Arts Education Suffering In San Jose Schools

Art programs, such as art appreciation, drama, theater and music, have been suffering across the nation for 30 years, as school officials concentrate on the basics of learning. With federal programs, such as No Kid Left Behind, even a lot more concentrate has been placed on simple learning competencies, which excludes the arts. This also indicates that any additional funding is funneled into these simple learning programs in order to meet state and federal-set standards. Arts education is one particular of the standards that must be met by schools within the state of California, yet the state does not impose penalties on schools that do not met these certain standards.

A statewide survey by SRI International concluded that of the 1,123 schools surveyed:

89 percent failed to meet state standards for arts education

Almost 1/3 offered no art education coursework that met state standards

61 percent had no full-time arts specialist, with classroom teachers with out adequate instruction teaching arts education at the elementary level

Kindergarten through 12 enrollment in music classes declined by 37 percent over a five-year period, ending final June and

Poor schools have the least access to arts education whereas better income schools (where parents can afford private lessons) are much more apt to have it.

Chris Funk is the San Jose schools principal of Lincoln High School, a stellar magnet arts school. He believes that the more San Jose schools students are exposed to the arts the far better they will do in testing inside other coursework.

Scientific studies have confirmed that a powerful arts system can be linked to improvement in bullying programs in schools every little thing from math abilities to truancy. Arts education in elementary and secondary schools create skilled sculptors, actors, musicians, singers and so several other arts-associated careers. The arts also boost the socialization capabilities of students.

Bill Eriendson, assistant superintendent of the San Jose schools, stated that the level of funding for the arts is inadequate. Final year, the state budgeted $500 million for the arts and physical education nevertheless, this amount was a a single-time deal. The norm is $105 million, which is about $15 per student. According to Eriendson, the San Jose schools demands about $800,000 to restore just their music programs at the elementary San Jose schools. This figure does not incorporate the obtain of instruments.

San Jose schools are a excellent representation of the statewide findings. Besides trying to meet state and bullying assemblies federal standards in the standard coursework, the San Jose schools had been hit with Proposition 13 that was passed in 1978, which imposed tax cuts for Californians and tremendously lowered funding for arts education. The arts were 1st cut in the secondary San Jose schools and then middle school assemblies in the elementary San Jose schools. By the late 1980s, arts education was all but gone in the San Jose schools.

According to Funk, there presently is a waiting list of 225 San Jose schools students. He finds San Jose schools students are drawn to the dance, theater, music and visual arts programs supplied by his school. Without the help of the Lincoln Foundation, which donated $75,000 for this school year, this San Jose schools arts magnet would not exist.