Advocacy for the Arts

Schools today are experiencing serious financial difficulties in a fierce struggle to balance legislated mandates and ever-increasing expectations for students with the harsh reality of limited time and funding. As a result, most attention is being focused on the so-called "core subjects" of reading, writing, math and science. Each of these subjects is receiving larger and larger slices of the available time and funding "pies" in an effort by schools to: boost test scores; improve artificially imposed "rankings"; or reach arbitrary standards of performance developed by bureaucrats posing as educators.

Victimized by these circumstances are the visual and performing arts which have been relegated to second class status in the hierarchy of instructional priorities. While school and district administrators face difficult choices in the allocation of time and money, they should not lose sight of the value of the arts as an instructional discipline.

Professor Elliot Eisner of Stanford University observes the arts in schools today "as usually treated as ornamental rather than substantive aspects of our children's school experience." It is an accurate depiction of an unfortunate situation that is depriving students of the benefits that can can come from a strong art-enriched curriculum. Benefits supported by a growing body of convincing research.

In its own small way, The Remember Ryan Foundation Inc. is working to raise the awareness of the value of the arts in education by providing funding support for innovative arts projects and programs through the Remember Ryan Grants Fund.

The Advocacy for the Arts page is devoted to sharing commentary on the arts in education with teachers, parents, and others who have

an interest in encouraging school decision-makers to make the right

choices about school programming. The Elementary and Secondary

Education Act (ESEA) defines the arts as a core subject and the U.S.

Secretary of Education, Anne Duncan, has stated the arts play a significant role in

children's development and learning process. As such, the arts should be part of a complete education for all students.

It is time for school decision-makers to act accordingly.