Talking ESEA/NCLB with Rep. Steve Stivers-OH 15

Today, I met with my Congressional Representative to present Parents Across America's ESEA/NCLB Position Paper.  I wasn't sure what to expect or how Representative Stivers would receive the information I presented.  He was in fact, gracious and receptive and we found some common ground regarding education.

First, I told him of my experience with Parenting Magazine's Mom Congress.  I also told him of my background as a volunteer and my after school art enrichment program for 4th graders as well as my studies in pursuing my masters of art education.

He agreed with me, that the curriculum had become much too narrow and that the emphasis on standardized testing was a problem.  He and I were also in agreement regarding arts education's potential to teach creativity and critical thinking and he felt that the arts were a necessary part of curriculum.

He also agreed that full day kindergarten and strong early education programs were very important, as many less advantaged children don't have the same learning opportunities at home as children in middle or upper class families.

He briefly scanned PAA ESEA/NCLB paper and said that he's not on the committee for this bill, but he would pass along the information to friends on the committee.  We didn't have the time to discuss every point in the position paper, but everything we touched on we seemed to agree on.  Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to talk about charter schools or vouchers, and I am interested in hearing his thoughts about those matters in the future.

He also said that funding is a big problem right now as we are all well aware, but he feels that education should be a priority.  Mr. Stivers admitted that this bill was something that he was not fully educated on, but he planned to read our paper and wanted to keep in touch with me regarding these issues.

Our children's education is in the hands of lawmakers like Mr. Stivers.  It is critical that the  reauthorization of NCLB/ESEA be redirected towards more positive and common sense reform.  I hope that the PAA position paper and my words today had an impact and hopefully, he thinks of me and the other parents and teachers in Parens Across America when he's back in Washington speaking with his friends in congress about education reform.

NCLB: Not Good for the Arts

When I tell people that I'm getting my master of art education, I get a wide variety of responses.  Some people smile and say "That's wonderful!"  Others look at me sort of puzzled.  I know what they are thinking.  "Is she nuts?  There are no jobs!"  Believe me, I know.  There are no jobs in art education.  And the kicker is, I'm not currently employed so the decision to go back to school was a real leap of faith.  It's not like art teachers are in high demand.  They should be....but that's not the way it is, sadly. 

I read an article yesterday about a Nicole Emanuel, an artist like me, who lives in Kansas City and supports the arts in her children's school district.    She too is watching in dismay as the arts disappear from our schools.  Emanuel is correct in that the blame should be laid squarely on No Child Left Behind, which has resulted in a narrowing of the curriculum due to an increase and emphasis on standardized testing.  Arne Duncan admitted as much himself when he spoke at the Mom Congress last month.

With budget cuts looming in every school district across our state, districts are left with hard choices and all too often, the arts are the first things to go.  They are deemed unnecessary or as "extras".  This couldn't be further from the truth.  Study after study proves that the arts teach creativity and critical thinking, which is sorely lacking in today's teach to the test environment.  The arts should not be looked at as extras, they should be looked at as a way to teach the whole child.  Some children learn differently from others.  For some, the arts are an oasis in the school day where they can freely express themselves.  They learn that there are multiple answers to questions and that there are no wrong answers.  

I'm glad that many other parents see value in the arts and are organizing in opposition to cuts in the arts.  In Pasco County, Florida, the Suncoast Arts Advocacy group had parents coming out in droves to save the arts in their district.  There will still be cuts there, but not complete elimination.  

Until parents like the ones in Pasco County demand it, we will continue to see the elimination of the arts in our nations school districts.  The current emphasis on standardized testing will be the death knell to the arts in our nation, unless we as parents demand that they put a stop to it.