One of my fifth grade students at work. Did this make them college-ready? It didn’t even occur to them or me.
Fred,
Isn’t that what Mrs. Obama is saying? Did I misread it?
Didn’t she say that Arts are critical to an education?
Yes, she used test scores in her speech but don’t you think that was a way to drive the point home about Arts? I actually liked what she said. And I often don’t care for what she or her husband say (they’re so disappointing but that’s another story).
– BMMB
BMMB,
I agree with you that Mrs. Obama talking about the value of the Arts in education is a good thing.
But it is hard to separate her comments from the policies of her husband’s administration.
NCLB, Race to the Top, Common Core and their testing components have done great damage to the Arts in public schools, particularly urban schools.
Mrs. Obama’s formulation is a kind of mash-up between conventional thinking and ed policy.
Do quality Arts programs improve test scores? The data are inconclusive on this matter.
Of course, wealthy communities tend to have good public schools with Arts programs. They also perform well on standardized tests.
Is this cause and effect or simply a matter of wealthy schools willing to spend money on the Arts and their privileged kids doing well on tests.
I was watching Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart on HBO last night. It was sad and incredibly moving.
There was a scene in which one of the characters cries at the loss of thousands of artists, writers, playwrights, dancers, poets and musicians that resulted from the HIV and AIDS epidemic – and the failure of the government to act.
At that moment my mind wandered and wondered at the loss of thousands of artists – students in urban and poor rural schools who will never produce their art for lack of program, teachers and opportunity to learn.
The Arts are a unique way of seeing, knowing and understanding the world – not just an entry point into someone’s conception of a core curriculum. This is the important distinction that Mrs. Obama misses in the way she discussed the Arts when she spoke in Philadelphia.
Even in the wealthiest public school system, the Arts in the elementary schools make up less than 10% of the curricular year. Few city schools have dedicated art rooms, trained and certified Art and Music teachers. No Theater or Dance.
In financially strapped school systems?
None at all.
Fred Klonsky 
Many music and art programs have been cut drastically. Many of the music and art teachers have been thrown into the street. They have bills to pay, including student loans. Some are able to find work waiting tables, working in stores, working in fast food. Others go back to jobs and employers they had as summer jobs while in college. Painting houses, putting on roofs, day care centers,10 minute oil change places and such. They work hard, do the best they can but they will never catch up. Usually they spend around 5 years going to school, student teaching, and taking any classes missed because all the class sections were already filled up. That’s 5 years of income not earned, plus years of student loans. They put heart and soul into becoming a teacher, and they counted on it as a means to make a living and pay back the student loans. Many are losing houses, and everything else they own. Many are forced into bankruptcy, but the huge student loans remain, as they can not be included in bankruptcy.
If Mrs. Obama wants to do something to help, she should work for the bill that would change the bankruptcy law to include student loans.
This is the bill I was referring to.
http://www.durbin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=f7c84e6c-f2ac-4ee5-b466-f461b0f0de8a
You nailed it, Fred. The arts in and of themselves are absolutely vital for the preservation of humanity, and creativity need not even be mentioned in the same breath as “test scores.”
Time and again bloggers and commenters, parents, students, communities, teachers, and administrators have spoken out that the flawed tests of today, manufactured by companies that are into monopolies and $$$$$, are worthless. The money that is being thrown away (OUR money, BTW)–billions of $$$ on tests, test preps, computer programs, etc., is money that could have been used for arts programs, and so, as Fred says, in the poorest school districts or in school districts that are ruled with appointed school boards–those who would pick & choose what schools these programs are “bestowed” upon–there are very few to no programs. Until the Obamas and their ilk admit to perpetuating the problem (didn’t we all think–foolish us!–that if Obama were elected, NCLB would be abolished?), then come up with the plan to fix it,and put that plan in motion, they are no friends of the arts in our public schools.
And, sorry to have to say this BMMB–they are, in fact, the enemies.
Sooner or later America needs to wake up to the fact that, other than delivering good sound bites to a liberal owned main stream media too eager to pick up on them, this administration is better at gaslighting than substance related to POSITIVE change.
Fred-
Understood.
You: “But it is hard to separate her comments from the policies of her husband’s administration.”
Completely.
Part of the trouble is that when someone latches on to something great, like Arts education, they make a grand statement without a way to implement. This inherently ignores the biggest problems of social inequalities and government action that seems to want to destroy public schools. I am retiring in June after 30years working in education and 25 years in administration. It is time to see what can be done from this perspective. I was too busy running an elementary school to look at global issues.
Truth: Acquaintance teaches drama in CPS HS, principal performing REACH Assessment of her teaching asked her where her “data wall” was for classes. A drama data wall. Even when provided the opportunity “they” (the proverbial they) get it twisted.
More misdirection from the better half of a pair for whom misdirection and dissembling are their entire existence, and the sole reason they are in the White House.