When I think about my involvement in arts education over the
years, I remember the productions I’ve done with students in two categories:
before No Child Left Behind and after No Child Left Behind.
Before this legislation, the non-profit I worked with, then
called City Moves!, was welcome with open arms when we would bring theatre
projects into public schools. After this
legislation, our invitation for a “free, standards-based program” was often
declined because, as one teacher said, “No Child Left Behind means no child
left untested.”
In light of InnerMission Productions upcoming play, No Child…, an inside look at the effect
of introducing theatre to a group of unruly Bronx high school students written
by teaching artist Nilaja Sun, it might be worth another glance at the state of
arts education here in San Diego and how important the message of the play is
right now.
The truth is that art for art’s sake does not exist in California schools. The arts now conform to some fairly rigid
state-wide standards. Since 2001, when
the education bill was passed in this country, everyone who wanted a piece of
the educational system’s pie talked about “standards-based arts education.” As a result, every other arts program that
did not include these standards was dropped.
Standard Number Eight, the one that dictates arts education
now, states that the arts must connect to the other curricula. Every time this connection component came up
in committee meetings as a potential reason to refuse our program, I would
always ask one question: Are the other standards required to connect to
the arts?
No, as it turned out.
Curriculum areas like math, science, history and English were never
required to reciprocate the relationship.
But this wasn’t surprising because as artists, arts educators, and arts
administrators, it had always been our job to do that. So, we did.
Or, we tried. Projects
were still refused. And other projects were
accepted but rescheduled at the last minute.
Rehearsals were often canceled.
And teachers would freak out because a test was coming and they were
afraid that the kids wouldn’t do well, and if that happened, funding would go
away and…
So, some of my colleagues and I tried to prove that arts in
schools helped improve test scores. But,
that was a difficult proposition. Most
of the programs were free and most free programs happened in schools with a lot
of poverty and schools with a lot of poverty were already among the lowest
performing schools in the area, test-wise.
But there was one thing we could prove: attendance. Kids in after-school arts programs came to
school on the days that they had their program and did so more often than on
any other day. I remember a principal
coming to a dance class to look for a specific trouble-making student. The principal could not believe that the kid,
who was in detention every day, always behaved on Tuesdays. Coincidentally, that was the day he had dance
class. And another thing about this kid:
He was a born leader, something the
principal didn’t recognize at the time.
I’d like to think we changed the culture of the few schools
where we did run programs. But, we had
help. Schools are run by three equally
powerful people: the school secretary, the principal’s secretary and the
janitor. If a school was fortunate
enough to have a principal who understood the value of the arts, those three people
were supportive and there was a chance of success.
But if they weren’t on board…
How many children were left behind during No Child? How many kids weren’t seen in a new, positive
light by teachers who had pegged them as troublemakers? How many kids didn’t
find a reason to go to school and stay involved (at least on Tuesdays) because
of their arts program? Too many to think
about, is my guess.
And I thought I was done thinking about it. My career as an arts administrator folded
with the economy. The program went on,
in good hands, without me. People I
trained are still doing the work and I try to forget about the lost children.
Then, my wife got cast in the play No Child…, which opens Saturday, May 12, at 8 pm at Mesa College’s
Apolliad Theatre. Turns out playwright
and teaching artist Nilaja Sun spent six weeks teaching/directing a play during
No Child Left Behind. Sun takes this
experience and tells a very compelling story about what it’s like being an
outsider in a system that is troubled, working with kids who are troubled on a
project that never had a chance. She
gets it all pretty much right. It is a
bold and insightful piece of theatre that doesn’t preach, doesn’t name
names. It just shows one powerful experience.
And it leaves no one behind.
---
No Child… by Nilaja
Sun. Presented by InnerMission
Productions, in collaboration with the Mesa College Drama Department. May 12-20, 2012, at Mesa College’s
Apolliad Theatre. Tickets to may be
purchased online at www.innermissionproductions.org,
at the box office an
hour before curtain or by calling 619-324-8970.
---
Kevin Six is an actor
and playwright. For a time, During No
Child Left Behind, he was the executive director of City Moves!, the chair of
the San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition and on several arts and arts education
boards, committees and round tables. He
really thinks you owe it to yourself to see No Child…
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