| Educators in the San Francisco Public Schools are | | | | regular basis until August 2005 under the direction of |
| frustrated by the lack of balance in education. The | | | | a project manager. The Steering Committee |
| recent focus on mandatory testing has moved | | | | continues to provide guidance during the initial |
| schools nationwide away from holistic education. And | | | | implementation phase of the plan and will gradually |
| this can have serious consequences on children in the | | | | become an advisory body for the San Francisco |
| San Francisco Schools. Richard Florida in The Flight of | | | | Schools plan. The San Francisco Schools have made |
| the Creative Class says, "What we really need in | | | | an important step forward by acknowledging the role |
| order to prepare our children for the creative | | | | arts play in academic education. The arts engage |
| economy is a comprehensive education. Something | | | | students and honor the many different learning styles |
| that takes them from aesthetics to algebra without | | | | students possess. The arts are essential to |
| pretending that the two are mutually exclusive." Aha! | | | | understanding one's self, the community, and global |
| Elliot W. Eisner, professor of education and art, | | | | culture. Through arts, students in the San Francisco |
| Stanford University agrees. He states that "The arts | | | | Schools can acquire the skills and creativity needed to |
| are fundamental resources through which the world is | | | | succeed later in life. San Francisco Schools leaders |
| viewed, meaning is created, and the mind developed." | | | | know that the arts encourage commitment and |
| Arts education has a profound effect on students, | | | | persistence, and they have discovered that an |
| there's no doubt about it. San Francisco Schools are | | | | involvement in the arts leads to increased attendance |
| finally acknowledging this, and are acting on it In | | | | and helps many students stay in school, all the way |
| March 2004, voters, in unprecedented numbers, | | | | through 12th grade. One San Francisco Schools |
| passed Proposition H. This proposition earmarked tens | | | | elementary principal agreed, "Art gives kids something |
| of millions of city funds for schools, including new | | | | they can do well. . . .For some, this is where they |
| funds for arts education. This had added further | | | | start." We need to see more initiatives like this all |
| community and political support to the cause of arts | | | | over the country. As the San Francisco Schools are |
| education equity and access for all San Francisco | | | | finally starting to recognize, there is a connection |
| Schools students. A San Francisco Schools Steering | | | | between art and academic education that can go a |
| Committee was then formed to begin work on the | | | | long way towards improving the state of education in |
| master plan. The steering committee, as well as | | | | this country. |
| others, is composed of district administrators, | | | | San Francisco Public Schools Patricia Hawke is a staff |
| teachers, parents, principals, funders, city agency | | | | writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth |
| representatives and arts providers. They met on a | | | | reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. |