Fine arts programs in schools being cut

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While improvements have certainly been made since the original setback, and on an overall scale it seems as if funding has returned to pre-recession levels, individual areas still see a significant lack of funding. This can manifest itself in many ways: loss of teaching jobs, decreased pay and benefits, and conversion to four-day school weeks.

If budget cuts necessitate the loss of certain classes, fine arts classes are often the first to go. Subjects such as visual arts, music, theater, and band are often cut before other subjects. This occurs because there are no standardized tests in these subjects. Emphasis has been placed in schools all across America on improving math and English test scores, so arts education has fallen to the wayside.

While it is important for American schools to provide adequate schooling in subjects such as math and English, and also that our test scores are comparable to those of other nations to gauge how equipped American students are in general for whatever job or future schooling comes to follow, this should not mean that all instruction in the arts is neglected.

Students rely on their schools. Not only is it the job of schools to teach, but also to provide a safe and comfortable environment while students are enrolled. By including the arts in classrooms, schools can tackle both goals at once: art can be taught to students at all levels and improve the classroom environment, at it has been proven that art provides certain benefits to schools such as lower drop out rates, improved attendance, and a greater understanding of diversity and peer support among students.

Most states, including Oklahoma, find that it is the rural locations and low-income facilities that are impacted the most by budget cuts to this subject. Although a shrinking budget is an oft-cited factor for this action, there is also the problem of recruiting certified teachers for the subject.

That means it can be challenging to find someone who can run a program. It can improve the budget for the school district. There is a real money factor to consider when looking at an arts program and the benefits that happen by cutting it. If you take the average cost of a program per school and apply it to a somewhat small district like Monroe, WI, there are a total of five programs that would require oversight from teachers.

Athletics can bring in money, sponsorships, and more. Arts — and music — typically bring funds when the school charges activity fees to parents. The economics of art classes is that the cost of supplies is significantly higher than it is for what students need to have to learn mathematics.

When you include the push for more STEM services, the choice often becomes keeping art or paying for the new science, technology, and engineering structures — so the latter often wins. Cutting arts programs equalizes the playing field. When rich and poor school districts are all cutting arts programs, then it creates more of an equal opportunity for students. This advantage is not always looked at in positive ways, but it does stop the problem of having larger districts providing more opportunities to students than the smaller ones.

Librarian Brenda Roberts in Wanette said that there used to be grant money for taking the entire high school to the art museum in Oklahoma City. Then they took them to museums in smaller Norman. All of those funds dried up. Without this structure, kids from rural or poor schools would struggle to find employment opportunities in cultural or creative positions because there is no way to compete with those who actually received an education.

Art is not a required course to take. Unless a student plans to pursue an undergraduate degree or higher in an artistic field, taking classes in this creative subject at the high school level or below is not mandatory. Even when a class is present, fewer students often take it. That creates a better student-teacher ratio, but it can also create the appearance of paying a teacher an unequal amount of money since there are fewer contacts to manage throughout the day. Arts programs contribute to higher levels of economic growth.

Arts and sports in the extracurricular sense? I would expect people interested and successful in a type of fine art would go to performing arts high schools and would further their education there. Fine arts are important and worth keeping if a school is able to support the department financially. As another student mentioned, I think it would be very beneficial to compare the importance of fine arts to the importance of science and math subjects.

I definitely think that Sam has a good question. How should we value different courses? I am always going to be an advocate for STEM over everything. I believe getting involved with community arts groups is how to best pursue your interests.

I play Trombone, and ever since high school I have been in a non school related Orchestra. That being said, students who are not interested in STEM should have a place to go to pursue their passion.

I sort of think that is what conservatories are for though, right? Competition is steep, but there are schools out there that specialize in fine arts education. Not everyone will get to paint in school, but those with talent and passion will have the opportunity to excel. Even as an athlete, I definitely agree that extracurricular activities should be the first to have their budgets cut if a school loses funding. Academics should be the top priority of the American school system, which was founded to give kids an education, not give them an opportunity to play sports or be in a chess club.

The problem is, however, that many schools, including my own high school, have cut the athletics budget basically to the bare minimum in all sports except football, of course and still run into a budget deficit. In a hypothetical situation, supposing that all extracurricular funding has been eliminated and the only thing left to do is cut funding to educational programs, how do you think it should be determined which programs lose funding?

I think this is the direction we are headed if our nation cannot garner more support for funding education more heavily, and we are going to have to start making difficult decision to prioritize some departments over others. I enjoyed your piece. I think that attempting to raise profits from talented fine arts students is good idea and should be implemented.

That being said I do question three of your points. First off, I believe a clear distinction should be made between curricular activities like music class, art class etc. Jan 12, , am EST. Jan 11, , pm EST. Jan 11, , am EST.

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