The prevailing educational trend of administering frequent standardized tests and dedicating significant classroom time to test preparation has resulted in the neglect of vital programs, particularly arts education. However, a network of public charter schools in New York City, named Ascend Learning, is striving to reverse this trend—one artwork and theatrical performance at a time.
In an article for The Atlantic, journalist Clara Thompson highlights one Ascend school located in Brownsville, Brooklyn, a neighborhood facing economic challenges. The CEO of Ascend, Marcus L. James, envisioned these arts-focused schools as a way to better equip students not just for college—where many from Brownsville experience cultural disorientation—but for life itself. The integration of arts education fosters creativity, a crucial asset in today’s competitive job market.
Typically, arts funding is deprioritized in high-stakes testing settings, with schools allocating their resources predominantly to reading and math drills. Conversely, the new Common Core standards place an emphasis on the arts, referencing them approximately 75 times. Students are encouraged to analyze various forms of artistic expression and create their own.
While some institutions are reducing arts funding, others, like Ascend, are making it a priority. CEO Marcus L. James’s vision includes creating school environments that resemble galleries, with walls adorned with high-quality reproductions of famous artworks. The curriculum intertwines arts and literature across subjects; for example, fifth-grade students read and perform The Tempest while exploring themes of slavery, colonialism, and familial struggles. They study Pieter Bruegel’s Landscape With The Fall of Icarus to delve into the myth of Icarus and Daedalus. Seventh-graders prepare for standardized tests by engaging with the works of Emily Dickinson and Henry David Thoreau, rather than relying on passages designed to mimic test questions.
James aims to prove that rigorous arts education can be implemented in all public schools, although Ascend allocates a larger portion of its budget to facilities than many other public institutions can afford. This approach necessitates some compromises, such as larger class sizes.
Nevertheless, any redesign that transforms schools from prison-like environments—many in New York City are equipped with barred windows—will undoubtedly please parents and create a more conducive learning atmosphere. As parental and teacher advocacy grows for a reduction or elimination of standardized exams, there is hope that more schools will prioritize enriching literature and the arts over mere test preparation.
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In summary, shifting the focus of schools from a prison-like structure to an art-inspired environment can enhance student engagement and creativity. By prioritizing arts education, schools can better prepare students for both academic and life challenges.
Keyphrase: schools as art galleries
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