Date of Award

2010

Degree Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

New York City's public school system, the largest in the nation, is well positions to be a leader in the field of arts education. Not only does New York State law mandate ares education for grads k-121, but New York City's cultural and artistic institutions also offer city schools a wide array of resources and educational opportunities. Artwork and working artists are evertwhere in New York City, yet the place of the arts in New York City public schools os precarious. In 2003, the City Council's Committee on Education released a report that stated in no uncertain terms the dies situation of arts education in New York City. "Citywide, many children are not receiving an adequate education in the arts, and some are receiving no arts education at all."2 In the eight years since the report was published the stock market has crashed, funding for education and cultural institutions has continued to shrink, and education reformers have become increasingly obsessed with rigorous test-based assessments in the English language and Math. Needless to say, the state of arts education in New York City public schools has not improved since 2003. A 2008 report from the New York Center for Arts Education (CAE) found that 20% of schools had no arts specialists, 32% of parents indicated that their children received no arts instruction at school, and only 4% of elementary schools were in a position to meet the state's minimum arts education requirements.3 This March, a CAE press release asserted that city schools continue to experience drastic declines in the size of arts budgets and the number of certified art teachers.

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