Laurie Schell began her career as a dancer and teacher, and is now the Executive Director of the California Alliance for Arts Education, a statewide advocacy group based in Pasadena. The Alliance played a major role in the successful campaign that resulted in the largest known state-funded expenditure for arts education in public schools nationwide. At a time when many school districts have lost an institutional memory and practice of arts education, the Alliance is currently playing a central role in creating a strategic arts education policy agenda and local advocacy networks of education and cultural leaders, local education agencies and public citizens charged with advancing high quality, standards-based arts instruction for all students in California.

* Laurie Schell is now with Music Makes Us.