ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 12, 1996 TAG: 9612120068
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
Virginia should stop treating the arts as a frill in public schools and provide more money for arts education, says Michael Kolejka, a Cave Spring High School student.
The classes should be offered in every school in the state because all students, not just art lovers, can benefit from them, Kolejka told a state education commission Wednesday night.
A parade of students, parents, teachers, school administrators and others delivered a similar message to the Virginia Commission on the Future of Public Education.
They also want the state to mandate a fine arts requirement for students to obtain a high school diploma.
Stephen King, supervisor for fine arts for Roanoke County schools, said the arts should be included in the state's Standards of Learning, similar to core subjects such as math and science.
King said the state should provide more money for arts and music teachers, particularly in elementary schools. The state doesn't provide any funds for arts education in elementary schools; localities must pay the entire cost.
Roanoke, Roanoke County and some other school systems have itinerant art teachers who travel among schools to provide classes.
Some rural school systems don't have elementary art teachers.
State aid for art teachers in middle and high schools is included in the overall allocation for teachers, but there is no separate funding category for them.
Kolejka said he's fortunate because Cave Spring offers many art courses.
"Unfortunately, many schools don't have the same opportunities that we do," Kolejka said. "I think other students and schools should have the same that we have."
Several teachers and parents told the commission that arts education gets cut first when school systems face budget squeezes.
The 21-member commission was established by the 1996 General Assembly to develop a vision and strategic plan for public education in Virginia in the 21st century. Wednesday's night hearing was the last in a series that the commission has held across the state.
Del. William Bennett, D-Halifax County, is chairman of the study group that will deliver its findings in 1998.
Alan Wurtzel, a member of the commission and former member of the state Board of Education, said he supports the arts, but he questioned whether the state ought to mandate an arts curriculum. He suggested this might be better handled by local school boards.
If the state imposed a fine arts requirement for high school graduation, he said, it would "crowd out something else" unless the school year or school day is extended.
"What do you crowd out - science, math or other things?" he asked.
Deanna Gordon, Roanoke County superintendent, said students in the county's high schools are working art courses into their schedules as electives. This also could be done if the courses were required, she said.
If the state does not adopt a fine arts requirement for graduation, some educators and parents fear that arts courses might be reduced or eliminated. Gordon said.
Diana Love, an art educator from Montgomery County, said studies have shown that students who take art courses scored higher on the Scholastic Achievement Test for college admissions.
Love said schools in Virginia and the United States spend far less on art education than countries such as Germany and Japan.
Kathleen Lunsford, a parent and president of the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge, said the arts are "not fluff, not something to be cut" when the school budget is reduced. They carry over into other areas and help develop critical thinking skills, foster creativity in problem solving and help build teamwork, she said.
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