Starting Point
Arts on Higher Ground
School Administrator, December 2015


You’d be hard-pressed to find many superintendents willing to challenge the centrality of the arts in a well-rounded K-12 education. The challenge in recent years has been to preserve the time and resources to act on that notion. The obsession on test-taking and the narrowed classroom focus on math and reading have pushed arts study to the sidelines, if not fully outside the school arena.

Our December issue builds a compelling case for restoring that central place for the visual and media arts, theater and music. Steve Webb, superintendent in Vancouver, Wash., writes about his district’s arts-centric ways for preparing future-ready graduates. One-time superintendent David Sousa tells us how findings from neuroscience bolster STEAM initiatives (that’s STEM plus the arts). Other contributors address the use of arts instruction in reaching Common Core standards and the latest developments on assessing arts instruction in schools.

In addition, we’re pleased to include relevant excerpts from an interview we conducted recently with Sir Ken Robinson.

Perhaps you can use something here to bolster your own schools’ work in restoring the arts to their rightful place.



Jay P. Goldman
Editor, School Administrator
Voice: 703-875-0745
E-mail: jgoldman@aasa.org
Twitter: @JPGoldman