01-31-2014, 02:17 AM
The arts in schools are being cut across the nation. It's an easy target for those that fail to understand that art education utilizes and enhances every skill taught in the traditional core subjects. Art students develop superior critical thinking skills, the very backbone of the common core standards. Yet school districts that are strapped for cash are making the choice to cut funding.
I worked in my districts Art Academy - last year one fourth of the staff was cut. Both the full-time photography and chorus instructors were eliminated. Funding was reduced across the board in all areas. Just today the discussion was made about whether to begin charging students to take the classes in order to cover material costs. Teachers are spending hours writing grant proposals and conducting fundraising exercises.
This is in a school district that prides itself on supporting the arts. Districts with differing priorities have already eliminated art from the curriculum. The students are the ones who suffer, and once a program is gone the odds of it coming back are very remote.
I worked in my districts Art Academy - last year one fourth of the staff was cut. Both the full-time photography and chorus instructors were eliminated. Funding was reduced across the board in all areas. Just today the discussion was made about whether to begin charging students to take the classes in order to cover material costs. Teachers are spending hours writing grant proposals and conducting fundraising exercises.
This is in a school district that prides itself on supporting the arts. Districts with differing priorities have already eliminated art from the curriculum. The students are the ones who suffer, and once a program is gone the odds of it coming back are very remote.