Cutting Fine Arts in Schools Essay Example For Students

Cutting Fine Arts in Schools Essay Music and art programs are usually among the the first to receive severe blows. Fine arts are vulnerable to budget cuts partly because children are not tested in music or art under No Child Left Behind. said Benedict J. Smart, a University of Massachusetts music education professor (Defogger). School boards cut fine arts programs because they believe it is the easy way out of a financial crisis. Although fine arts programs are usually the first to be cut when budget cuts come to schools, fine arts can be considered the most important thing in a childs education. A well- rounded education in the fine arts help students develop imagination, observation skills, critical thinking skills, deeper and more complex thinking skills, spatial reasoning and temporal skills, critical analysis, abstract thought, and pattern recognition (Hurley), Research shows that when students study the arts, it leads to higher achievement in other areas, especially when the arts are meaningfully integrated throughout different content areas. A Scientific American editorial which was headlined Hearing the Music, Honing the Mind, stated, Music produces profound and lasting changes in the brain. Schools should add classes, not cut According to the No Child Left Behind act, the fine arts are counted as one of the ten core subjects. Also under No Child Left Behind, it violates federal law to cut arts classes in schools. It has been proven that schools With fine arts programs have higher test, graduation, and attendance rates. Schools that have music programs have significantly higher graduation rates than do those Without music as compared to 72. 3%, (Russell). The College Board reported that in 2004. Those who had taken fine arts courses did better on the Stats than students who did not take fine arts courses. Those who studied music scored forty points higher on the tat portion, and those who studied acting outscored their peers by sixty six points on the verbal portion of the test. Studies in Chicago indicated that scores of students who studied in schools with the arts went up two times faster than those in schools without the arts. Another study indicated that those student who studied fine arts in Minneapolis made substantive test gains; this was especially true for children who were considered to he disadvantaged. Famous actors, artists, and musicians would have never been what they are today it they had not taken arts classes in high school. If children are educated in the arts they will better understand and appreciate other cultures. A very famous band director who I meet once said If you sit down in another country and play your instrument, act out a skit, or paint a picture you can have a conversation with the native people. The arts are a language that is the same for all countries no matter what language they speak. The arts are the gateway to peoples hearts and souls. (Mr.. Bruce Dinkies, band director at James Bowie High School in Austin, Texas) School Board members are not aware Of the effects Of cutting fine arts programs. By cutting public funding to public schools, school boards risk placing more pressure on private donors and Other such resources to help fund the arts. Studies show that schools that cut arts programs within three years are spending more money on education, and their test scores actually go down. Within two to three years, every school that cut arts showed a decrease in morale and attendance and an increase in vandalism and disruptions, and within three years most of them had to add extensive disciplinary staff to account for the problems that were created by not providing the full range of experiences that human nines need. Said Mailing Payola, a consultant for the Department of Public Instruction (Shrank). One of the biggest effects of cutting fine arts classes is bigger class sizes. If students are not allowed to take arts classes they will put in classes that were already possibly overflowing with students. Ay cutting money for arts in schools, we risk dampening our students des ire to experience and appreciate the arts later in life (Stretch). If students are not given the chance to take a fine arts class in high school they may never have a chance to experience the arts at all. The Metamorphosis: Shape and Form EssayWithin three years of cutting fine arts programs schools showed a decrease in several key areas and an increase in several unwanted areas (Shrank). * Moral goes down. * Attendance goes down. Test scores go down. * Vandalism goes up. K Classroom disruptions go up. * Community crimes also increase. C. Due to the several problems due to the cut of the arts school usually have to hire additional administrative staff. D. If students are not allowed to take arts classes they will be forced to take other classes which will cause unleavened classes Which Will cause the general education level to decrease because teachers ill have more to deal with. E. Fine arts programs usually involve after school programs, but if the arts are cut then students Will be forced to go home. A. Students will then have more time to play games, watch t. V. , and use social networking sites. B. These activities can lead to other destructive activities. IV. Successful fine arts programs are the key to the arts surviving for many more generations. A. There are several successful arts programs across the nation. B. All of these have several traits that make them successful (Stretch). A. Community involvement . Board support c. A superintendent who supports the arts personally d. An arts coordinator who is involved on the community e. A principal who provides resources f, Strong elementary arts programs g. Well trained teachers h. Planning i. Continuous improvement When Schools are in crisis they tend to cut fine arts programs in schools. A. Educators are unaware of the effects on their school and students by cutting their fine arts programs. B. One day educators will realize the benefits of a successful arts program outweigh the needs for cutting them.