by June Portnoy
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School Arts Organizations
The National Art Education Association offers a free brochure that provides a checklist for art education. To receive this brochure, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the National Art Education Association, 1916 Association Dr., Reston, VA 20191. For more info, call 703-860-8000 or visit www.naea-reston.org The National Association for Music Education, along with the International Music Products Association, has created a list of standards for quality music instruction. For the list, visit www.supportmusic.com. For more information about The National Association for Music Education, call 800-336-3768 or visit www.menc.org Call the Educational Theatre Association, 513-421-3900, to find out whether your child’s school district |
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Since at least the mid-1980s, the arts have been the victim of cuts in schools around the nation. Most recently, they have been vulnerable as school districts are pressured to put more emphasis on preparing for standardized tests.
With the exception of some urban areas, most school districts in our region have not recently cut back on arts teachers. However, that doesn’t mean that arts education at area schools is not being affected in other ways.
Standardized Tests
“A reduction in the arts is most likely to happen in school districts where standardized test scores are low,” says Denise Cardinal, spokesperson for the National Education Association.
Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), schools that don’t reach targets on yearly test scores in reading, math, and soon, science, are limited in how they can spend the federal funds they receive. Consequently, their budgets heavily emphasize NCLB requirements. President Bush signed NCLB in early 2001, but the trend toward emphasizing standardized tests began in the mid-1980s.
The increased pressure to hit test score targets in math and reading, combined with dwindling budgets, has caused some districts to devote more time “teaching to test” and less time on the arts, says Paul Cothran, executive director of VH1 Save The Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of music education in America’s public schools.
National and state standards do exist for art, music, dance and theater, says Dr. Thomas Hatfield, executive director of the National Art Education Association. In fact, the arts are already part of the core curriculum listed in NCLB. However, there is no consequence if schools don’t meet these standards.
Problems in Philadelphia
While most suburban Pennsylvania school districts have not recently trimmed their arts teaching staffs, loss of arts education is an issue in Philadelphia, the state’s largest district.
“When schools, like many in Philadelphia, struggle with budgetary issues, sometimes they have to decide between losing a school nurse, librarian or an art teacher,” says Dennis Creed, Administrator for the Office of Creative and Performing Arts at the Philadelphia School District.
During the 2004-2005 school year, 81 of the 175 Philadelphia elementary schools did not have music teachers. Forty-one of these schools were without music and art teachers. Although these statistics sound grim, the Philadelphia school district is doing better than most other urban school districts around the country, and it is making plans to address its problems.
New Jersey and Delaware
“Although there is no net loss of art teachers in South Jersey, there is also no net gain,” says Dale Schmid, visual and performing arts coordinator for the Office of Academic and Professional Standards in the New Jersey State Department of Education
According to Schmid, this is a cultural issue “We need to value the arts,” he says. “This has been an ongoing struggle, and although there are signs of hope, any change will require public recognition and public support. We as citizens need to do a better job communicating why the arts are so important in order to counteract the theory that studying the arts is only important for kids with talent.”
Adds Cothran, “There is a mindset that subjects like music and art are add-ons or luxuries and not viewed as integral parts of a complete education.”
“The problem we’re facing is not resources, but time as our limiting factor,” says Deb Hansen, education associate for visual and performing arts and gifted and talented programs at Delaware’s Department of Education. “Overall, there is an expansion of teachers in the arts in Delaware, but with so much focus on math, English and language arts due to accountability, administrators have to make choices.
“Since there are only so many hours in the day, we may have to cut the frequency and duration of arts education classes to accommodate the core
subjects.”
Benefits of the Arts
“Participating in theater classes improves students’ self-confidence and self-esteem,” says Michael J. Peitz, executive director of the Educational Theatre Association. “It also teaches them how to communicate.
“These are the kinds of results that are difficult to measure on tests, but these are the kinds of skills that help people become successful in their future careers.”
“Studying art is more than training kids to be artists,” says Dr. Hatfield. “More importantly, it helps students improve their visual acuity. In today’s world, information is often presented using visuals, and kids who haven’t been exposed to art will often miss the whole point of data being presented.”
According to Michael Blakeslee, deputy executive director of the National Association for Music Education, music experiences help kids in math and reading acquisition. This is because music instruction can lead to measurable increases in space-and-time intelligence (important in science and math reasoning). In addition, exposing younger kids to music education helps predispose them to reading readiness.
Parents Fill the Gap
Some parent organizations have contributed to their school or school district arts programs. PTOs and PTAs have helped schools provide resources and support for art-related activities at schools by:
• Offering art appreciation or craft lessons at schools
• Sponsoring field trips to art galleries and museums
• Providing transportation so students can attend performances
• Funding or providing volunteers for art exhibits
According to Schmid, PTOs and PTAs can “step up to the plate and ask for accountability to make sure children are getting a quality arts education.”
“It’s really up to the parents to demand that their children have a well balanced education,” says Schmid. Parents need to let their school board know that the arts are a priority at school, says Peitz.
Parents can write letters to their school board or talk to art teachers and ask what help they need, says Beth Carnell, fine arts and humanity advisor at the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
“If parents were to express their concerns to elected school board members and the policy-makers in their local districts and in their states, then schools would change,” says Cardinal. “When voters talk, elected leaders listen.”
In addition, Peitz emphasizes that parents can show their support for the arts by attending art shows, concerts and plays at school. “One way to let administrators see how important the arts are is to attend these activities,” says Peitz.
By recognizing the value of the arts and spreading the awareness of how important the arts are to key opinion leaders, parents can make a difference.
June Portnoy is a contributing writer to MetroKids.