QUESTION
What efforts are being made to promote and monitor arts education in public schools?
3:20:10
·
117 sec
The commissioner of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs states that they work closely with the Department of Education on arts education guidelines and advocacy, but the ability to increase art teachers in schools lies primarily with the DOE.
- The council member argues that the agency should take a stronger internal stance on promoting arts education
- She suggests the agency should push advocacy efforts, possibly through new laws mandating arts education requirements
- The council member expresses concern that the DOE may not prioritize arts education as much as the cultural affairs agency should
- She cites examples of underutilized art facilities and resources in schools that could be better leveraged for arts education
Gale A. Brewer
3:20:10
Next question.
3:20:10
Arts Education.
3:20:11
Yeah.
3:20:12
Obviously, we all care about it.
3:20:13
I don't think you mentioned it in your testimony,
Justin Brannan
3:20:15
but
Gale A. Brewer
3:20:15
we all wanna understand.
3:20:17
Is there some way that your agency because with all due respect to DOE, that may not be their first priority.
3:20:23
It's certainly one of mine.
3:20:25
So we obviously, in this city council push for an arts teacher in every school, that's great, but that doesn't necessarily cut it in terms of the arts education that I'm talking about.
3:20:35
So, you know, we have we have Caso.
3:20:36
We I understand what we got.
3:20:38
We need more.
3:20:39
So what do you do as an agency to monitor arts education in the public schools.
Laurie Cumbo
3:20:45
That's really we work very close with Paul Thompson in the DOE and the guidelines and the blueprint that he puts out each year.
3:20:53
It's something where really we advocate, we push, we work towards, but it's really a DOE.
3:21:00
Department of Education.
3:21:01
It's really in their portfolio in terms of the ability to increase art teachers in every school that you spoke about.
Gale A. Brewer
3:21:09
Alright.
3:21:09
I would argue that we're one administration, we're one city, and it's nice to push off to somebody else.
3:21:14
But will all do respect DOE's not gonna care about arts?
3:21:17
As you should.
3:21:18
And so I think you we need something internally stronger.
3:21:23
Kate Levin did have a blueprint and she stood on it and she screamed and yelled.
3:21:27
And I think that should be more coming from you among arts education.
3:21:31
I know, you know, situations, I just finally got to dance empty dance studio in 6 high schools, 1 high school yeah.
3:21:40
6 schools in a building filled, but it took me 2 years.
3:21:43
That's craziness.
3:21:44
And it seems to me that every opportunity for arts education, there are closets full of instruments that are not being used.
3:21:52
I would suggest more of a push advocacy.
3:21:56
Maybe we need some laws to say every single school needs not just what's what we have.
3:22:01
But a lot more.
3:22:02
And you need to have an overall sense of what art's education is really going on.
