August 2009, right before the beginning of the school year, Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, wrote a letter to school and education community leaders about the state of Arts Education. His letter stresses the importance of Arts Education in the lives of our students. He stressed how important it is to educate the whole child. Although the letter was meet with mixed reviews it is a giant step in the right direction for arts educators.
For years arts educators have fought to keep their programs alive, knowing that their programs are the reasons some students come to school. We have always thought of our subject matter as a core curriculum content standard. Now that music, dance theatre and visual arts are perceived as a core academic subject, school administrators and policy makers are encouraged to spend funding on developing these programs.
The arts are a way to teach our children how to live better lives and to live with passion and responsibility. In President Obama’s recent speech to American students he stressed the importance of responsibility. He challenged students, teachers and government to be responsible for their actions. He told the students of America they have a responsibility to find out who they are. The arts have a way of helping students find their passion in life. In turn, that passion fuels their desire to do better and be better. When a student takes on an art project it is most often meet with commitment, determination and creativity. It is because the arts are not a head to head subject. Music, dance, theatre and the visual arts cannot be taught merely from a book. We can reference historical information but a true arts education transforms a child for the better. That’s what all education should be. While math, science, English, social studies are extremely important to the education of a child, they can be taught without the teacher ever giving a part of themselves to the student. It is not a good way to teach but it is possible. The arts teach problem solving, critical thinking and creativity in each lesson. It’s the only way an artistic piece can be born and survive.
In a day when young people are increasingly hurting themselves and decreasingly concerned about contributing to the welfare of their fellow human beings, we need all the resources possible to reach each and every child. School uniforms are great, breakfast and lunch programs ensure they are not hungry but if a child is truly hurting on the inside those things don’t make a difference. The arts help children to establish a place within them that desires peace and goodness. Hopefully they can transfer that experience to other parts of their lives
As a dance educator in the Newark Public School system I have seen the lives of many students change for the better. I’ve always believed my subject was a core subject. I am not as concerned with developing dancers as much as I am concerned with developing human beings. My way of doing this is through dance. Each of us has a responsibility to find a way.
Written by Susan Pope
http://idancebecause.blogspot.com
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