The Big Issue With School Funding The fine arts were once highly revered by the community and were a part of everyday life, yet today the fine arts must face their biggest competitor, that being sports. Sports have become a big business and many schools find it easier and better to cut arts programs due to low funding rather than athletic programs. Even though fine arts programs are not as profitable as athletic programs, they should be funded equally to athletic programs because they help student achievement, help students improve their cognitive skills, and encourage creativity. Within a community is a sense of unity, which for many is brought together by the young athletes of the community. In his article “High School Sports Have Turned Into Big Business,” Mark Koba of CNBC highlights that within the last thirty to forty years high school football has escalated into a highly revered tradition in which not only communities, but highly successful corporations have begun to dedicate millions of dollars towards (Koba n. pg.). This highlights the status of sports within the community and may explain part of the reason schools would favor sports over other programs. Because sports programs can often turn over big profits for schools, they tend to dedicate most of their excess funds towards sports, and rely on sports programs to create large profits for the school. When school administrators see how much sports unite, excite, and benefit the school, they develop a respect for sports and consider it a necessity to provide a good sports program for their students and community. Also in his article, Koba quotes an interviewee named Mark Conrad who is the associate professor of legal and ethical studies at Fordham University 's school of... ... middle of paper ... ...r hobbies. Incorporating various programs into the school curriculum allows for individuality and creativity which is why school programs should allow room for students to explore various different trades and hobbies for the best results. Works Cited Bryant, Bob. "The Importance of Fine Arts Education." Katy Independent School District. Katy Independent School District, n.d. Web. 10 May 2016. Gerdy, John R. "Football or Music? What 's the Best K-12 Investment? "Education Week. Editorial Projects in Education, 23 June 2015. Web. 10 May 2016. Holcomb, Sabrina. "Arts Education." Rss. National Education Association, 17 Jan. 2007. Web. 10 May 2016. Koba, Mark. "High School Sports Have Turned Into Big Business." CNBC. CNBC LLC, 9 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 May 2016. Turbide, Anne F. "Why Art Programs Are Beneficial to Students." The Synapse. N.p., 15 May 2015. Web. 10 May 2016.
After reading " The Case Against High School Sports" by Amanda Ripley started to make me think. There were many strong points about how the priorities of the sports are beginning to be more important to students than their education. Another great point was that the financing and budgeting is unfairly distributed throughout school districts and is spent more on athletics and clubs and not enough on classes. And I Believe that schools should put certain restrictions on the spending and promoting or in school sports and clubs because of the major drop in national and world comparisons.
Fine arts gives students a chance to pour their hearts into something beautiful; a chance to be a part of something that is bigger than just themselves. Some schools are facing financial troubles with the current economy, and one of the first programs they consider cutting is fine arts. The removal of fine arts programs would be absolutely devastating to countless members of the community. Many students would lose their favorite class, in some cases the one class that helps them get through the day, and many teachers that truly care fir the students would lose their dream jobs. Fine arts should not be cut from schools; they build confidence, help with the application of other academic concepts, and even help to prepare students for their future work in the business world.
Since 2001, budget cuts in art education have increased dramatically. In New York from 2006-2011 funding for art education in public schools were cut 68% (Phifer 2).This epidemic is spreading all across America due to the push for better standardized test scores. Reading and math have become the governments highest priority, leaving the arts in the shadows. But what if the arts could also improve test scores? Despite what many government leaders believe, budget cuts in art education are depriving Americas children emotionally, academically and socially.
According to Up2Us, a New York-based nonprofit that promotes youth sports, from 2010-2011 more than $3.5 billion in athletic funding was cut. This has been the case across America impacting athletics from youth sports all the way up to high school and college level athletics. To have more money for school funding, schools are using athletics as a scapegoat to have enough money to fund school based activities (“Baker”). Lack of funding, due to the recession’s budget cuts, for high school athletics is ultimately hindering sports teams potential, but with more efficient fundraising, better implementation of Title IV, and more athletic facility fundraising groups, a solution could be reached.
Since 1910, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has been the most dominant collegiate athletic organization in the United States. Originally created to solidify the rules for the various sports of the time, this nonprofit association has grown to a combination of 1,281 conferences, organizations, institutions, and individuals. Based on the NCCA’s Constitution, the primary purposes of the organization is to promote intercollegiate athletics in the United States, to "maintain intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the educational program and the athlete as an integral part of the student body, [and to] retain a clear line of demarcation between intercollegiate athletics and professional sports."(Harvard Law Review) Currently the NCAA has $613 million dollars in assets, and over $830 million dollars in income (Brown). This is a direct result of the talented athletes whom participate in a variety of sports for the NCAA. This research will argue that the NCAA is exploiting the talents of these student athletes. By looking at revenue generated by student athletes, graduation rates, and overall quality of life of student’s athletes, this paper will seek to affirm this view.
Sabol, Robert, Ph D. "NCLB: A Study of Its Impact on Art Education Programs." arteducators.org. National Art Education Association. National Art Education Association, Feb. 2010. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
From its controversial student-run beginnings to its carefully controlled and monitored big-business attraction, college sports have evolved into an increasingly popular and demanding phenomenon in the United States. Along with the publicity and reputation that is created for the institution, many have found that intercollegiate sports serve several functions for the participants and community as well. While these functions also help balance and maintain the social order of the institution, unequal opportunities and distribution of power is found among the participants and non-participants, and the athletes themselves. Furthermore, with the new popularity and demand for victorious, competitive teams, colleges have lost their goal between balancing academics and athletics and using sports as an aid to help improve the athletes’ educational experience and opportunity.
The fact that fine arts are needed is evident, but will schools respond or live in denial? The arts provide a safe environment for students to express themselves without the worry of ridicule. These kids should have the opportunity to participate in multiple fine arts activities as a way to communicate their feelings in a healthy atmosphere (Weber). Green Lake Elementary School believes its students “acquire a positive learning attitude for a lifetime, celebrate the uniqueness of all, understand similarities and differences, develop an appreciation, respect, and understanding of the physical environment, have fun, laugh, and enjoy learning” (New Horizons Dickerson 1).... ...
Velasco, J. (2012, December 11) Scientific Learning. “How The Arts Can Help Students Excel” Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.scilearn.com/blog/how-arts-help-students-excel.php
“Every student in the nation should have an education in the arts.” This is the opening statement of “The Value and Quality of Arts Education: A Statement of Principles,” a document from the nation’s ten most important educational organizations. The basic message is that music and art programs in the schools help our kids and communities in real and substantial ways. There is an abundant amount of facts and information that supports this statement. The benefits of arts education can be narrowed down into 4 basic categories: success in developing intelligence, success in ...
Art can be used to raise scores in every subject, “Students who took four years of art classes scored 91 points higher on their SAT exams than those who took half a year or less. Multiple studies also confirmed that there is a correlation between art engagement and students’ other achievements.” (Valeriya Metla) Even with the research linking art and better grades some educators think that it is more worth while to only focus on the core classes because it is more important to fund what is being tested than to help raise children who are creative.
"USATODAY.com - Study: Arts Education Has Academic Effect." USATODAY.com - Study: Arts Education Has Academic Effect. N.p., 19 May 2002. Web. 22 May 2014.
Petersen, Cheyenne. "Music is key to learning." Capital City Weekly 30 January 2013, n. pag. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
For years, schools from Pre-K to High School have been removing arts programs such as music, fine arts and foreign language from their schools due to budget cuts, because they are seen as expendable, but these actions can have a negative impact on students of all ages. Evidence from numerous studies shows
At Greater Latrobe Junior High School in Unity, Pennsylvania principal Chad Krehlik boasts in his brand new $1.1 million hallway which was renovated to display art selections created by the students. Krehlik states how fantastic and beautiful it is. If one were walking down the hallway they would experience many diverse art projects “featuring orange bulkheads and black steel girders” (Federoff). All of the art presented in Greater Latrobe’s newly renovated hallway is due to their immense involvement in the arts. They take pride in their art program and show that it develops better students in the long run. Looking at this example of Greater Latrobe Junior High School one could see how important arts are in high school. Requiring art classes in high school proves to be effective in developing students and helping them discover a hidden skill they may not know they had. Art and drawing classes prove to be helpful to some high school