Keep Arts in Schools: Helping Students Beyond Standard Ways

When schools and the arts are simultaneously mentioned, people think of great positives (higher standardized test scores, happy children singing) or negatives (budget cuts). Addressing both these issues is Keep Arts in Schools, a project of the Ford Foundation's Integrating the Arts and Education Reform initiative. It has a simple goal of keeping or starting quality art programs in public schools.

Benefits from the arts in education are well established. A well-rounded education includes more than basics, and art, whether it be music or drawing, gives students a creative outlet, a form of therapy, raised self-esteem and insight into potential careers. Participating in music concerts, plays or marching band requires dedication, organization and teamwork, all life long skills. As the research study Learning Arts, and the Brain: The Dana Consortium Report on Arts and Cognition found, a correlation between music training and reading acquisition and sequence learning exists. With the advancement of brain-based research, educators now know that art engages the entire brain, which makes "stronger and more plentiful neural connections, and can help build memory skills." While the case for the arts in students' educations is strong, schools still eliminate them.

Arts are quite subjective. After all, how can we all ever agree to think the same thoughts about a painting? We can't, and so states do not test students over art subjects. Standardized, objective testing (which NCLB calls for) does not cover the arts; therefore, when teacher or budget cuts are necessary, districts eliminate art programs. The problem is that the arts are connected to the core subjects, just in ways that cannot be seen or always measured. The freedom of art is what makes the arts so great-diversity, creativity, the special part in so many students that ends up abandoned. Teachers and parents have long realized this, but have gone unarmed to confront the disappearing arts from schools. Research and programs like Keep the Arts in Education are changing this.
Keep the Arts in Education provides practicable ways to "harness your passion." The organization lists speaking points, whether it is for the media or a school board. It encourages activists and parents to stay connected and updated by providing a collection of research, examples of successful campaigns and ways to start a petition. Aside from potential monetary help, Keep Arts in Schools provides tools and proper connections for helping communities who want to help their youngest members.

Besides a website, the organization benefits from social media, often by engaging the very students it works to help. It sends out a newsletter and hosts webinars as well. Reaching a variety of people with a variety of means is exactly what the arts should do, and what Keep Arts in Schools does.

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