by KYW's Dr. Marciene Mattleman
The Philadelphia public schools once had thriving arts programs; but in 2006, 67 of its 269 schools had no full-time music teacher and 55 had no art teacher according to a report by Public Citizens for Children and Youth.
Research has shown the value of the arts to the economy and the workforce. The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance credited the arts with generating $1.3 billion in annual expenditures and 40,000 jobs.
Analysis of 62 studies concluded that kids exposed to the arts perform better at reading, writing and math than those who focus totally on academics.
Lower Merion students receive one hour of art and one hour of music weekly with 4th graders being offered additional instrumental music. New Jersey’s Census Project surveys arts implementation-- tracking numbers of teachers, instructional time and resources.
The Dallas Arts Program, highlighted in the report and showcased at a recent meeting sponsored by the William Penn Foundation clearly is a model for replication.
Citizen efforts and political muscle from Senator Robert Kennedy are working hard to restore arts education. A turnaround may be under way.
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