On my first blog since Artsjournal.com returned from malware hell, (bravo to Doug McLennan for all his hard work to restore Artsjournal.com to its normal state), I bring to you the latest and greatest on how to cut education budgets during a crisis: the Broward Country Public Schools (Florida) are asking arts, physical education, and librarians to cut their programs and salaries by 50%.
Here’s a little taste of the article from the Sun Sentinel:
Several board members questioned why the district was cutting some
elective programs but not cutting the salaries of those who administered
the programs.Some librarians as well as art, music and physical education teachers
have been asked to cut their programs — and salaries — to 53.3 percent,
working 20 hours a week and maintaining benefits, to save the programs.
You may note that the arts are electives. Other places describe them as non-core; still others call them extracurricular.
I was recently told that the new New Jersey Commissioner of Education found it hard to believe that the arts are a core subject.
But wait, there’s more: In preparation for the 50th Birthday of the New York State Council on the Arts, Governor David Paterson has proposed to a gigantic cut in the agency’s budget:
An approximately 40% cut in local assistance funding, from $41.6mm to $25.2mm.
A 12% cut in the administrative budget, from $4.84 mm to $5.49mm.
Here’s another way of looking at it:
New York State¹s per capita spending on arts would drop from $2.48 to $0.77
.
Our Commissioner has made it clear that the arts are indeed a core subject and understands this has been upheld by the state supreme court. His comment was in reference to a question by a superintendent asking if music and arts were part of a through and efficient education (our constitutional language). The Commissioner stated while he believe the arts were… he wasn’t sure if it would hold up in court. He was unaware at the time that the court has already ruled on this.
He does now!