Testimony For Regents Hearings On Middle Schools
DECEMBER 16, 2003 by Mario Asaro, Executive Vice President of NYCATA/UFT
Good afternoon, My name is Mario Asaro; I serve as executive VP of the NYC Art Teachers Association/UFT and have been asked to come here with testimony in regard to the Regents hearing on Middle School Mandates. As an inner city middle school Arts Educator for the past 18 years I believe I have insights into the day to day reality of middle school teaching that may escape policy and decision-makers who have long left the classroom. I am here to lobby not only for the keeping of state arts mandates but to encourage the Regents to, if not strengthen them, at least put a system in place that will ensure administrative compliance.
In these uncertain times our middle schools are in flux, both financially and organizationally. In light of the partial loss of talents and electives in our city middle schools and the almost complete loss of arts, specials and extra curricula programs in neighboring Yonkers we can only imagine what cuts our city schools would suffer at the whims of school administrators without state suggested mandates for the arts in place. The NYC Art Teacher's Association is appealing to you today to stand up for arts education and its importance in our students' development in their critical and complex middle school years. The arts are not a frill but crucial to success for many of our adolescent students. Besides promoting higher thinking skills, they give our children the ability to express themselves in positive and creative ways. Through the arts we empower our children to become active in society and the social process. The skills needed to put on a play or concert, work on a mural or just share tools, supplies and ideas are integral to our children's needed developmental process at this age.
When our students participate in the arts as well as phys ed, sciences, and the humanities, they not only benefit from a broad, well-rounded education, they use applied learning skills as well as engage in problem solving and develop literacy. Our city's hasty corporate style approach to middle school reforms have taken away from our state mandated education requirements in order to prepare and train our students to take standardized math and reading tests middle school educators know the importance of academics and rigorous learning standards in our students' lives. We also know that the middle school years are a critical stage of development for youngsters entering adolescence. Our schools are filled with special needs, bilingual, mainstream and talented and gifted students who deserve more than just to be counted as a percentile score on an exam. I stand here today to say we oppose our city "business driven" approach to education which seems not to understand that literacy and problem solving skills can and have always been fostered throughout all the subject areas. Little thought is being given to the complex social and creative needs middle school students have at this stage of their learning process. Forcing children into rigid academic learning models may possibly increase test scores, but will it increase learning? Our schools need to focus on fostering safe, orderly and nurturing learning environments where children respect themselves, each other and the adults in their lives. Our students need character development through engagement in educational activities that they find interesting. The arts and other specials help foster a love of learning that often keep many of our children interested in school and motivates them to continue learning into their adult lives. Meaningful middle school reform must focus on developing a healthy school environment where learning is developed through a blend of academic, creative and social activities that all have increased literacy and problem solving requirements at their core.
I would like to end with a case in point. I was one of 10 arts teachers at my former school last year. In keeping with the state arts mandates all 6th graders received a half-year of art and music. Starting in the 7th grade students had the opportunity to choose three-year comprehensive, sequential arts talent. In drama, students produce a professional quality show each year. Our music department had a full chorus and band that were highlighted annually at our spring and winter concerts. Our fine arts department offered advanced art instruction on each grade level. All programs enriched their curriculum with trips, community service, performances, exhibits and collaborations with cultural agencies.
The ability to stay with a program for three years not only contributed to our students complete education, for many, it made school a place they wanted to come to and be part of. Our school had one of the city's best 3-year arts sequence for middle school children and many of our students were being accepted into advanced high school arts programs and several had gone on to excel in Arts Universities and careers in the Arts. In the middle of last year we met with parents to discuss funding for our after school arts programming and wrote a letter to the principal about the importance of keeping the sequential arts talents we had established. We asked that the administration to inform the PA and us if any changes were being considered. Slowly we sensed that a change was coming. When we approached the administration we were told to continue the talent auditions and to proceed as if we would be keeping the arts intact. At the end of the year it became evident that mayor's middle school reforms would affect our talents and other subject areas. Despite all our and parent efforts to be part of the planning process, the administration was set on dismantling the talent program. Of the 10 teachers who made up the arts department 3 would remain to offer arts instruction to over 1600 students. 1 retired, 1 left for medical reasons, 3 were excessed, and 2 others were kept but reassigned to teach communication arts. Over 30 new teachers, many inexperienced fellows were brought in to teach the double periods of math and communication arts. For their 5th teaching period these teachers were expected to take a talent even though they were not trained or licensed in it. Meanwhile our arts office was dismantled with little thought given to the thousands of dollars worth of equipment and supplies that are housed in it and the classrooms of the arts specialists.
Since then, reports are that school morale and discipline are at an all time low. Several experienced, senior teachers, stating that they were shocked at the way good senior teachers were being treated left and found positions in schools outside of the city. This year alone 5 new teachers resigned at a school where in my 7 years I had never seen one person give up their job.
The Arts are the third largest industry in our state. Our city is a Mecca for arts and cultural institutions, universities, and arts related employment but more and more NY City and NY State children are not being prepared to take part in those opportunities. As was the case in my former school, administrators and supervisors might say that the arts are important but the without state guidelines we are in danger of morally, culturally, and educationally shortchanging our students.
