No child left behind?

I will leave you this week with a picture that completely sums up my feelings for arts in education, and the No Child Left Behind Policy.

This photo shows a child dreamingly gazing out a window at the prospects of other classes and forms of education, as the rest of the class is relentlessly studying for a standardized test. You can see that the child is ok with being left behind, if that means she gets to experience the things outside the window.This cartoon perfectly captures my feelings towards the No Child Left Behind policy.

Benefits of an "Artful" Education

Perhaps the reason the funding for arts programs is so hard to come by, is because the benefits are not as easily seen as that of a standard math or history course. The skills and values that a child acquires from an arts education are slow building but extremely long lasting.

 They learn about different cultures, and ideology through art history, and observe how people have learned to express themselves through the ages with art. They discover a deep understanding of individuality and what it means to create, to work with ones hands, and to form something from nothing.  They master team working skills through group ensembles that prove that the whole can only be as strong as the weakest link. They uncover self confidence on an astronomical level, in a way that can not be taught, only discovered through performance and creation. They learn lessons that can not be found in any book in school, nor in any handout or research paper. They are self-teaching, self-motivated individuals who learn to strive for excellence along every step of the way.

These principles are entirely too important to be left out of a child's education. If the lawmakers can find a cheaper more efficient way to teach children these crucial lessons, then by all means go ahead. Yet, here we are, awaiting their masterful solution.

Arts Funding Atrocities

The main reason that the arts are cut from the school systems is because of funding. When school budgets are cut, they look first to "non-essential" learning topics. As most schools learning systems are now based on standardized testing, and the subsequent funding they receive from high scores. The classes that best cover testing topics are the number one priority. The idea that learning in a school has now transformed into year round test preparation is appalling, and it destroys the students idea of conventional learning methods.  The classes needed to prepare students for testing are the basics, such as mathematics, literature, history, and science. This set of classes has been deemed significantly more important than other school subjects, and therefore when budget cuts threaten schools, they do what it takes to make sure these classes stay alive. So where does that leave the arts? The arts programs are the first to be cut when funding is low. The school boards of America feel that removing the programs that are less essential and making children study and cram to pass tests and prove how much they are "learning" is a much more efficient way of schooling.

Its understandable to assume that budget cuts can lead to great losses, but the removal of arts programs in the schools is not a legitimate solution.

The best solution I can see? A full integration of the arts and education. Instead of separating these two class types into essential and non-essential groups, combine the two to form an indistinguishable line between Arts and education. By fully incorporating the two, the best of both worlds will be available to students.

And in the end, that's what's its all about. The students.

Arts in the Public Schools

Growing up in Sarasota, Florida it was hard to avoid the arts in any capacity. From the local arts festivities that take place weekly, to the seven community and professional theatres located within a 5 mile radius of downtown, and of course the amazing schools that offer the arts at every level of education, Sarasota is a town that has truly recognized the value of the arts.

The arts teaches history, acceptance, community, teamwork, self expression, physical fitness and many more increasingly important topics, yet many school districts fail to notice it. If it weren't for the amazing theatre program established at my high school there would be hundreds of students who would have failed to acquire a high school education. These programs where the catalysts that woke these school-sick students up in the mornings. These programs were the reason they attended their educational courses. These programs are what made them keep up their GPA for fear of the programs strict attandance and grades policy. It is obvious that high school students are not waking up at 6 a.m. on a daily basis with the exciting thoughts of a chemistry exam, or history final being their fuel. These students are waking up every morning because they know that when they have successfully completed their academic courses, they will spend time working on what they truly love. An art form that will let them be expressive. An assignment with no true guidelines. An assignment in which you can not be wrong, just different. Which in the art world, is a success within it self.

The arts programs are essential to learning at any age, and can not only be offered to the illustrious few who can attend a private school. Arts programs need to be fully integrated into every level of learning fro pre-school until your final graduation. It is these programs that will keep students in school, and keep them excited to learn.

"A man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind."
 -James Allen