Fine arts funding
Kevin Parker
Issue date: 12/1/08 Section: Opinion
We've all heard about it, an epidemic sweeping the nation. It is a chain reaction that is harming schools and students all over the country. That's right folks, it is the loss of fine arts programs all across America. The fine arts are being cut to the point of nothing.
In my opinion, these programs, which are mostly after school, help kids get off the streets and put them on a path towards a positive future. Thousands of schools across America are subject to the budget cuts. Fine Arts programs, which include a variety of activities such as music, theater, pottery and dance, are usually at the top of the list to get cut by administrators and district directors.
At the beginning of his regime, Bush implemented the No Child Left Behind Act. This was designed to bring up standardized test scores through intense core subject training. However, as good as this deed may seem, many blame people NCLB for the budget cuts. They claim that NCLB says that art education is a part of the core curriculum, but the act falls short of not requiring schools to report time spent on art education and nor does it
require students to meet and performance standards.
My belief is to not over-stress one aspect of education without others. The fine arts are just as important as core subjects.
Many times, fine arts programs get cut before athletics does, which is very unfair. They are both unnecessary after school programs, so why not cut them both? Going back to how important these programs are to students, the effect of the programs are completely positive. Before I moved to Florida, I was a kid in Queens, New York and in middle school most of the kids ran the streets meaning that they went and usually caused problems for people in the community and just did delinquent activities.
When these programs were implemented in schools across America, it greatly decreased the amount of delinquent activities and encouraged kids to get involved with the arts. Latch-key kids or young kids who don't go to an after school care program and go home to an empty house, are most likely to be involved in delinquent behavior sooner or later, but with these programs at schools, that risk is greatly reduced. I recently read an article on the subject on the Scholastic website, scholastic.com. The article asks the question "What's good about the arts?" Then it answers with this response, "It contributes to a well rounded student, it encourages the pursuit of extra curricular hobbies, it is a fantastic stress reliever, it provides a sense of worth, and it is also a showcase for creative expression."
This topic is just as important as marriage laws, we are talking about the future of our children, lets not let them grow up in a more screwed up society than it already is. There are remedies to this problem. Despite funding, a stage can be set up in an auditorium or cafeteria and a set can be made with a low budget while still putting on a great performance.
In 7th grade, I was in a production of Guys and Dolls at an inner-city school, which are the "worst schools," and our set was little to none. Fundraisers also help when a program is strapped on cash, but nothing beats the support of parents and those in the community to help push these programs along.
In my opinion, these programs, which are mostly after school, help kids get off the streets and put them on a path towards a positive future. Thousands of schools across America are subject to the budget cuts. Fine Arts programs, which include a variety of activities such as music, theater, pottery and dance, are usually at the top of the list to get cut by administrators and district directors.
At the beginning of his regime, Bush implemented the No Child Left Behind Act. This was designed to bring up standardized test scores through intense core subject training. However, as good as this deed may seem, many blame people NCLB for the budget cuts. They claim that NCLB says that art education is a part of the core curriculum, but the act falls short of not requiring schools to report time spent on art education and nor does it
require students to meet and performance standards.
My belief is to not over-stress one aspect of education without others. The fine arts are just as important as core subjects.
Many times, fine arts programs get cut before athletics does, which is very unfair. They are both unnecessary after school programs, so why not cut them both? Going back to how important these programs are to students, the effect of the programs are completely positive. Before I moved to Florida, I was a kid in Queens, New York and in middle school most of the kids ran the streets meaning that they went and usually caused problems for people in the community and just did delinquent activities.
When these programs were implemented in schools across America, it greatly decreased the amount of delinquent activities and encouraged kids to get involved with the arts. Latch-key kids or young kids who don't go to an after school care program and go home to an empty house, are most likely to be involved in delinquent behavior sooner or later, but with these programs at schools, that risk is greatly reduced. I recently read an article on the subject on the Scholastic website, scholastic.com. The article asks the question "What's good about the arts?" Then it answers with this response, "It contributes to a well rounded student, it encourages the pursuit of extra curricular hobbies, it is a fantastic stress reliever, it provides a sense of worth, and it is also a showcase for creative expression."
This topic is just as important as marriage laws, we are talking about the future of our children, lets not let them grow up in a more screwed up society than it already is. There are remedies to this problem. Despite funding, a stage can be set up in an auditorium or cafeteria and a set can be made with a low budget while still putting on a great performance.
In 7th grade, I was in a production of Guys and Dolls at an inner-city school, which are the "worst schools," and our set was little to none. Fundraisers also help when a program is strapped on cash, but nothing beats the support of parents and those in the community to help push these programs along.
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