Humans have two hemispheres in their brains. We have the
left brain, which analyzes and sorts through statistical learning much like a
computer processes information. And we have the right-brain in which resides
the creative soul that lets us make music and art and provides the release that
homo sapiens call “expression.” We need both sides of the brain to
develop into well-rounded individuals, but some schools tend to downplay the
right brain and concentrate their educational efforts
toward the left-brain. This discrimination may be one of the reasons that
school districts might make the erroneous decision that students who are doing
poorly in certain academic subjects just need MORE academic work.
Here is how this decision is playing out in changes that have recently been made in the focus at our rural school: We made good progress in all areas our students were tested, but alas –thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act—not enough. Now the district is under AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) strictures. We have a “specialist” from OSPI who is meeting with the district math departments because math is where our scores didn’t quite meet expectations. This is happening to many districts in Washington. Our school is one of the 35 percent who are undergoing this turmoil. And make no mistake: This is turmoil! Our district is determined to correct the problem and get our students “caught up,” but the draconian effect this has on population is largely ignored.
This is what this looks like at ground zero: Students are enrolled in a semester-long elective Visual Arts, Technical Skills or Computer Applications Class. Suddenly, they are pulled out of those classes near the end of the first quarter with no consultation to their elective teachers. They are placed in a math or reading “support” class so that they can improve their weak subjects. This puts struggling students in two math or language arts classes a day. The district maintains that this change is in the “best interest of the students,” but this shortsighted decision will have consequences that are not immediately discernable.
At its core, the strategy is flawed and students who are forced into this curriculum will suffer. Arts and specialized electives are important to our society at large and even if test scores improve, the students will lose out. Americans For The Arts lists 5 reasons (backed by research) that students need to keep their elective classes. These classes:
- Improve kids' overall academic performance.
- Show that kids actively engaged in arts education are likely to have higher test scores than those with little to no involvement.
- Develop skills needed by the 21st century workforce: critical thinking, creative problem solving, effective communication, teamwork and more.
- Teach kids to be more tolerant and open.
- Allow kids to express themselves
Our district is not alone on this march to show adequate yearly progress. With 35 percent of Washington’s schools suffering from AYP-anxiety many of them will choose to jettison the electives that are the very reasons that some students attend school. Are we really ready to turn a blind eye to the right-brain joy of learning and expressing in hopes that our students will make gargantuan leaps in their left-brain pursuits?
I certainly hope not.
Pamelia Valentine is a guest blogger and teacher in the Shelton School District.
Previous Blogs: