30:00] kids are standing there waving at mom and dad, and it provides that sense of community and celebrating. Their child being, it's not about competition. It's not about win or lose.

It's a sense of being the we together and to help parents feel more welcome into a school environment and to see their children engaging with each other and being a part of that school family. 

Jeff Holden: And we all know those little kids just beaming 

Allison Cagley: Oh, 

Jeff Holden: in the performance where they're the banana, you know?

Exactly. Or, or the most off key little child singing, but it's, 

Allison Cagley: yeah. 

Jeff Holden: That's not what's important. 

Allison Cagley: Exactly. Well, and I remember when talking to Milton Bowens, the, the visual artist, and he said, isn't it wonderful that a child can bring home a paint, a picture that they've drawn and the parent puts it up on the refrigerator?

It sits there for months or they still have it, like I have some of my kids' artwork. And it shows how proud they are of their [00:31:00] child's engagement. And again, it's not about competition or who's better than or not, it's just about the shining of and the celebrating of their child's creativity. 

Jeff Holden: I think that's so, so special.

That's something we cannot lose. 

Allison Cagley: Exactly. 

Jeff Holden: We just can't. That's self-esteem, that's confidence, that's character. It's all those things. 

Allison Cagley: Right? Which I think, you know, my kids were in sports and sports are great, but there is that win or lose pressure. And in arts and music there isn't necessarily a win or lose.

It's about participation and celebration. 

Jeff Holden: Well, in self-expression, this is me 

Allison Cagley: exactly. All uniqueness of me. 

Jeff Holden: I love it. 

Allison Cagley: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Well, that discipline and practice is so, so critical, huge. As you, as you mentioned it, and you get that through some of the other programs, you do get it through the arts, but it just has to be there for them to experience it.

Allison Cagley: Exactly. 

Jeff Holden: And choose. 

Allison Cagley: Exactly. 

Jeff Holden: And, and to your point, we see a lot of these students who, that is the only [00:32:00] existence. They're not. Going to be scholars or authors, but they're really great performers or really great singers or great musicians, 

Allison Cagley: right? 

Jeff Holden: Why do we wanna lose that? 

Allison Cagley: Yes. Well, and And then they also become the future patrons.

So if they decide not to do that as a paid career. They become future patrons of it. And in performing arts, there's so many job opportunities. Mm-hmm. Not just on stage, but the science of lighting and sound all around it. 

Jeff Holden: Yep. 

Allison Cagley: And set design and so, so lots of different ways that they can express their creativity.

Jeff Holden: I totally agree. 

Allison Cagley: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Back to reality now. Yes. 

Allison Cagley: Back to 

Jeff Holden: reality. We're not in the, you know, across the state in the Central Valley. 

Allison Cagley: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: What's the greatest need you see today? 

Allison Cagley: Besides money. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. But that, that is, it is one of them. 

Allison Cagley: Uh, I think it's, again, I kind of go back to the word patience. You know, we're dealing in a very unique situation in our world right now and in the United [00:33:00] States, and there's so much competing media.

To bring us down or to challenge us or to make us fearful. And the socioeconomic aspects, you know, only two school districts in Sacramento County are increasing their student population. All the other ones are decreasing, which ties to funding. And so we have a long game. So the need is for patients, and again, tenacity in communicating money is always a need.

That's, you know, in a nonprofit sector, that's always the need. But I think it's, it's building that communication network and empowering people to talk about the arts and music in the different areas of their lives. 

Jeff Holden: I was gonna say, and we have the funding, we have the funding through Prop 28 to say there's money here for the school.

The funding is really for the organization, for Friends of the Sacramento, friends of Sacramento Arts, [00:34:00] to get out and keep telling that story, to support the schools to know 

Allison Cagley: it exists, right? So I think part of the other need. Which we don't have the authority to change is for the Department of Education to adequately staff the implementation of Prop 28.

Because in the very beginning, there was no one or two people assigned to the implementation. So school districts at all levels had lots of questions, lots of deer in the headlights of how do we do this? We don't wanna get our hands slapped if we do it wrong because of our litigious society. And so I won't do it at all because I don't wanna get in trouble.

Jeff Holden: Well do it wrong and not get reimbursed. That's a real problem. 

Allison Cagley: Right? Well, they get the money ahead of time, so it's not a reimbursement. Okay, good to know. But they don't wanna have to turn it back. So I think it's also putting pressure on Department of Education to say this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

We need to make sure it works, and we wanna equip our school district [00:35:00] leaders and the finance departments, all the people that touch the money in a school district on how to adequately manage the money and report back out how the money has been spent. 

Jeff Holden: When you take your story, which you have been.

Eloquent in description with all the details to a school or to a community. How do you explain the impact? How do you gauge the success of the program to date? 

Allison Cagley: What's the before and after? So, for instance, as a part of our heroes event, we give honorariums to all the teachers, uh, and intentionally we don't give the honorarium at the event.

We give it at a school board meeting. So after the event, we visit each school district, and last year it was 12 in four counties and it gives us our, you know, five or 10 minutes of fame in front of the school board. And so Esparto was one example, little tiny 900 students, and they were able to [00:36:00] hire through Prop 28, a halftime music teacher for their elementary school.

So it's that before and after. What did they, what, what did they not have? Mm-hmm. That they have now? Elk Grove has been able to work with Jim Ucci of the Mandarin Drum and Bugle Corps, and through some of that. Prop 28 funding have been able to provide bans, uh, at I think 40 schools. So Well that's big deal in part because of Prop 28.

Jeff Holden: Yes. 

Allison Cagley: So, so it's that before and after aspect. And they're actually, because the Department of Education and then working with Create California, there is a database that you can access and look by county. And by district and by school, how much money has been spent and what they did with it. How many teachers did they hire?

How many programs did they add? How many instruments did they buy? That sort of thing. And you know, the other long-term challenge is there's not enough credentialed art teachers. So that's another arm of our advocacy is how do we help [00:37:00] increase the number of credentialed teachers ready for the pipeline that is available?

Jeff Holden: Whew. 

Allison Cagley: A lot 

Jeff Holden: Uhhuh. 

Allison Cagley: It's a lot. 

Jeff Holden: There are a lot of pieces together. 

Allison Cagley: There's a lot of pieces together. It's not an easy fix. 

Jeff Holden: Now, back to your point earlier, it's a long game. 

Allison Cagley: It's a long game. It's a long game. Yeah. Yeah. Dennis Manger is, when he first invited me to join this rodeo, he said it took, you know, 40 years to kill it.

It's gonna take 40 years to make it right. But I do know that one of the, one of the visual and performing art directors at one of the large districts, I asked her in a meeting, I said, you know, is Prop 28 even worth it? And she said, I've waited my whole life for this opportunity. 

Jeff Holden: Mm. 

Allison Cagley: So, yes, it's complicated, but it's so worth it.

Jeff Holden: You are all in, there's no doubt about it. You are a A one person machine. 

Allison Cagley: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Out there now with a little bit of support, fortunately, and I can see. When you're involved [00:38:00] in whatever that space is, in your case, it's the arts. Sometimes for us, we go to the arts for relaxation. Right? Right. That's how we get away from something.

When I go to a theater or a, a musical performance, whatever it may be, you are immersed in it 24 7. How do you. Get away for a minute. What does relaxation look like for you? 

Allison Cagley: Well, I don't know if getting away from it is actually, you know, because being Type A, I think about it all the time. You know, I wake up in the middle of the night and write emails in my head, but I have a family.

I've got three children and two grandchildren, hopefully another one coming soon. Good for you. Um, and getting older. I'm in Pilates, so I, I, I love doing that. But I'm a musical theater fanatic, and it, it's all thanks to my parents who started going to Music Circus back in the sixties. Sure. Yep. And so I have season tickets to Broadway, Sacramento, and Broadway Music Circus, uh, and then also Cap Stage, and then traveling Love, uh, culture and art museums.

And it, it still [00:39:00] has to do with arts and music. 

Jeff Holden: I went to my first performance at CAP stage two weeks ago. 

Allison Cagley: Oh. 

Jeff Holden: It was. Fabulous. And Michael Stevenson has been in the studio. 

Allison Cagley: He's so good. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. 

Allison Cagley: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: He, he was wonderful. We, we had five of the performing arts theaters. Yeah. Executive directors come in. Oh, good.

And it was just amazing to hear their stories. 

Allison Cagley: Oh yes. 

Jeff Holden: And their engagement. And, and the beautiful thing about it is. Not unlike you, they are tangent to what you're doing. 'cause they're touching students all the time, too. All the time. Whether it be at the grammar school level through tours and, and plays or, you know, in the high schools all the way to the collegiate level.

So that infrastructure exists. It does. It's here. 

Allison Cagley: It's all feeding it into each other. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. 

Allison Cagley: Yeah. Well, and I always, yeah, with cap stage, I, I've been a season ticket holder for a number of years and their plays, the choice of plays is intentional. 

Jeff Holden: Oh yeah. 

Allison Cagley: So, you know, you get more of the fun interesting things with the musicals and then you go to cap stage and your, your brain is [00:40:00] engaged a lot.

Jeff Holden: Yeah. You're leaving thinking and talking. 

Allison Cagley: Oh, yes. Marinating, yes, definitely. 

Jeff Holden: Again, back to the, the value of what the arts allow us to do. And those students today who are young grammar school students. Without that exposure, there'll be no comprehension of that. 

Allison Cagley: No. 

Jeff Holden: As they grow up. 

Allison Cagley: No. And you know, I've even just seen that with my own grandkids.

You know, that they're now teenagers and they didn't have that much arts or music on a regular basis. So by the time they get to high school, they're dragging their feet. Mm-hmm. To take an art class that's required. And, and then you think about the current generation of credential teachers probably grew up without arts and music as well.

So they don't know what they don't know and or their comfort level isn't there to say, I can be silly and, you know, sing a song or play the recorder and, and be silly with my students and that that's okay 

Jeff Holden: because they don't know 

Allison Cagley: Exactly. Exactly. 

Jeff Holden: You know, and sadly. That is perpetuating. [00:41:00] 

Allison Cagley: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: And And if you don't expose anybody to it, they're never Right.

Allison Cagley: Right. 

Jeff Holden: Going to be able to 

Allison Cagley: educate the, we have those of us in the older generation, I think, take it for granted. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. Yeah. We make the assumption, well, of course everybody's been to concerts and performances. Right. And you know, whether it be theater or, or a gallery or something. 

Allison Cagley: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: And even hearing this, as I'm reflecting on the conversation we're having, I'm thinking about, you know, my kids.

Not so much. I mean, we did it with them. That's how they were exposed. But in the school system, not so much. 

Allison Cagley: No. No. And and then it doesn't become part of their habit, 

Jeff Holden: right. 

Allison Cagley: As consumers. 

Jeff Holden: And then for me, I feel that's such a loss. It's such a loss. They don't get to experience 

Allison Cagley: a whole different sense of who you are.

Jeff Holden: Exactly. Right. 

Allison Cagley: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: So if somebody wants to learn more about the organization, what's the best way? To engage 

Allison Cagley: Friends of Sacramento arts.org is our website. We also are on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. They can follow us on that. They can, they [00:42:00] can add, be added to our e-newsletter, that they can get updates on what we're doing, how to be engaged, what's the call to action that they as individuals besides donating, but that they and their community can be a part of.

And March is Arts Education Month. So perfect. So that's why our event is always in March at the Sophia. And so to take a look on our website, if they would like to come and celebrate art and music teachers with us in March, 

Jeff Holden: and we will be sure to have the website linked in the show notes. So it's easy.

Somebody just has to go and click Exactly. They don't have to remember Friends of Sacramento Arts. 

Allison Cagley: And 

Jeff Holden: they 

Allison Cagley: do, and we 

Jeff Holden: do that. I keep wanting to put a the in there and I know it's, 

Allison Cagley: I know 

Jeff Holden: it's not there. 

Allison Cagley: It's not there. Well, and also we do have a donate link on our website and a monthly membership, a monthly donation option.

So if folks wanna donate 20 or 50 bucks a month, that all goes to help us fulfill our mission of arts every day for every child in every school. 

Jeff Holden: I love it. Alison, thank you for the Tyler's [00:43:00] work you are doing. And I mean you, because you are the founder of this thing and taking into the community that ensures our arts, our music education are just optional, but they're essential for every student.

As we talked about, uh, your leadership, your advocacy, they're really helping shake a more shape, a more creative ve future for our next generation. We are grateful for the impact. You and your half team. 

Allison Cagley: And the board. 

Jeff Holden: And the board for sure. 

Allison Cagley: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Which is an impressive board, by the way. 

Allison Cagley: Thank you. 

Jeff Holden: What you're doing in getting our education into the schools is Herculean.

Allison Cagley: It is. 

Jeff Holden: We so appreciate it. Thank 

Allison Cagley: you. Well, thank you. Thank you so much for having me today. It's been delightful. 

Scott Thomas: Thank you for listening to 

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