Task force will raise student achievement, attract businesses
ATLANTA, June 12, 2014—Gov. Nathan Deal today announced the creation of the Arts Learning Task Force to improve student achievement through the creation of robust arts learning environments. This task force will provide recommendations regarding the implementation of arts education into k-12 classrooms and conduct an examination of existing model arts education initiatives in Georgia and other states.
'Students need to embrace the power of creative thinking and innovation in order to attain 21st century skills and become globally competitive and culturally literate,' Deal said. 'Businesses depend on our education system to produce candidates that are college and career ready, and I am confident that this task force's recommendation will effectively improve academic achievement and workforce readiness.'
The Georgia Department of Economic Development's Georgia Council for the Arts will be the administrative entity for the task force.
The task force names are listed below:
| Name | Title | Institution | City/County |
| Shawn Bender | Principal | Perkerson Elementary School | Atlanta/Fulton |
| Dr. Amy Duke | Principal | Northwest Laurens Elementary School | Dublin/Laurens |
| Pam Smith | Director, Curriculum and Instruction | Georgia Department of Education | Atlanta/Fulton |
| Molly Howard | Superintendent | Jefferson County School System | Louisville/Jefferson |
| Dr. Thomas Lockamy | Superintendent | Savannah-Chatham County Public School System | Savannah/Chatham |
| Charisse M. Williams | Director of Education Advancement and Advocacy | Woodruff Arts Center | Atlanta/Fulton |
| Pam Beagle-Daresta | Teaching Artist | Teaching Artist | Marietta/Cobb |
| Atiba Mbiwan | Associate Director | Zeist Foundation | Atlanta/Fulton |
| Karen Hallacy | Board Member | Georgia PTA, Technology Association of Georgia | Marietta/Cobb |
| Debi West | Art Teacher and Department Chair | North Gwinnett High School | Suwannee/Gwinnett |
| Helen Rice | Chair | State Board of Education, Georgia Department of Education | LaGrange/Troup |
| Gladys Wyant | Council Member; Executive Director | Georgia Council for the Arts; The Arts Council, Inc. | Gainesville/Hall |
| John White | Council Member; Senior Consultant | Georgia Council for the Arts; The Coca-Cola Company | Atlanta/Fulton |
| Woody Leonard | Band Director | Cook County Middle School | Adel/Cook |
| Ann Cramer | Senior Consultant | Coxe Curry & Assoc. | Atlanta/Fulton |
| Lisa Love | Director, Music | GDEcD | Atlanta/Fulton |