Unfortunately, that art teacher is me! Yep, the art job disappeared at spring break when the grant money evaporated. While other teachers in LAUSD got pink slips the same day, but still teach until the end of the year, the art program had to pack up and go home. The big stimulus package didn't trickle down far enough to save the position. Sad for kids, sad for education, sad for me!
In California, and LA in particular, art teachers exist at the edge. While funding has been precarious over the years, never more so than now. It is especially sad when you realize that despite the money issues, this will be the only time the kids are in elementary school and the opportunity is lost for them.
Hopefully, the brief time we had together at that school will always be memorable. How many spelling tests do you remember throughout your life? But art projects you do. It's always been remarkable to me to listen to adults recount those in later life. I well remember a sixth grade maraca project made out of light bulb -- it's what made me decide that teachers shouldn't grade art projects if they can't help students fix their art!
However, we just wish there was still an art class to fuss about right now! It's going to be a long climb to tackle this money hill and restore art to its rightful place in the school curriculum.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment