Why Arts Education Matters

Most people support arts education in the schools.  There are several important reasons, and I want to encourage you to visit this Washington Post article, in which a study by the President's Committee shows that involvement in the arts raises math and reading scores.

The fact that music and art makes our kids smarter and more responsible students is not the only reason to promote art education.  The arts help make our students:

1) Want to stay in school - choir, band, orchestra, art etc...are much more entertaining and rewarding than the core academic subjects to many kids.

2) Music organizations promote leadership and social skills due to the nature of ensembles and the need for student leadership to make an effective choir, band etc...

3) Arts provide an emotional outlet to teens.  I certainly needed it when I was in high school, and my teenage years were relatively easy!

4) Arts serve as an alternative way for kids to find a way to 'fit in' when they may not be athletic or the next valedictorian.

We need the arts.  The arts are not some luxury item for the rich, or a useless frill to be purchased when times are good.  They are a vital part of our lives and we should encourage all our kids to become producers of art, not simply consumers.

DWS