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The byproducts of artistic ability are often thought to be traits like disorganization and flightiness.

But Myran Parker-Brass, both a talented performer and the arts director for the 58,000-student , bucks that creative stereotype.

The educators who sit down for a meeting with Parker-Brass will leave with a detailed action plan, to-do lists, and a follow-up meeting on the calendar. They鈥檒l have been told kindly, yet firmly, what needs to be fixed and why.

And, despite the work that lies ahead for them, they鈥檒l almost inevitably leave with a dose of the optimism Parker-Brass effuses.

鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing that we can鈥檛 solve, nothing we can鈥檛 work through,鈥� says Parker-Brass, 63. 鈥淚 love this. It鈥檚 who I am. I get very excited about helping teachers, but I get more excited about watching the kids.鈥�

After 20 years of working as the education and community-programs director at the prestigious Boston Symphony Orchestra, Parker-Brass, a classically trained mezzo-soprano, joined the public school system in 2011, and in the more than four years since, has led an ambitious expansion of arts education that now provides a diverse array of dance, music, theater, and visual-arts instruction during the school day.

Carol R. Johnson, then the superintendent of the Boston school district, was trying to ramp up the city鈥檚 arts programs and persuaded Parker-Brass to make the move. Throughout her years at the orchestra, Parker-Brass had worked closely with the Boston schools, organizing teacher trainings, arranging for musicians to visit schools, and bringing students and their families to the theater for orchestral performances.

鈥淲e really wanted someone who not only shared our vision for access and equitable opportunities, but someone who could strengthen our connections to the arts community,鈥� says Johnson, who retired from the Boston schools in 2013. 鈥淪he had a willingness to step out of a role that certainly was much more comfortable ... and decide that, while the job I have is great, the need for the work I could do in Boston public schools is even greater.鈥�

Parker-Brass has a rare mix of experiences and aptitudes that could have led her life鈥檚 work in several directions. She spent her early career teaching in the public schools in her hometown of Chicago鈥攁nd she still claims to be 鈥渁 teacher at heart.鈥� She鈥檚 an accomplished performer who has sung everything from opera to jazz to Negro spirituals throughout the United States, Europe, and South America.

For her, the teaching and performing go hand in hand. 鈥淎s a performer, you engage the audience,鈥� she says. 鈥淭eaching is engaging over the long haul鈥攜ou鈥檙e using the same skills.鈥�

Many of Parker-Brass鈥� colleagues say her varied background has shaped her into a trusted leader.

鈥淪he鈥檚 not just a figurehead or a banner carrier, she really does know what good teaching looks like,鈥� says Allyssa Jones, who works under Parker-Brass as the Boston district鈥檚 program director for the performing arts. 鈥淚t鈥檚 highly unusual for someone to be a good politician and a great instructional leader.鈥�

鈥淚 respect Myran and her choices because I know she鈥檚 been there and done that,鈥� says Anthony Trecek-King, the artistic director for the Boston Children鈥檚 Chorus, who has worked with Parker-Brass for nearly a decade. 鈥淲hen we鈥檙e singing鈥攕he鈥檚 done some of the repertoire we鈥檙e doing. It really carries weight and contributes to her reputation.鈥�

The current gig, rife with budget and scheduling issues across 130 schools, is tough compared with her previous work outside the system, Parker-Brass admits. But it鈥檚 also incredibly gratifying.

鈥淚s this the harder side of the aisle? Yes, much,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e growing our own, we鈥檙e making artistically literate citizens. But this is the better side of the aisle.鈥�

Broadening Access

Arts education has not always been a bright spot in Boston.

In 2009, only about 67 percent of K-8 students here were getting weekly in-school arts instruction, and just 23 percent of high school students were getting any arts instruction. The school system had about 156 full-time arts specialists.

Under Johnson鈥檚 leadership, the district teamed up with EdVestors, a nonprofit that raises private donations for urban school improvement, to help expand arts instruction during the school day and build up the system鈥檚 school programs and partnerships.

Now, 93 percent of K-8 students get arts instruction at least once a week, and 67 percent of high school students are getting some arts instruction, according to EdVestors. The number of full-time arts specialists has more than doubled.

While some of those changes started to take root before Parker-Brass took the helm, her colleagues say she鈥檚 propelled the expansion efforts in a number of ways.

