Ad hoc poet laureate subcommittee outlines pilot plan, seeks external funding for teacher stipends

Members of the Civic Arts Commission’s ad hoc poet laureate subcommittee reported on Jan. 20 that they are revising the program to increase youth engagement and strengthen ties to local schools.

The subcommittee said it has met with the assistant superintendent for educational services and the director of secondary education; the district indicated that if teachers serve as site leads they will likely need stipends. The subcommittee is drafting a two-year pilot design that would include stipends for lead high-school teachers and lighter demands on city staff. The group plans to shop a draft budget to local nonprofit partners to secure funding for the pilot rather than rely solely on city budgets. Staff and the library commission liaison said the subcommittee will return to both commissions with a recommendation in March.

Participants noted the prior poet laureate effort had a very small budget (about $1,000) that did not cover staff time or teacher support. The subcommittee said a stipend range of roughly $500 to $1,000 per teacher is under consideration and that a partnership with an established nonprofit (examples discussed include the Urban Word charter model used by other jurisdictions) could provide curriculum and administrative support.

No final program budget, launch date or formal council action was approved at the Jan. 20 meeting; the subcommittee’s timeline calls for meetings through February and a recommendation to the two commissions in March.