Teaching Creativity and Collaboration: Arts in Public Education

By: Talia Crichlow

Photo credit: from iStock under Creative Commons 

Funding for the arts in schools has long been a contentious battle. From its introduction into public schools in 1821, critics have questioned the utility of an arts education. Many feared that the arts took valuable time away from the academic core of literacy and mathematics. Those critics fail to recognize the value art education provides—creativity, ingenuity, and collaboration skills. These very skills honed in art classes are the “soft skills” employers seek in the modern workplace. 

The implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002 redirected American educational priorities. The NCLB demanded that school performance and student outcomes be measured through test scores in subjects aligned with the Common Core Standards. As a result, subjects like art and music were set aside. 

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 attempted to redefine the metrics of student success and, in the process, change the incentives that drove schools and educators to turn away from the holistic development of well-rounded students. Under ESSA, arts and music were added to the list of mandated subjects. The National Core Arts Standards (NCAS), which were then adopted, were less regimented than other subjects under the Common Core. The NCAS is organized around the guiding principles of creating, performing/presenting/producing, responding, and connecting. These skills taught through art have a broad utility. Students develop a comfort with creating and later sharing their own work is foundational in the modern workflow. 

While the arts are now required to be taught, their implementation into schools has been fraught. The arts remain viewed as an enrichment activity, rather than a necessary component of a quality education. The arts, which have material expensive, are the first to face cuts when budgets are tight. Although the arts can be expensive, they hold invaluable lessons for students.  Art for Life’s Sake: The Case for Arts Education argues that art classes enhance students' social-emotional development. The arts can also lead to an increase in school, civic, and social engagement for students. 

Despite a critical lack of funding, schools and educators have worked to incorporate the arts in any way they can. Even without the infrastructure for arts education, educators have brought music to students through karaoke and dance shows on the smart board. Teachers have worked art into the design of math lessons. The arts have the potential to mediate the gap in skills taught by the Common Core and the needs of the modern workforce. Schools, in turn, must recognize their value as both an enrichment activity and as the site of valuable learning.