to a middle class school, the high school of performing arts where i became a c student. and it was very difficult to catch up. but i wanted to get to college, so the only way to go to college was on an audition. so i don't know that i really was so-- i mean i loved theatre and i loved television and i loved stories. but it was really sort of, "how am i gonna get to college"? i was gonna get to college one way or another. and the only way i could get in was on an audition. much the same way african american boys go on sports scholarships to school. >> we're both puerto rican. we both grew up in new york. and both in a similar era. and we are a small people inside a big nation. and really in many ways an unknown one. but then there's a certain, a certain set of grace notes, that's our stuff. >> right. >> you know? it's not apparent to everybody. >> right, right. the struggle that my parents faced every day they actually would answer the phone saying, "here we are in the struggle. la lucha. how you doin'? here in la lucha". i mean it was sort of part of their dialogue. i re

philadelphia high school for performing and creative arts and science leadership academy say they know they have it better than most informant district because they attend magnet schools. >> dozens of high schools have no music music programs that's a shame. i'm lucky, it's sad to think of all the kids whole never have the experience of taking a music lesson. >> we can listen to the kids and maybe shake us up a little bit. it's our fault that the school district is trying to save itself while same time the powers that be are trying to kill it. >> reporter: the state lawmakers are in a budget stalemate. yesterday another vote, another impasse. the state has been operating without a budget since june 30th leaving schools waiting for funding and forcing many districts to take out loans and do without. >> it takes a bunch of teenagers to remind us this is no way to run a city or state. >> reporter: these students say they are marching not just for their dreams and those who come behind them. >> i only have two years left of high school, i want the kids who come after me to have a better high school than we had. >> we're here and waiting animal we're still not happy with the state of ou

of attending and graduating from booker t. washington high school for the performing and visual arts in dallas, texas, and in that space i learned to embrace my identity and discover my capabilities. there was a constant push to be anything but ordinary. dance has inspired me to find different ways of tackling and handling issues. these stories are testament to the power of the arts to change lives, and while we're celebrating the work of the arts and the national endowment for the arts over the past 50 years, we also began to ask ourselves how we can best multiply these transformative arts experiences over the next 50 years. how can we better understand and expand the ways that the arts infuse our country. how is the arts infrastructure changing and how can the national endowment for the arts and other creative entities change with it to better support the ideas and the initiatives and the dreams of american people. so to explore these questions, we're announcing the launch of a new initiative today called creativity connects. creativity connects will build those relationships between the arts and the general public as well as

i had the privilege of attending booker t.ting from washington high school for the performing and visual arts in dallas, texas. i learned to embrace my identity and discover my capabilities. there was a constant push to be anything but ordinary. death has inspired me to find different ways of tackling and handling issues. these stories are testament to the power of the arts to change lives and what were celebrating the art and national endowment of the arts, we began to ask ourselves how we can best multiply these transformative arts experiences over the next 50 years per how can we better understand and expand the ways art infuses our country? how is the art infrastructure changing? how to the national endowment of the arts change with it to better support the ideas and initiative and dreams of american people? to explore these questions, we are announcing the launch of a new initiative called creativity connects. creativity connects will build the relationships between the art at the general public as well as between the art and other industries outside of the arts. we have three main objec

of philadelphia high school students. these teenagers boycotting classes today at the philadelphia high school for the creative and performing arts. they're hoping that their walk out sends a message to the city's school reform commission. the src decided this week to terminate its teachers contracts after a dispute over health insurance. pennsylvania senator vincent hazy, hot and humid addressing the states budget and says something needs to be done about education funding. >> what i know is that the people of pennsylvania should not be held hostage in many process. we need to fund the schools. fund the human service providers and in a divided government one side can't be just the ones that compromise. both sides have to compromise. >> pennsylvania has been operating without a budget since july and many schools are still waiting for funding while some discuss districts are taking out loans just so they can stay op open. >> during this domestic violence awareness month the gloucester township police department is rolling out new initiative. a specialized team of officers will now focus solely on domestic violence. the officers wi

had an update on the california assessment student performance in process the lgbtq with the school of the arts media used guidelines and the mission highl computer science and math and technology, and laptops for educators we just basically had our brief report and updates on all those items. >> commissioner wynns. >> i am a new member of the meetings that really worked really well under the past we've had periodic reports on all those programs throughout the year and in debt a short snapshot way we got do you think it was really informational and informative i want to thank the chair and staff fro organizing that way and recommend it is a good way to do that. >> thank you the next item is the report from - (laughter) the city and school district of september 24th may i have a report from the commissioner fewer and commissioner vice president haney and/or commissioner walton. >> yes. we had a meeting and the city and school district selected 3 supervisors and 3 commissioners that items for discussions family homeless and teacher task force and free muni for youth held over for the for the next meeting anyway that was pretty informative