OPINION & EDITORIAL
Arts education gravely ignored
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by Suchita Shah
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Imagine a program that produced a fourfold increase in the number of students recognized for academic achievement. What if that initiative also resulted in three times as many students elected to leadership positions at their schools? And imagine that these children would be four times as likely to be in math or science fairs, and also to perform community service. On top of all that, they would also be three times as likely to win an award for exceptional school attendance.
If public school administrators and government officials knew of such a program, I would demand that it be implemented in our schools and that we invest in it immediately. Guess what? We already know of such a program that does achieve all those benefits: It’s called the arts.
According to Americans for the Arts, children deeply involved in arts programs receive the aforementioned benefits, and then some. Yet, paradoxically, schools are cutting arts programs — ranging from band to theater to painting — because of funding limitations.
You would think a field that produces such dramatic results would be cultivated, not cut. However, school districts have had to make tough decisions, in part because of a lack of support from state and federal government. Indeed, with state-imposed revenue caps on local districts, schools throughout Wisconsin have had to rely on referenda to keep up with increasing costs of operation, according to the Wisconsin Education Association Council. When these referenda fail in the communities, arts education is often one of the first items eliminated.
And the federal No Child Left Behind Act has only exacerbated the problem. The Bush administration has emphasized science, technology, education and math, and while these fields are essential to early education, the untested areas of arts and literature are ignored in the quest to increase test scores. And thus, with a shift in resources to “teach to the test,” arts don’t quite fit in the picture.
For these reasons, the money doesn’t exist right now for arts programs in public schools. However, it is a necessary investment that needs to be made. According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, every school that trimmed its arts classes ended up spending more on discipline within three years, and also saw falling test scores.
Newly elected Dane County Supervisor Wyndham Manning, District 5, ran on a platform that included a “public arts initiative.” According to his campaign website, community funding for arts programs could benefit at-risk youth and deter delinquency. Imagine the money Dane County could save on incarceration if a small investment were made in the arts. As the Wisconsin Assembly for Local Arts calculated, such educational programs have an economic impact of $289 million annually in the state, and they only cost the government $2.5 million.
Allow me to state it bluntly: Arts help students succeed in all areas of education. They save communities money on disciplinary programs, and they have a yield of over 100 times the initial investment. So what the hell are we waiting for? Who in their right mind would keep cutting these programs? Why haven’t we made this seemingly magic bullet a priority?
Thankfully, there are some government leaders who do recognize the value of arts education. Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster recently launched the Wisconsin Task Force on Arts and Creativity in Education. Designed to promote access to arts programs in public schools, this task force will also contribute to today’s knowledge-based economy, one that demands individuals be able to think outside of the box. As Ms. Lawton stated in a press release, “creativity and innovation will be the cornerstone of Wisconsin competitiveness in the years ahead.”
Likewise, as Americans for the Arts claim, there is no better way to stimulate creativity than through early arts education. Such programs demand self-expression that cannot be achieved by plugging through algebra problems or mixing chemicals in a lab. I am by no means suggesting science and math are not vital, but the arts deserve equal treatment.
It pains me every time I hear of another school district having to cut music or drawing or theater. I could only imagine the public outcry if, instead of the marching band, schools were cutting the football team. Both are essential enriching activities, and we must make an investment in our future generations by adequately funding these programs.
I know I’ve centered my argument here on the economic benefits of arts programs, and maybe that is what is needed to convince our communities and our governments. But I wish it were sufficient to just use the words of the Wisconsin Arts Board as reason enough to support such initiatives — “The arts are basic to human life and essential to the human spirit.”
Suchita Shah (sshah@badgerherald.com) is a senior studying neurobiology.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 6:04am):
You are making a big jump to say that the increase in discipline is caused by the arts cut. It it most likely that the schools are in poorer areas anyway, and the cutting of an arts program is just one symptom of the problems that are facing the school.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 6:14am):
This is really getting annoying seeing Lawton interns promoting her in the press as if it's no biggie.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 6:52am):
Do the arts classes make the students exceptional, or do the exceptional students just happen to take arts classes?
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 7:04am):
Sounds like someone had trouble with the arts categories on Jeopardy.
Robert Kase (April 16, 2008 @ 1:13pm):
Excellent article and right on the money. Thanks for helping all our arts programs move our platform forward. I loved the opening concepts as they are so true, yet continually ignored. My question is still....WHY? Is it simply because educators, administrators and legislators just plain old, don't believe the data? What will it take?
Thanks.
Bob Kase
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 1:20pm):
Suchita Shah (sshah@badgerherald.com) is a senior studying neurobiology and a semifinalist for the 2008 Jeopardy College Championships!! Sorry you didn't make it to the final round, but it is amazing that you got on the show at all and then made it to semis and within inches of finals!!
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 6:45pm):
Suchita, you don't know what you're talking about. Take on an issue that is a little more difficult and contentious, and people will respect you for more than just resume padding. There, I did it. I slayed the dragon.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 7:12pm):
Although I'm sure that a lot of your arguments are true, the numbers you cite to support them are disengenuous. The schools most likely cutting art programs were underperforming well before the cuts. They are most likely schools in lower-income areas, whose students are less likely to "participate in a science fair" for many reasons besides insufficient arts education.
Anonymous (April 22, 2008 @ 11:18am):
The performing arts, especially in dramatic arts, are proven educational tools. The challenge that schools and educators face is how to overcome the ability to provide on-going funding and support throughout the community.
I call on the exhibitors, distributors and producers to create a voluntary donation program that will fund local school programs by a small % of all movie tickets, DVD sales in each community.
Rusty Citron
www.actorshalloffame.org
If you can afford $10 for a bag of popcorn or $29 for a DVD, surely a $1 for local school dramatic arts education is not too much to ask.
Anonymous (May 12, 2008 @ 8:17pm):
Pretty good article and I wish u luck on Jeopardy!
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