Art In Public Schools

To begin with, budget cuts in art programs is an economic issue which affects both students and teachers. Even though the arts are often thought of as unrelated subjects, with basic class courses, they really are a collection of skills and perspectives that surpass most areas of human activity. Furthermore, art program budget cuts are occurring due to the fact that the government and the head of the school boards believe that the arts are not as important as other “academic” subjects such as language arts and math. In fact, cutting from the art programs may lead to teachers and students being left in grievous circumstances. For example, many teachers will have their pay raises reduced or teachers would have their paychecks cut or they will end up unemployed. Therefore, how are teachers suppose to support their families if they have had their pay cut? Would have to look for another job and spend less time with their family to help support them? Furthermore, students are also affected due to the fact that there will be less applications for FASA which would lead to “fewer students able to afford

All around the United States, art programs are being cut out of the budget in public schools. The arts include dance, band, chorus, theatre, film, drawing, painting, photography and literary arts. Some school board members feel these art programs are not necessary and do not benefit the students in any way. Elementary, middle, and high school students are forced to quit their passion and feel that their talents are not supported by their schools. Although many are not aware, there is a strong connection between arts education and academic achievement. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts in many public schools, the art classes are first on the list to be cut. It is important that the students, parents and teachers

Shelton, S. (2014, October-November). Art smart: art classes often aren't schools' top priority, yet research suggests perhaps they should be. State Legislatures, 40(9), 32+. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A386917960/GPS?u=colu97977&sid=GPS&xid=4edbabfc

Students that are involved in fine arts may do better on their test scores. Most children that participate in fine arts have a better act And can cooroperate better with others. Many studies show that all this is true.(“10 Studies on the Importance of Art in Education.”)

Curiosity seems to be one of the greatest assists possessed by human kind, there seldom seems to be a child who doesn't ask the question "why?" frequently, but so often school as the innate ability to limit children's curiosity. Public education tends to be overlooked, most people don't see it for what it is, a way of nourishing and expanding the developing minds of youth, and a way of passing down culture and traditions. The education children receive is a toolkit to help them solve problems later in life, but the majority of the time students do not obtain the well-rounded education they need to prosper. Due to a multitude of different reasons, mostly attributed to budget, art programs are being cut out of curriculum. The reduction of budget

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, art is defined as “something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings” (“Art”). With that being said, it is almost essential that art is maintained as a general course required for every student to take. While having art classes in schools available for students is important, it is also equally as important for the school funding for the art programs to be regulated throughout each district. By using a simple student to teacher ratio to determine how much money should be allotted to each teacher, this reoccurring problem could be solved for good.

People are asking questions about school nowadays. Is it safe? Is my child doing well in school? But the most important one of all is why are they taking art? Everyone thinks that due to school being educational and all, which it should stick with the core curriculum and not have the other sections like art or band.

Fine arts broaden our perspective and to help promote social tolerance, but also gives students many academic advantages they can use for a lifetime. Students that are exposed to an environment where they are allowed to express themselves freely musically or artistically will guarantee the ability of teamwork skills, confidence, and critical thinking skills. Some school districts fail to recognize the importance of education in the arts. Musical involvement promotes better math skills, students with band and orchestra experience attend college at a rate twice the national average, art teaches critical thinking rather than just getting the right answer, and theater participation helps develop social tolerance. All of these examples show why arts in public education are so important and why is a necessity in a public school and has overall higher academic achievement, critical thinking skills, and other things that are important in living

    The schools who cut their art programs first are those who are struggling to meet demands of academic curriculums. Many of the schools who cut or reduced their art programs were schools that

It is well known that art is often overlooked or cut in most education systems around the world. Many believe that is is a distraction from the core components of education (Math, Science, English and History). While many believe this, studies have shown the complete opposite. Art enhances education and encourages creativity or ‘thinking outside the box’. By definition art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. Without art, earth would be ‘eh’. Funds are running low and the federal government does not require any completion of art in order to receive a diploma. However, art should be a required fifth core class.

Think about the arts: they are omnipresent like air in daily life, from going to the movies to attending a music concert to visiting an art museum, with none of those activities being existent if it were not for the people who spent years perfecting those art forms for other’s entertainment and enjoyment. The truth is, the arts have been embedded in human nature just like carvings on wood, and is a surviving and persisting tradition that can be traced to even the earliest culture and history that has proved itself to be a key factor for bringing the world together under common interests and art forms. One would think that the arts should be required in all education systems with their strong roots in the past and modern times, but the arts are still the first programs to be cut from schools on tight budgets, and are nonexistent in low-income schools due to being dismissed as inferior to the more “academic” subjects. Even though the arts are more abstract, subjective, and lenient in subject areas, they are still the crucial link and passage to the world of creativity, imagination, and passion. The arts are irreplaceable subjects that should be maintained in schools because only they can provide a truly well rounded education to students, harnessing them with priceless skills that simply cannot be found in purely academic classes, while providing numerous benefits that no other programs can replace.

Figure 1 represents the answers of 97 people when they were asked whether art education was important in school from kindergarten through the twelfth grade. 100% of them answered that art education was important. This poll was conducted using people of various ages, demographics, and backgrounds (Saal).

First, educators need to have a paradigm shift in the idea that arts education is the responsibility of only the art teacher. Fowler (1994) offers that strong schools tend to have strong arts program. Fowler (1994) states,

Art Education is very important for students. A growing body of research suggests that the arts offer students a unique, valuable way to grow intellectually, socially and emotionally. These things are all associated with creativity. Schools today want to focus more on the four core classes math, science, english, and social studies which is acceptable for some students who are academically stronger in school. Opposed to the students who have a harder time focusing in school and we see them drawing when they need to be taking notes. Creativity today has become less and less more visible in classrooms in America. Due to the expansion of technology people see that it takes less time to look an idea up on the internet rather than taking the time to come up with something original.

“Art, while being an incredible asset in developing minds, is not prioritized in public schooling, and alternate options aren’t necessarily widely known or affordable” (Furster). Why is it important to improve the art programs in the school? Art Programs or not, Rory Pullens, The District arts director for the Los Angeles Unified School District, enlightens the idea. “When you look at the disparity between those schools that were ranked exemplary with A’s and those schools that were C’s and D’s, it was staggering to see that in a district of this size only 35 schools were ranked as an A in the arts, given all this criteria” (Torres). In many cases, Art is the first thing that schools cut from the budget. Many students in the country do not have access to art, and in the state of California, that is a violation of state law. Art is a phenomenal asset that develops minds. It’s not always the school’s fault. The art program is considered more of an option to school districts, which results in a lot of people not having the ability to access art classes. School Districts should consider avoiding cutting the art programs from their budgets because separate institutions are expensive, VAPA (Visual And Performing Arts) Programs are required by law in some states, and the reason communities are so eager to cut art programs.