One middle school student said, "I'm reading test preparation booklets, not Shakespeare..."

What we've lost in the demand for accountability is the rich, well-rounded education that we all want our children to have.
-Randi Weingarten
President, United Federation of Teachers

High-poverty, high-minority schools narrow the curriculum far more frequently than schools serving predominantly white, middle-class students.
Source: The Hidden Costs of Narrowing the Curriculum, The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement

Listen to interviews with leading arts education advocates

Updated: 7/29/08

Add us as a friend on
Facebook and MySpace

Bookmark us on
Digg and del.icio.us

 See us on YouTube

Home > No Child Left Behind > Talking Points on Arts Education

Talking points on arts education

Problem

• Strong communities need strong schools.

• Everyone in the community benefits when public schools succeed and schools can't succeed without strong arts programs.
• Schools need to focus on turning out well-rounded individuals who are ready to take their place as citizens, workers and responsible members of the community
• Sadly, too many school districts are cutting out the arts and risking our children’s futures.  This has to change.

Solution

• Strong schools have strong arts programs

• The real purpose of education is to help shape well rounded individuals and to educate the whole child and this requires integrating the arts into the curriculum.
• Schools need to help students demonstrate creativity and express themselves and the arts are the best way to make this happen.
• Sure English, history math and science must be a high priority for schools, and by integrating the arts you will see big improvements in these areas, too. 

Action

• Help grow arts education to grow strong communities, schools and students

• Arts education makes children whole.
• Teachers’ must help draw out the individual in every child and they want and need more training to be effective in this area.
• Ensure quality education for all kids by ensuring a strong arts integrated curriculum.

Click here to return to NCLB talking points

Click here to return to the 5 Things You Can Do

To view an expanded list of resources, click here.

Want to learn how to Keep Arts in Schools? Sign up and receive news and updates.

Click here to read the latest newsletter.

(disable pop up blocker first)