The district has upped its investment in arts education from $17 million annually to $26 million since Parker-Brass came in鈥攁nd much of that money has gone to teacher salaries.

鈥淭hat reflects directly on Myran,鈥� says Marinell Rousmaniere, the vice president for strategic initiatives at EdVestors.

She鈥檚 also played a pivotal role in increasing and deepening partnerships with nonprofits and higher education organizations across the city, such as the Berklee College of Music.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you [should] underestimate how difficult it is working with partners who are very busy doing lots of other things and to convince them to come into schools,鈥� says Johnson.

High-Quality Instruction

Along with bringing in more partners, Parker-Brass has maintained a focus on high-quality instruction.

鈥淧artners can be frustrated with being asked to provide more data on what they鈥檙e doing, to align better with our core curriculum, to function as part of our teams in buildings,鈥� says Jones, the district鈥檚 performing-arts director. 鈥淏ut she鈥檚 concerned about the quality of what partners bring to the building.鈥�

What鈥檚 more, she鈥檚 brought an emphasis on cultural sensitivity and diversity as well鈥攊nstructional elements she鈥檚 held dear throughout her career. When Parker-Brass was still at the BSO, she helped Mary Driscoll, then a principal in the district, bring a variety of performers to her school鈥擲panish flamenco dancers, South African artists, a Haitian-American hip-hop violinist. 鈥淲e had the whole world on our stage,鈥� says Driscoll, who is now a principal leader for Boston schools. Diversity is 鈥渄efinitely a value of hers.鈥�

Parker-Brass has also strengthened relationships within the district, many agree. A major part of her job is sitting down with principals and teachers to solve problems related to resources, facilities, scheduling, and curricula.

鈥淪he鈥檚 visible, she鈥檚 not in an office sending emails,鈥� says Jones. 鈥淏oth teachers and principals feel they can go to her directly.鈥�

There are now about 320 arts teachers in the district, and Parker-Brass takes pride in knowing each one of them.

Recently, she had a t锚te-脿-t锚te with a music teacher who was new to the district, and he laid out the laundry list of logistical issues he was struggling with: no classroom space of his own, a lack of materials, an overlapping schedule that required him to be in two places at once. Parker-Brass dove straight into solutions. She promised to look into getting him space in the auditorium, ensure he had an art cart on each floor with duplicate materials, and shave five minutes off each of his class periods.

鈥淪ome of my buildings still have only one arts teacher, so we [at the district level] become their team,鈥� she explains.

Principals for the most part have come to see her as a support system as well, which is not always the relationship between building leaders and the district office.

鈥淢any principals saw that arts could be a pathway [for academic success], but they had these barriers in the way,鈥� says Rousmaniere of EdVestors. 鈥淪o Myran shows up and helps lower those barriers. She says, 鈥業 can help you with the hiring process, I can help you evaluate teachers.鈥� 鈥�

She does this by cultivating relationships with principals, and keeping a focus on their students. 鈥淪he shows up,鈥� says Driscoll, the principal leader. 鈥淸When I was a principal] we would have our student concerts and plays, and Myran would always be there in the back of the auditorium smiling proudly and taking it all in. She really sticks with you through the whole thing and is also there for the celebrating part.鈥�

More and more over the past few years, Parker-Brass has seen school leaders become advocates for the arts themselves. And that鈥檚 especially important in Boston, where building leaders have a lot of discretion over how they spend their money.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not always me sitting in the budget discussions saying don鈥檛 cut that art position,鈥� Parker-Brass says. 鈥淢y principals and headmasters are now saying, 鈥業 need to add more arts teachers.鈥� They own it.鈥�

The arts leader鈥檚 latest campaign is a grand one: She鈥檇 like to get state universities in Massachusetts to require students to take a high school arts course for admission. Currently, the state designates the arts as core content for K-12, but there isn鈥檛 funding or a mandate attached. She鈥檚 working with a state policy team at Americans for the Arts to push for this systemic change. 鈥淣o one has slammed the door in our faces yet,鈥� says Parker-Brass. 鈥淭here are still many things that will have to be worked out, but we鈥檙e encouraged that people are listening.鈥�

Notably, those who work for Parker-Brass are pretty confident in her persuasive abilities. 鈥淵ou know that if she鈥檚 decided something is going to happen, then it鈥檚 going to happen,鈥� says Jones. 鈥淪o you might as well get on the bus.鈥