Arts in Public Education
Movies always seem to depict artsy and musical kids as nerdy and weird. Why is it that these stereotypes become real in schools today? The answer is plain and simple. Schools do not care enough about the arts. From acting to basketball to computer science, everyone has a passion. In most circumstances, these passions stem when we are young. Students who attend public school, should feel welcome to pursue their passions in a safe, inviting and creative space. While education in the arts helps with motor skills, language development, and visual skills in young children, the benefits go way beyond these things in high school teenagers (Lynch). Schools should strive to have quality arts programs because these programs improve
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Bush signed to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, which has now been changed and updated to the title of The Every Student Succeeds Act. This act was established to leave school districts with the responsibility of creating standards for students and focuses on reducing federal oversight of education and increasing state flexibility in the use of funds (ESEA Reauthorization is Finalized as Every Student Succeeds Act). This means that school districts ultimately have some choices when it comes to deciding how a school will run certain activities. When it comes to deciding how quality the fine arts programs at a school is, economics are a factor. Some public schools are more fortunate than others due to location and many other factors. According to the ESSA, “arts and music education are specified as eligible uses for new, state-administered ‘Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants’ including support for the arts in STEM education” (ESSA). Unfortunately this act is federal legislation, so as of right now, there aren’t many changes being made when it comes to the arts. What it comes down to is school districts being informed about the positive effects of the arts and being willing to do something about it for the benefit of their