Arts Education in K-12 Schools

We have been having interesting discussions in my EDAD 601 Introduction to Leadership, Vision, and Change course around the benefits of arts education in K-12 schools. I enjoy these discussions because cohort members share their unique perspective and experience from their own school district. From these discussions, I have learned that some teachers believe it is a necessity to have these types of programs to provide a broad base knowledge for students. Unfortunately, many teachers from smaller school districts shared that they do not have the support from their leadership team to fund these programs. Often these are the programs that are first to be cut when funding is limited. It is sad to see how some School Leaders can not find the funding sources to support art programs. Is it that they do not believe in the benefits? Do they feel their priorities and funding would be better invested in academic subjects such as English Language Arts or mathematics? With school districts making the shift to the Common Core Standards, I see the pressure that is put upon School Leaders to have their schools perform at a higher level. A focus on increasing funding for ELA and mathematics seems like the reasonable answer. However, when I researched what my school district stance was regarding arts education, I was pleasantly surprised to see our Superintendent and her leadership team in support of arts education. The short video clip below is a great snapshot of the high value put upon arts education in the San Diego Unified School District. Hearing this support coming straight from our Superintendent made me realize the importance of having a strong leader during challenging times of a budget crisis. More importantly, I like how she emphasized the collaborative work accomplished with leadership team to provide a broad and challenging curriculum that includes arts education.