Schools Must Fund Arts Programs

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Imagine. A school system with students who are passionate about what they do and care about the others around them. A school system where everybody could be themselves and not worry about what others would think. Now flash back to some of your memories from high school. I can almost guarantee that almost none of our experiences were what I just described. However, this on a smaller scale can be found in clubs such as band, choir, and drama. In today’s society, schools focus too much on sports and academics to see that the arts are suffering, crippled by the lack of funding from the school districts that control them. There are many reasons that schools should fund the arts more equally than they are currently. Many students today face the problems of not being physically capable to do sports, be that due to injury, handicap, or physicality. The arts provide an outlet for these students to be a part of the school much as people in sports are able to do. The arts also promote good habits in academics such as time management. Many studies have shown that academics flourish with the addition of the arts into a student’s daily life. Students are also able to better express themselves through the arts, increasing their social confidence and teaching them valuable lessons along the way. A lot of people underestimate the values of the arts, and therefor they are often overlooked and underfunded. I believe that every child deserves the equal right and opportunity to participate within their school. In order to do this schools need to begin funding school more balanced. I have been a part of more than 8 drama/musical productions including chorus concerts as well as drama performances. I personally have witnessed and experienced the bene... ... middle of paper ... ...Undeniable Value." Burlington Post 1 Mar. 2013, Final ed.: n. pag. Print. Baker, Beth. "Arts Education." CQ Researcher Online. CQ Press, 16 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. Cain, John. "EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Art Education Improves Students' Minds, Academic Performance." Nwitimes.com. N.p., 24 June 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Edmundson, Courtney. Personal interview 7 Nov. 2013. Edutopia Staff. "By the Numbers: Arts Education's Impact on Students." Edutopia. Edutopia, 28 Jan. 2009. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. Fanela, Rachael. Personal interview. 7 Nov. 2013. Johnson, Marina. Speech. Altoona Area High School, Altoona, PA. 15 Apr. 2013. Kolenich, Eric. “For high school football teams, uniform costs aren’t equal” Richmond Times-Dispatch. N.p., 2 Dec 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. Ruppert, Sandra S. "Critical Evidence." National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, 2006. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

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