Over the last decade the fine arts have gradually taken a backseat to core classes. NCLB has focused everyone's attention on student achievement in the basics, leaving little concern for elective classes. Especially in times of budget constraints, there is no money to enrich elective classes, the teachers of which are left to fundraise or pay out of their own pocket for supplies and activities.
Is there a call for concern over this state of fine arts affairs? IMHO, yes. America is supposed to be a place where schools are the equalizer. Students who do not have access to private music, dance, art, foreign language, and drama lessons can obtain those in the public school system. These are the courses that attract and keep many students in school. Without them, lower income students miss out on opportunities that inspire creativity, cultivate the mind, and develop a more sophisticated world view.
For an example of a school that does the arts right, look at Adlai Stevenson High School, a model school on many fronts. Check out two pages on their website, one an introductory page to Fine Arts, the other a page about Odyssey, a school-wide fine arts festival at which nationally-known performers appear.
http://www.d125.org/arts/default.aspx
http://www.d125.org/odyssey/default.aspx
You will notice that the arts do not function in isolation at the school, but play a integral role in the development of the individual student, providing rigor on the university level and problem-solving skills applicable in all academic areas. The arts are not just frills in the school budget. They are academic experiences that broaden our thinking, connect core knowledge to the real world, and provide skills that can serve a person in all areas of life for the duration of that person's life.
Think of all the great times you had in high school. I'll bet many of them revolve around those fine arts classes - music, drama, art, foreign language, or projects in core classes expressed through the arts. A really ourstanding arts programs can be a life-changing force, no matter what a person's socio-economic standing. Americans should value the place of the arts in our innovative thinking. To quote Einstein:
I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. (Albert Einstein)
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