Veteran Springer educator is tapped for State arts position
Director of Education, Sally Baker
Sally Baker, the Springer Opera House’s director of education, will be leaving the theatre to take on a leadership role in the Georgia Department of Education’s STEAM program. Her title will be STEAM Program Specialist.
For the past eight years, Baker has led the Springer’s broad array of children’s educational activities, including the Springer Theatre Academy, Springer Children’s Theatre, Theatre for the Very Young, ArtServe and PAIR, the theatre’s innovative arts integration training program.
PAIR is the acronym for “Professional Arts Integration Resource,” a training program for teachers that provides tools and techniques to incorporate art, music, dance and drama into standard classroom curriculum.
It was Baker’s innovations with PAIR which caught the attention of the Georgia Department of Education’s STEAM administrators. STEAM Education is an approach to teaching and learning that combines science, technology, engineering, the arts and math to guide student inquiry, discussion, and problem-solving. STEAM learning provides the "why" behind learning and makes school engaging while building skills for college, careers and the 21st Century workplace.
Baker’s history with the Springer goes back nearly forty years when she began participating as a child. Over that time, she has been an actor, teacher, director and administrator for the State Theatre of Georgia. A graduate of Hardaway High School, she attended the University of Georgia in Secondary English Education and Theatre and then completed her Masters of Fine Arts degree at the University of Texas at Austin in Drama and Theatre for Youth.
Sally has ten years of public school teaching experience and has worked for theatre companies in the San Francisco area, Nashville, Austin, Texas and Ohio. She and her husband, Brad, have two children and live in Columbus.
“I’m excited to take my experiences in arts integration to every corner of my home state,” says Baker. “As a STEAM Specialist, I will guide and coach Georgia schools in STEAM teaching and learning, especially with the tools and understanding of arts integration. I will work with the STEAM Director and specialists to certify K-12 schools with STEAM Distinction, a multi-year process that shifts learning to an interdisciplinary approach that emphasizes creativity, innovation and authentic learning experiences.”
Baker will be the only arts-based STEAM Specialist in the state.
Sally Baker and the 2021 Springer Theatre Academy Summer Staff perform for TEACHaret.
“We will surely miss Sally’s positive energy, innovative outlook and creativity,” said Paul Pierce, the Springer’s producing artistic director. “I’ve known Sally for 34 years. In fact, I directed her in a 1989 production of the Broadway musical, ANNIE, in which she played the title role.” She was ten years old at the time.
“The Springer has richly benefitted from Sally’s professional experiences at the California Children’s Theatre, the Nashville Children’s Theatre and her time as a public school teacher. When we persuaded her to bring those skills back to Columbus, local children, families and the entire community was enriched. I am proud of Sally’s growth as an artist, teacher and innovator and celebrate her chance to supercharge Georgia’s STEAM program on behalf of all of the state’s students.”
Baker will still be based in Columbus while traveling the state to serve all 159 Georgia counties with STEAM. She begins work for the Department of Education in mid-October.. The Springer will continue to provide the full range of education services for children, families and schools.
“I sincerely believe that the arts are transformative in children’s lives,” said Baker. “This new position will multiply the opportunities I have to advocate for arts education and provide a megaphone for the Springer’s philosophy of “Life Skills Through Stage Skills” across the entire state.”