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The Joe McCarthy of Art Education
Apologies first, to all those who love Joe McCarthy. He still has a big following in certain political circles. First it was an attack earlier this year on Maxine Greene and now it’s an editorial that appeared in the Wall Street Journal: The Political Assault on Art Education, both by Michelle Marder Kamhi. A brief…
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Church Leaders Raise Concerns Over Obama Education Agenda
An Alternative Vision for Public Education–A Patoral Letter on Federal Policy in Public Education: An Ecumenical Call for Justice, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. This is one pretty great letter and I would urge you to read it. Here are a few “choice” excerpts: Not only has the…
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Connecticut Bolsters Graduation Requirements for the Arts
Dewey21C was pretty quiet last week. It happens, what can I say? With all the end of the fiscal year work to be put to bed, this will be my first post in over a week. But hey, it’s a good one! As part of a comprehensive education “reform” bill signed into law by Connecticut…
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“I Felt Like A Professional”–What a Teacher Told Me at a Recent Conference
I have to admit, that comment both was a potent pill, as it both pleased me and broke my heart. How could it be possible that the teachers feel so beleaguered? Well, one look at the major media around teaching and teachers, and well, you figure it all out in an instant. It was pleasing,…
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Guest Blog, Jane Remer: In Memoriam, Renee Darvin
In Memoriam – Renee Darvin Alas, alack the good die way too young, but I am glad to have seen, hugged and kissed Renee “goodbye” at a jam-packed gathering in her honor just a few weeks ago at Teachers College. I will keep the memory of her calm and smiling loveliness as she sat in…
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The State of California Considers Bill That Will Hurt K-12 Arts Education
Essentially this bill means that students who attend career and technical education high schools in the State of California do not have to have any arts instruction, at all. They still have to have all the other subjects required for graduation, but not the arts. And the really bad news is that this bill appears…
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John Schoenherr, Children’s Book Ilustrator, RIP
Last week I learned of the death of the book illustrator, John Schoenherr. My favorite among his work was his partnership with Jane Yolen on the Caldecott Award Winning children’s book Owl Moon. For my money, the Caldecott Award is a real measure of quality. Of course there are others like Newbery, Geisel, etc. And,…
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Guest Arts Education Blogger, Jon Deak: Creating Music with El Sistema, Part Three
Click here for Part Two Caracas, April 9-10, 2010 The excitement builds. Also the nerves. Have you ever noticed how, when you travel to a completely new environment, all emotions are magnified? The joys are expansive, the fears are bottomless, each event rings clear, vibrates with color. I feel I should go to bed wearing…
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The Source of the Arts Education Nile: “Money is Policy”
When the categorical funding line for arts education in the New York City Public Schools was elminated, essentially to “empower the principals” and to increase the total budget available to each school, a good friend and colleague of mine who works for the NYCDOE said: “money is policy.” Short and sweet. Don’t ya think? And…
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Arts Eduation and ESEA: Where do the Arts fit in National Education Policy?
National Education Policy you may ask, you didn’t know there was one! Well, after reading the USDOE’s A Blueprint for Reform–The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, it struck me that this was the closest thing we will get to a national education policy. For those hell bent on seeing something like this…