Revised NCLB Gave Boost to Arts Integration

Last month, President Obama signed an education reform bill that revised the so-called No Child Left Behind act. Surprisingly, the bill had bipartisan support from both the House and Senate.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

Last month, President Obama signed an education reform bill that revised the so-called No Child Left Behind act.

Surprisingly, the bill had bipartisan support from both the House and Senate, perhaps because the bill shifts power from the federal government to the states on issues of school performance and accountability. The new legislation called "Every Student Succeeds Act" does a great deal more, as we will undoubtedly come to better understand in the weeks and months ahead.

2015-12-17-1450311048-4985555-congress.jpg

One amendment that hasn't been much talked about - certainly not reported on in the major press outlets-was the language introduced by Congresswoman Bonamici, on behalf of the 67 member Congressional STEAM Caucus she chairs. It calls for "integrating other academic subjects, including the arts, into STEM (for science, technology, engineering, and math) programs to increase participation in STEM, improve attainment of STEM-related skills, and promote well-rounded education."

The Congressional Caucus on STEAM advocates adding the arts to the call for more STEM. The plan was modest: to "host briefings and advocate for policy changes that will encourage educators to integrate arts, broadly defined, with traditional Science, Technology, Engineering and Math curriculum. The long-term goal then and now, according to the caucus, is to encourage "the creativity needed to drive our innovation economy forward."

Earlier, the caucus wrote the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology urging inclusion of provisions supportive of STEAM asking that "STEAM should be recognized as providing value to STEM research and programs across federal agencies through 'Sense of Congress' provisions and language clarifying that current research, data collection and STEM programs may include arts integration strategies and programs."

2015-12-17-1450311197-6381028-STEMLogo.jpg

Although not adopted by the Senate, the Caucus reflected what more and more teachers, parents, and policymakers are saying about merging the arts and sciences and creating more meaningful interdisciplinary experiences. This is the best way, they argued, to nurture the next generation of leaders and workers for a workforce demanding creativity and innovation.

Given the outsourcing of jobs and off shoring of whole businesses--all consequences of globalization of course--there is an urgent need to define this age we're in and to advocate for recognition and meaningful change in attitudes that the arts and arts integration are vital to the wealth and well being of our nation.

More of our leaders in education are coming to realize it all starts with education and giving our your people the new thinking shills they need, and business is looking for, to compete on the new economy. In fact, we need to change our thinking about art and culture, and arts integration in our schools, land use, water and energy consumption and more.

It has been over 10 years that The Conference Board released its study "Ready to Work," reporting "U.S. employers rate creativity and innovation among the top five skills that will increase in importance over the next five years, and rank it among the top challenges facing CEOs."

To compete in this new economy we have come to realize that our only option is to innovate, that you need creativity to be innovative, and the arts and arts integration will lead to the creative worker we all want and need. Do only the arts and arts integration lead to creativity. Of course not, but as we redefine the curriculum to marry art and science and thus produce more whole brain thinkers is compelling.

Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who leads the Senate Education Committee, called the legislation a "Christmas present" for 50 million children across the country." Mr. Obama referred called the bill "a Christmas miracle." It is a gift but more than something to celebrate at Christmas, the creative and innovation economy demands we see the urgency of the new world we live in. This legislation reforming education marks an auspicious beginning.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot