CHLOE HINTON: Celebrate National Arts in Education Week

Now is the time get excited about arts education! The new Every Student Succeeds Act, signed into law Dec. 10, 2015, removes much of the federal government’s hold on education policy, from testing and teacher quality to low-performing schools, ultimately giving states more flexibility in making decisions. That’s a big change from the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which ESSA replaced and updated.

With the newly created Every Student Succeeds Act, teachers and art educators have been given the gift of many arts-friendly initiatives. This new law is significant because it acknowledges the validity of the arts as a subject and their benefit to a child’s education. That means funds that weren’t accessible to arts programs under No Child Left Behind are now available. The 2017-2018 school year will be the debut of the ESSA, so let’s starting speaking out on why we think arts programs like music appreciation, theatre, studio art and art appreciation classes are important and deserve to be part of our childrens’ curriculum.

Why are the arts important?

Students with an arts rich education have lower dropout rates, better standardized test scores in reading and math, and better grade point averages – regardless of their socioeconomic status. The arts in any form inspire creativity and critical thinking, which are two of the most important qualities to appeal to employers and help insure future career success.

How does this affect Albany?

According to a recent statistic, 42.6 percent of students in Albany live below the poverty level (the state average is 26.2 percent). In the Dougherty County School System, 87 percent of students are African-American, and 81 percent are economically disadvantaged.

In Albany and across the country, this is the most underserved portion of our population when it comes to arts programming, yet studies show that these groups benefit the most from exposure to the arts. Having access to arts education increases academic performance, college enrollment, and the ability to gain employment, and while 78 percent of our high school students graduate, only 17 percent of Albany’s population has a bachelor’s degree. It has also been shown that participation in the arts can improve school culture and behavior in the classroom.

The city of Albany as a whole can benefit from seeing a rise in college educated citizens. Over time, a well-rounded, educated population can help make Albany a place with a greater cross-cultural understanding, a more creative community, and one with more civic engagement. The more experiences we expose our students to the better chance they have at succeeding and elevating Albany.

What can we do?

We can voice our opinion and bring awareness to the many advantages of incorporating art into our schools’ curriculum. The Albany Museum of Art is a champion for the arts. Being one of only 11 accredited art museums in our state, the Albany Museum of Art is an asset to our region and is striving to make the arts more accessible to everyone. The benefits of a healthy arts program have been evidenced in other communities, such as Detroit, where economic and social problems are similar to Albany’s.

We want to create a solid partnership with the students of the Albany/Dougherty area and throughout Southwest Georgia. When you see the benefits of adding the arts into a child’s education, how can you ignore the need? We ask that you reach out to your school board, talk to your principals and your legislators, and ask that the arts be an integral part of your child’s education. Make some noise!

Chloe Hinton is director of Education and Program Planning, Albany Museum of Art. She submitted this column on behalf of the Albany Museum of Art’s Education Committee: Angie Barber, director, Network of Trust, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital; Sylvia Berry, life trustee, Albany Museum of Art and retired Dougherty County School System music teacher; Dr. Todd Deariso, principal, Lincoln Elementary Magnet School; Teresa Holzknecht, community volunteer; K.K. Snyder, president, Board of Trustees, AMA; Melissa Barnhill Strother, owner, M.B. Strother Designs and Dougherty County School Board member; Selena Wingfield, retired youth services director, Dougherty County Public Library; Charles Williams, assistant professor of art, Albany State University; Paula Williams, executive director, AMA.