Eric Booth was kind enough to forward me this survey from the San Diego School District. It is both visionary and innovative (the edu-term of the moment) and at the same time a bit old school.
Essentially the San Diego School Unified School District, as it contemplates cuts to the budget, has decided to survey parents and others in the community to understand better what cuts to implement.
So, what does the survey tell us? First of all, it addresses what market researchers call the saliency issue. You have probably seen all sorts of polls, from Harris, to Lake Research, and others that indicate strong support for the arts. However, when you place the arts in a competitive arena, up against other subjects/issues, there has been a general belief that support for the arts dwindles.
This survey indicated that respondents are more supportive of cuts to other areas than for the arts (and physical education). Respondents would prefer moderate increases to class size (very interesting) instead of cutting band. Respondents would rather consider cuts to medical benefits and support services (professional development, etc.), than cutting visual and performing arts programs. Respondents would prefer to close schools with low enrollment, cut JROTC, and assign one principal to two small schools, rather than cut the arts.
So, how is this old school (backwards)? Well, you many notice that the survey only considers the subject areas of athletics and arts as possible subject areas to eliminate. There are no questions about any other subject areas, which in a way lumps the arts in with administrative overhead, landscaping, and general personnel issues.
What’s odd about this is that in so many schools, particularly those that are on things like “watch lists” or identified as being in need of improvement, instruction in the arts is diminished along with foreign languages, social studies, science, and most everything except ELA and math.
All things considered, it’s great to see a district ask a community what’s important. Hopefully the district will act upon this information.
This reminds me of the Town Hall meeting I attended with the superintendent of the South Orange/Maplewood, New Jersey school district. The superintendent made it clear that he would not succumb to accountability measures that narrowed the curriculum. He recognized that parents in this community expect a rich arts curriculum and he was not about to back away from a well rounded education that includes the arts.
That meeting drew a red thread between expectations of active parent organizations and the level of arts instruction in a district or school.
