Pauline Crooks is the Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for the San Diego County Office of Education, a position she has held since January 2016. She works to ensure every child has the opportunity to experience the arts to build empathy and self-awareness in order to see the many assets they bring to their community and the world. Pauline received a bachelor’s degree in music education from The Ohio State University, a master’s degree in teaching from National University, and a master’s degree in educational administration from Concordia University. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in early and middle childhood music and has been a music educator for more than 30 years. Pauline is the leader of Arts Empower San Diego, a partnership between the San Diego County Office of Education and a coalition of nonprofit arts organizations, community partners, and school districts to champion arts education in all schools across the County. She carries this mission of ensuring every child has access to a meaningful, culturally sustaining, standards-based arts education throughout the region and state in her work with the California County Superintendent’s Arts Initiative as the Region 9 Arts Lead.