It's Not Important

Here in New Jersey and extraordinary amount of time and energy is spent preparing students for the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge test ("NJASK").  In fact, most teachers are forced to begin preparations for this test beginning on the first day of school and continuing right on through to April.  Of course the subjects covered on this test are math, science and language arts/reading.  These tests - and the subjects - all take place at various grade levels.

I was recently speaking with someone at a party and casually asked "Why aren't the arts part of any state test?"  The reply surprised me "Because they're not important in what matters in a child's learning."  Not only did this person's response shock me, but then many other friends chimed in with similar - if not exactly the same feelings.

By no coincidence, I have recently read a number of articles where business leaders and/or executives cite the severe lack of critical thinking skills in college graduates today.  This is no surprise being that there is a glut of people with degrees, but not many jobs to accommodate them.  A skill like critical thinking is an intangible separating the haves from the have-nots.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the arts are a great way not only to teach, but to learn critical thinking skills.  Music is just one example. It's an art form that not only demands the ability to work within a group, but also the ability to take a solo.  It also requires you to listen and follow.  It also, at various times, asks you to interpret and maybe even just take a rest.  There are multiple ways to play one song or as I like to tell my music students "There is more than one way to count to four".  Think about how dance, drama, drawing, painting and even poetry can impact how a child looks at life and/or thinks through a problem.

There are many forms of intelligence, but our education system is one that has always told us art is not important.  It's not thought of as "academic" but is rather seen as "extracurricular".  Perhaps in this day and age - where the world seems to change daily - it's time to critically reexamine that idea.