If you believe that past is present, and that severe cuts to school budgets, combined with cuts from private funders, would deal a terrible blow to arts education, well then, it’s important to take a look at the education portion of the stimulus plan, which I hear is changing by the day.
At the moment, it appears that the education portion of the package will help save arts and other teachers from layoffs. The stimulus package on the education side may help save district arts administration positions, created arts spaces, pay for technology, and more, hopefully. While much of the arts and culture field has been looking at the stimulus package through the lens of what might be done for the arts field, per se, it’s important to look at the education side and know that there are some organizations working to ensure that arts education is part of the overall education stimulus plan.
Click here to read a good piece from The New York Times on the the stimulus package and education.
Well stated! A strong foundation of arts education in our schools with highly qualified arts educators is essential. While NCLB includes the arts as a core curricular subject the inequities in terms of access and resources in K-12 schools still exist. How might the new administration treat arts education?