There's a terrific interview in The Washington Post with Dan Willingham, the cognitive scientist and author, where he offers his take on the importance of arts education.This is good one, one you can trust, coming from a guy who has been a vocal critic of the 21st Century Skills movement (P21), has questioned Howard Gardner's "theory of multiple intelligences," has kicked the … [Read more...] about Six Practical Reasons Why Arts Education is Not a Mere Luxury, from Dan Willingham, Cognitive Scientist
Archives for November 2009
A Thousand Little Cuts: “The civil right is to an excellent education,” she said. “It’s not about having an art room.”
People say to me, what's the problem? Is anyone really against the arts in schools?My typical response is that it's not often one single event, it's more about the waves that wash it off the beach. Those waves have been the back-to-basics movement, NCLB, budget cuts, accountability, principal empowerment, site-based management, and so much more. It's why some of us in NYC have … [Read more...] about A Thousand Little Cuts: “The civil right is to an excellent education,” she said. “It’s not about having an art room.”
A Successful DC Arts-Centered Middle School to Get “Reformed”
The precise term is "turned," a diminutive of "turnaround," I presume. Turnaround being the latest and greatest craze in school reform. I believe the term is used in the espionage business as well. As in she "turned rogue." So, in short order:A middle school in the well-to-do Georgetown section of DC fails to attract students from its zoned area. Those parents choose to send … [Read more...] about A Successful DC Arts-Centered Middle School to Get “Reformed”
Final USDOE Race to the Top Guidelines Released: Arts Education an Outlier
I will try hard to be positive and productive with this blog. I promise.Okay, the long awaited Race to the Top final guidelines have been released. At the bottom of this entry I will provide a set of the links to the Executive Summary, full guidelines, press release, etc.First, let's address the question: what about arts education? The short answer is that the news is not … [Read more...] about Final USDOE Race to the Top Guidelines Released: Arts Education an Outlier
A Vital Partner: The United Federation of Teachers
It's not the smoothest time for teacher unions these days. They're a a pretty easy target when people wring their hands about the state of K-12 public education. But, hey, what would their critics do without them. Who would they have to criticize and blame? (The answer is: teacher colleges and school boards, in case you haven't heard.)If you look around at most of the arts … [Read more...] about A Vital Partner: The United Federation of Teachers