The Case for Art Education

[SuzanneR]

The Boston Globe had an excellent article making the case for a strong presence of the arts in schools. Well worth the read.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ide..._for_our_sake/

[TheFlyingCamera]

What a brilliant article.

[Wilbur Wong]

Thanks, I enjoyed the read and will pass it on.

[Pinholemaster]

Terrific. I just sent the link to all my students.

[Dave Wooten]

Thanks Suzanne,

Great article. Having spend nearly 30 years in the classroom teaching music, art appreciation, and/or photography, the annual debate and defense to justify our positions and subect matter seems second nature. In many school districts these programs are or have been cut entirely for the sake of budget. It seems to run in cycles.

Any one out there with a budget situation for your local schools? They cut music and the arts first, athletics often last, both are needed and a most necessary component of the educational process.

[sun of sand]

What about the case for education itself lol
It all matters and is all important in producing creativity
making a case for each individual class is a waste of effort as it will never work
Making a case for one class only pins another
Next year the battle will be theirs and on and on

Why not just pay more so that our kids can have it all?
But really what we need is better teachers/more teachers or an entire change in the system
I think we teach specific "things" instead of allowing children to learn as they would naturally if you just made things available for them to understand

I think the biggest mistake is in believing children are too dumb to learn on their own ..more or less

[bruce terry]

What a wonderful fleshing-out of what 'art' instruction can do for the brain – particularly the little, growing, spongy brain of a kid.

Our granddaughter just started Kindergarten last week and her parents and grandparents must see that she perceives, envisions, innovates and reflects more than we, for the world that's coming sure isn't this one.

Thanks Suzanne for pointing out this invigorating article, that warns 'art' mustn't be dismissed.

[eddym]

Excellent article, thanks. I've passed it on to several people, including my wife, who is both an artist and an educator.

[Dave Wooten]

I deleted above post because I could not get a Boston Glove article address to upload...

in any case to my point earlier about these articles being cyclic; articles in defense of music and the arts position in public schools and justification for their presence and expense. A search of the Boston Globe articles will uncover that due to budget restraints and the cost and strain on schools trying to meet the mandates of the "No Child Left Behind" government programs, music and art budgets have been cut and in some cases drastically. Often Parents and student organizations raise money to keep at least parts of the programs alive. In defense of the programs you see college education departments and teachers union and teachers professional arts and music organizations i.e. Music Educators Association etc. writing and publishing articles and arguments in defense of their programs. There is also shortage of teachers entering these fields and as a result in some college and university education programs, enrollment is at an all time low. If the school districts do not offer the subject in the curriculum, of course there are no jobs in that subject and students do not seek that certification.

The benefits of such programs and their positive effect is well known and documented. Arguments must be reiterated when school boards take the easy way out and justify the cuts in order to elevate scores in another identified and highly accountable (measurable) deficiency area.

[SuzanneR]

Dave... thanks for your posts... I would say it must be tiresome for art/music/drama (and maybe a few photo) teachers to have to justify what they teach each year. Math teachers, it seems, are never burdened with such trivialities. And yet, aside from balancing my checkbook, math has never been particularly essential to my adult life. Why then, are the math teacher's never asked how their role is so important?

Perhaps, when cuts need to be made, they should be made across the board... to all subjects. Then, perhaps, the burden of justifying our education won't always fall to the art and music teachers. Let a few math teacher's shoulder the burden. Ha!! let them organize a few bake sales!

We can probably agree that U.S schools need to be improved across the board... how to get there is another matter, but I found this Globe story made a very strong case for a well rounded education.

In other words... if cuts need to be made... make them everywhere... not just in the arts. It's silly to think the arts are an indulgence.