Strong Arts, Strong Schools

The Promising Potential and Shortsighted Disregard of the Arts in American Schooling

the late Charles Fowler

Because of cuts in school budgets, coupled with anxiety about an apparent decline is basic academic skills, many parents, educators, and policy makers have come to view arts education--the teaching of music, painting, dancing, or creative writing--as a luxury, an unnecessary drain on time and money better applied to the three Rs. But in Strong Arts, Strong Schools, one of America's leading champions of arts in the schools, the late Charles Fowler, provides compelling evidence that the arts are a vital component of any child's education. Indeed, he shows that schools with strong arts programs are also stronger academically--that the arts enhance an academic education.
Fowler marshalls a wide range of arguments in favor of arts education, arguments that go well beyond the simple plea of "art for art's sake." He points out, for instance, that the arts provide multiple ways to experience the world around us and that they help us to express our relationship to this world. The arts educate the imagination and develop originality. They teach students to discern, to express, to communicate, to analyze, to understand. They can be used as vehicles for enlivening and extending learning in general. They are one of the fundamental repositories of human wisdom. Fowler also examines some of the more controversial issues surrounding an arts curriculum, such as who should study the arts and which arts--and whose culture--should be taught. And he offers suggestions for reform and strategies for changing the schools, redefining the mission, and finding teachers.
Here then is a cri de coeur written by one of America's leading advocates of arts education. It will provide parents and educators with compelling ammunition in the fight to keep art in our schools.

Strong Arts, Strong Schools

The Promising Potential and Shortsighted Disregard of the Arts in American Schooling

the late Charles Fowler

Description

In this elegantly written, passionately argued book, Fowler presents a convincing case for teaching the arts to all children. He argues that, far from a luxury, the arts are a vitally important part of our society and our schools. Highlighting the crucial effect of the arts on learning, this volume shows how the arts can enliven and extend the entire school curriculum by integrating different subjects in innovative interdisciplinary ways. These eighteen compelling essays are a clarion call to action for any teacher, parent, policy maker, or citizen concerned about the fate of the arts in American society and schools.

Strong Arts, Strong Schools

The Promising Potential and Shortsighted Disregard of the Arts in American Schooling

the late Charles Fowler

Author Information

The late Charles Fowler was a noted music educator and arts activist, and the author of numerous books and articles, including Can We Rescue the Arts for America's Children? and Music! Its Role and Importance in Our Lives. He served as editor of Music Educators Journal from 1965 through 1971 and as education editor of Musical America magazine from 1974 through 1989.

Strong Arts, Strong Schools

The Promising Potential and Shortsighted Disregard of the Arts in American Schooling

the late Charles Fowler

Reviews and Awards

"Mr. Fowler's opus, Strong Arts, Strong Schools, is an erudite and passionate testimonial from a man who made service to arts education his life's work. His words and wisdom inspire us to continue the fight to insure that every child has access to world class instruction in the arts."--Michael Greene, President and CEO, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc.