Regarding corporate WYPRs report on Howard County parents and art and music in elementary schools: Below you see a post of my response to a questionnaire for a private arts and music non-profit here in Maryland. It is relevant to the shouting across the state from parents and students trying to have a voice in an eduction reform many people do not support. Let me make a more directed comment about arts and music that may meet the criteria of universal posting: Cindy Walsh for Governor of Maryland is a labor and justice campaign that seeks to reverse the trends of small government and defunding of public sector programs brought over these few decades. I am a social democracy democrat who works to rebuild public and private structures that work to enhance the publics opportunities to quality public education that is democratic and adheres to equal opportunity and access. The first part of my conversation will be directed at arts and music remaining part of a public schools permanent curricula and the second part of this conversation will look at private non-profits such as YAMD.org as a complement to a strong public arts and music program. I listened this morning on WYPR how Howard County parents and citizens are now fighting education reform that looks to remove arts and music to make way for language classes at the elementary school level. Parents and citizens in Baltimore County and Baltimore City have similar concerns as not only arts and music but recess and other subjects are falling to an emphasis on simply reading and math scores. The intent with language in elementary school is tied with the idea that American workers are going to be increasingly able to only find jobs that take them overseas working for global corporations or will work here in America for global corporations exporting overseas. That is why language is now being placed into elementary schools at the loss to music and arts or even recess. I encourage Maryland citizens and parents looking at the quality of education in schools to look at these issues broadly---they are all tied with a neo-liberal objective of making all of American society tied to global corporations and global markets. Race to the Top education reform is not only about grooming children for these global markets, it is about making US education a tool of corporations and markets. So, first and foremost, Maryland citizens have to decide if that is the goal they want Maryland to aspire. In the world of privatized education, arts and humanities lose no matter whether kindergarten or college. Now, speaking to arts and music directly. I am a life-long academic with degrees in science and education. Arts and humanities is critical to a democratic education. When I say democratic education I hark back to the early 19th century education views of public education having as a goal of making people ready to be leaders of business and government and to be citizens in their communities. Democratic education places the quality of an education steeped in arts and humanities as equal opportunity for all citizens. So, we must keep arts and humanities in all public schools as part of each schools curricula. It benefits the students ability to compete for employment, it betters that students quality of life, and it opens a wide range of experiences that all children have the right to achieve. That said, language is a wonderful subject for children and educators know that children learn language better at an early age. Learning language for personal benefit is different than having language be required for employment. If indeed, the goal is for personal benefit than having language classes as after-school programs would be the solution. If we can relegate arts and music to after-school programs, so too can we relegate language to these times. I prefer to see arts and music as core curricula in public schools with language as a funded after-school program. With the state of public schools today having seen arts and music dismantled in most schools, this means I would support public funding to rebuild all the structures needed for arts and music in schools including the funding of teachers in those subjects. That said, private non-profits like YAMD.org would be a valuable community resource for public school teachers and would partner to enhance the experience of children in these classes. Private non-profits in arts and music also are wildly popular as community classes so would be a wonderful addition to after-school programs. I would see that these programs were funded as well. To sum my position on arts and music.....I do not support the current education reforms that seek to recreate our public schools in the shape written by corporate policy. I will keep public education as responsive to public wants and needs. I see and hear parents and students all wanting a strong presence in schools for arts and music. I also know the value of having private non-profits that extend this experience to after-school programs and community programs. Fully funding all of these opportunities would be my goal. Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this question for candidates, Cindy Walsh for Governor of Maryland ************************************* County parents concerned over possible music, arts cuts Howard County schools making room for more foreign language curriculum Published 11:21 AM EDT Mar 14, 2014 WBAL TV ELLICOTT CITY, Md. —Concerns about possible cuts to the music and arts program in Howard County elementary schools brought parents and kids out to a school board meeting Thursday night. Related The county is expanding its foreign language curriculum at the elementary level, so something in the schedule has to give, and there are rumors that the music may be turned down in the classroom to make room for the expansion. Mobile users, tap here for video The halls of the school were alive Thursday night with the sound of music because the arts mean a lot to the countys students. Ive got a lot of friends who really want to be professional instruments players, said a fifth-grade student named Joshua. I want my neighbors and possibly even my own kids to have the exact same opportunity that I did, said high school chorus member Brandon Carey. In the elementary schools its so important that you get the full amount of instructional time. Part of what theyre cutting are the sectional times, when you are taken out of class to actually learn how to play the instrument, said high school chorus member Emily Anderson. At one elementary school this year, the county expanded world language instruction. It will do the same next year at five more schools. Putting language in is an excellent idea. I myself speak five languages, so Im all for languages as you would guess, but not for the sake of music and arts. We have to find a different way, said parent Ann Faust. School officials promised Thursday that theyre not stringing people along. They said theyve not decided what will be sacrificed. What were looking at is theres only so much time in the day, so where will it come from? Its not going to come from one particular area, said Howard County Assistant Superintendent Linda Wise. Officials also promise that, for now, they wont completely silence the young musicians. The school board is expected to get a report that examines all the scheduling options in the spring, with a final decision expected soon after that. _____________________________________________________ Sunday, September 6, 2009 Parents Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland Dedicated to improving responsiveness and performance of Montgomery County Public Schools The Next Superintendent: The Humanities--Art and Music Every Child is an Artist --Pablo Picasso In reading the Parents Coalition’s Second Annual List of Course Fees I see that art classes are costed out and not free at the Montgomery County Public Schools. Let me repeat: our children who are artists are not allowed access to a free public education. They must pay to take their coursework, while children who are budding scientists or mathematicians receive a pass; their education is free. Our musicians too must pay a ‘dry cleaning’ fee at some schools in the county. Their education is not free either. This discrimination against our children whose focus is on the Humanities is nothing new at MCPS. It still has the power to shock of course. Our next superintendent must be an individual who values ALL of our children. She or he must be of some intellect, enough to recognize the humanity and value in Art and Music and the important role both play in our lives. I am currently reading, Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, by the noted physician, Oliver Sacks. His focus in this fascinating book is on the interaction of neurological conditions and music, such as musical hallucinations; amusia, the loss of the ability to ‘hear’ music as a comprehensive whole; perfect pitch; the inter-relationship between music and Parkinson ’s disease; music therapy, and the like. We know now that music is hardwired into our species, as is art. Archaeologists working in Europe have identified what appear to be the earliest musical instruments, some 40,000 years old. Similarly, art works that date to at least 30,000 years ago have been discovered throughout caves in Europe. Stripping our public education system of art and music takes a toll on the lives of our children and our civic life; the quality of life we enjoy in Montgomery County will be lost if we continue down this path of public policy. Our next superintendent must be a person who values all our children, including the artists and musicians among them. _______________________________________ Why Art Makes Kids Smarter A Mom Congress Report about the importance of music, drama, dance, and drawing and painting in the classroom By Nancy Kalish Parenting Think back to when you were in elementary school. In between doing all the dittos and spelling tests and times tables, there were specials (and aptly named, too). Nothing was quite as exciting as the gleeful anticipation of putting on your smock for art class or pulling out the wooden recorders for music. And when it was time for the class play, just forget it. Whether you starred as Snow White or donned a furry costume as Woodland Creature #7, school couldnt get much better. And that was the whole point. These days, however, not only are many kids lucky if they have art-on-a-cart, but when they do, proponents often have to justify the programs in relation to students performance on standardized reading and math tests. Because in the age of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), few things matter more than test scores (read our report on NCLB at Parenting/nclb). Well, the bad news first: Although kids who are involved in the arts do tend to test better, theres no direct cause-and-effect evidence that participation actually helps raise scores. This sounds like awful news and justification to slash school arts programs even further, right? But dismissing the arts if they dont directly boost scores is a big mistake, says Richard Kessler, executive director of the Center for Arts Education in New York City. In fact, plenty of research shows that children who spend time in school doing visual art, performing music or dance, or even acting in a play gain a whole set of creative and analytical skills that are quickly disappearing from the rest of the curriculum. Thats because in the majority of public schools, the emphasis is on test prep, which means lots of memorization, rote learning, and following directions. In fact, many have more than doubled instructional time in math and English language arts (ELA) since NCLB was enacted in 2002. More math and reading instruction might sound like a good thing -- that is, until you realize whats being eliminated to make room for it. Those same schools have cut arts education by an average of 35 percent. Ideally, children should have an hour of each arts discipline once a week. But few schools make the grade. Twelve percent of school districts dont offer any arts instruction at all. And its not like putting all the focus on nonstop test-prep is having the desired effect. Test scores have failed to rise as hoped. Meanwhile, Hong Kong as well as Japan, Canada, Finland, and five other countries that consistently outperform us in math and reading all require extensive education in the arts without narrowing their curriculum, according to a new report from Common Core, a Washington, DC, educational research and advocacy organization. For example, national guidelines in Hong Kong recommend that fourth-graders visit artists studios and study great works of sculpture and painting; in Ontario, Canada, learning musical composition and conducting are standard for eighth-graders. The situation here is extremely frustrating, says Lynne Munson, Common Cores executive director. We have lots of proof that a broad education that includes the arts works better than what were doing -- and yet were ignoring it. ____________________________________ As you see above the wealthier counties in Maryland have more publicized shouting then the Baltimore City which has been stripped of most humanities and liberal arts for years. I spoke with a community member who tried to volunteer to bring music to a local elementary school and he was rebuffed when he asked that the school provide instruments----bring in digital music he was told. Baltimore has a great arts magnate school that has limited space but all other opportunities fall to private donations and funding. Keep in mind, Baltimore has mortgaged all of its corporate tax revenue for decades and has all kinds of wealth tax stealth. So, it is public policy that starves Baltimore public schools along with massive fraud and corruption. The money is available for public schools to be fully funded for arts and music as well as other humanities and liberal arts. The Baltimore City School system is captured by privatizers who do not want schools to be anything other than vocational K-college. I keep reminding the rest of Maryland that what is being built in Baltimore as far as privatization will be expanded across the state so if you want this for your county-----work to keep it in Baltimore City as well! Remember, in Baltimore where privatization structures are being built, only children who test for music and art skills with pre-K testing will be tracked into that vocational track so there is no need for arts and music in mainstream schools. A magnate school can handle those children with natural talent. Below you see one county hanging on to strong arts and music but the intent will be to have it go! October 27, 2011 Baltimore County art teachers sweep awards Baltimore County, which has long been known for its excellence in the arts, swept the Maryland Art Teacher of the Year awards this year. Laura Patacca-Kerr of Oakleigh Elementary School, Cecilia Terlizzi of Sudbrook Magnet Middle School and Ryan Twentey of Parkville High School each won for the elementary, middle and high school divisions. Michael Bare was given the Retired Art Teacher award. Bare left Hereford High School last year after being excessed. Linda Popp, the countys visual arts coordinator, said state awards are often given to teachers who make strong contributions to their communities as well as their schools. This years winners mentored colleagues, coordinated exhibits and found other ways to take art into the community. Baltimore County has a history of having a really strong art program, she said. The county has outstanding art teachers, as well as a very strong art curriculum that builds from first to 12th grade. The arts in the county have not been eliminated as they have in some other counties. We have a strong artistic community of teachers. They are artists. The collaborate with colleagues. Popp said teachers are given opportunities for professional develop and to mentor other teachers. If we are taking care of the teachers then they are taking care of the kids, Popp said. All kids deserve the best art. County art students have been national winners in the YoungArts competition sponsored by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. YoungArts selects only about 150 students from nine disciplines across the nation to participate in a free week long series of workshops each year. County students are also often chosen as regional and national winnners in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. What has made a difference to many students is the countys approach to teaching. Once students have a foundation, he said, teachers allow them to explore their own personal aesthetic rather than trying to shape the students work. We would not try to change their work but would find other artists that work in that genre, he said. Mentally, they start to understand that art is visual communication of an idea....The ultimate goal is to develop their artistic voice. Bare, who is an artist himself, said he is constantly amazed at the dialogue he has with his student artists.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 17:01:38 +0000
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