John Monfredo: Arts Are Alive and Well in Worcester Public Schools

Saturday, May 11, 2013

John Monfredo, GoLocalWorcester Education Contributor

This past week the Worcester Community had the opportunity to view the extraordinary work done by the students of the Worcester Public Schools in the Arts programs. The Visual and Performing Arts celebrated their 57th Art Festival. At the opening and closing ceremonies held at the Worcester Public Library the visual arts were on display and the students from a variety of schools performed throughout the day and evening. Over 1000 pieces of the students’ art work was shown to the public.

The Worcester Public Schools has a proud history of supporting the Arts despite having to balance a very tight budget. Superintendent Melinda Boone has stated time and time again that the arts are an important piece in the education of our children.

As a strong supporter of the arts it concerns me when I hear that other school districts do not always support art programs. Arts education has been slipping during these tough economic times… the result of tight budgets, an ever-growing list of state mandates that have crammed the classroom curriculum, and a public sense that the arts are lovely but not essential.

Art education

Art education does contribute to the development of each child. It’s important to remember that every child will become an active, lifelong viewer of images and objects in a variety of forms. Children will use the skills that they develop and have learned in an art class.

According to research, involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork.

"If they're worried about their test scores and want a way to get them higher, they need to give kids more arts, not less," says Tom Horne, Arizona's state superintendent of public instruction. "There's lots of evidence that kids immersed in the arts do better on their academic tests." However, that is not how all school districts feel!

A report by the Rand Corporation about the visual arts states that art programming in the schools helps close a gap that has left many children behind. The children of affluent, aspiring parents generally get exposed to the arts whether or not public schools provide them. Low-income children, often, do not. "Arts education enables those children from a financially challenged background to have a more level playing field with children who have had those enrichment experiences,'' says Eric Cooper, president and founder of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education.

Arts + the Worcester Public Schools

The Worcester Public Schools does indeed offer an enrichment experience to all children either though visual arts or the performing arts. We have outstanding performing art programs in the Worcester Public Schools from music to dance to theater. The performing arts help students to express their emotions in a healthy and creative way. Many times teens, with college coming up and the everyday pressures, need an outlet. The performing arts has allowed for positive self-expression for all teens and even for those teens that are having difficulties.

Another positive result of the performing arts is the involvement of parents in the lives of their children. Parental involvement in the arts provides opportunities for the student and parent to bond. The bottom line is that the arts provides a balance to the curriculum and allows the students to excel in an area that they love. In addition, many children who are struggling academically may succeed in art. How many parents live for the moment when their child shines or when a shy child paints a tile about his family, then brings his parents to school to unveil a mural and says proudly, “I made that.” It’s priceless!

Getting out the message

School districts need to show our students and the public that the Arts are a strong part of the system. In Worcester, at the opening ceremony of the Art Festival recognition was given to those seniors from each high school for their achievement in the arts. At Burncoat High School awards were to Jose Velez; visual art; Kaithlyn Furcinitti, Music; Jazmine Johnson, dance; and Chello Soloperto, theater. At Claremont Academy awards went to McKenzie Gratton, visual arts; Roxana Espinal-Torres, music; and Tiana Padgett, theatre. At Doherty Memorial High School Athena Parella in visual art; Alana Kearney, music; and Haley Berube in theatre received awards. At North High School awards went to Jahnvi Patel, visual arts; Mario Barbosa, music; and Xenia Artiga, in theatre. At South High School awards went to Aiden Duffy, visual art; and to Joshua Donavan in music. At University Park Campus awards went to Kimberly Bryant for theatre and to Tram Anh Nguyen in visual arts. At Worcester Technical High School Abigail Wendorf received an award for visual arts.

These awards send a message to the schools and to the community that the Arts are an important part of curriculum in our schools. The importance of the Arts can be best summed up by the Proclamation read by Mayor Joseph Petty for Arts Education Month:

Through the ages the Arts have been the central components of human life, and have provided new ways of looking at and communicating with all people and cultures of the world.

The Arts frame questions which require problem-solving skills and numerous correct solutions. The Arts offer young people the opportunity to grow in creativity, self-expression, aesthetic literacy, self-discipline and teamwork – crucial to their development and self-esteem.

Recent educational research clearly demonstrates the importance of Arts Education in the full development of human intellect and potential.