Author: Polin, Jane L.

Publication Year: 2015

Media Type: Report

Summary:

In the 2001 landmark school financing case Campaign for Fiscal Equity vs. State of New York, Justice DeGrasse addressed the role of the arts in education. In his ruling, access to a complete education—an education that includes the arts—is the right, not the privilege, of students attending public schools in the state of New York. He went on to acknowledge the potential special benefits of an arts education for students from disadvantaged circumstances.

Abstract:

In the 2001 landmark school financing case Campaign for Fiscal Equity vs. State of New York, Justice DeGrasse addressed the role of the arts in education. In his ruling, access to a complete education—an education that includes the arts—is the right, not the privilege, of students attending public schools in the state of New York. He went on to acknowledge the potential special benefits of an arts education for students from disadvantaged circumstances.

From rural communities to inner cities across this nation, some students have access to excellent arts learning opportunities in and out of school settings. For those fortunate students that excel in their primary and secondary preparation, their college years may be spent at institutions of higher learning that also sustain diverse arts learning opportunities. Arts learning experiences before and during the college years can be life-defining for our nation’s students, transforming experiences that can shape and inform both their professional livelihoods as well as their personal lives.

As a student of how the arts can impact learning, I will attempt here to reflect on lessons learned in this emerging field of arts learning, and identify some issues that demand our immediate and longer-term attention. My goal here is to provide a framework for our upcoming dialogue that can lead to productive individual and institutional action.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Legislation, Arts Education, Access and Equity