“This isn’t about a single group of kindergartners, but about our core values for all students – that the arts are not disposable, that they are not frivolous, and that they can in fact prepare students for life.” Howard Sherman, Arts Administrator and Producer
Of course, on the face of it, it’s simply the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard. In a letter to the parents of kindergarten students at Harley Avenue Primary School in Elwood, N.Y., the principal and kindergarten teachers wrote: “The reason for eliminating the Kindergarten show is simple. We are responsible for preparing children for college and career with valuable lifelong skills and know that we can best do that by having them become strong readers, writers, coworkers and problem solvers.” The Washington Post seemed to be first on the case, with a story titled, “Kindergarten show canceled so kids can keep studying to become ‘college and career ready.’ Really.” That pretty much set the tone and I jumped into the fray, sharing it online with introductory words including “dumb” and “shame.” I happened to be e-mailing with a producer at CBS News on a personal topic and passed the article along to her, and I tweeted it in the direction of a reporter at The New York Post, knowing how they like to take umbrage at things. I wanted people to see how ridiculous this was, and is. Read more…
Today, Children, We’re Not Going To Do A Show
Testimonial #37: Edwina Issa, BBO Jordan
How has your life been indelibly touched by a teacher who utilized the arts for whatever reason and acknowledge how they were instrumental in breaking the mold to allow you to become who you are today?
The availability of artistic opportunity is a key to igniting a life long passion. I think an artistic education is key to this as well winning my first talent show at five using a fire from within my spirit was so aided in the coming years by gifted teachers, the one that gave me the key to the theatre to put on my own plays, the one who taught me to use stage make up, the one who had been to RADA and read everything in role and transported me…. The youth theatre workers who trusted me to dabble.
The rep players who rented out our basement for a season and left the smell of the greasepaint, all created exposure to the arts in other forms. SO to inspirational teachers who exposed us all to plays and musicals or let us work in role or even did music and movement with us. We should offer thanks They took us to big cities on theatre trips and to the local theatres all of these lovers of arts set us on our way. If we got no further than putting plays on the lawn or in local halls it was a journey that would create a lifelong thirst and one that is never quenched.
Now years later having moved and living in a society where arts is for those that do not do that well at school and where any arts in the syllabus is cut to put in computing, I see the sadness of those who miss out an arts education and it is my mission to set that fire within them alight.
First Online with Fran 