Middle school students could be tuning up instruments and putting on dancing shoes next year, thanks to a school board decision exploring a pilot program that offers for-credit arts classes.
Recommended by the arts advisory committee, one of the board’s advisory councils on instruction, the extended day would offer students an optional arts class added to the end of the day, 2:30-4 pm Monday through Thursday. The program was intended to benefit students of families who cannot afford private music or dance lessons or cannot provide transportation to other after-school events.
Board members were originally scheduled to vote on the recommendation at their Thursday, May 22 meeting, but deferred because of what board members and senior staff members called a communication problem with the public.
Several parents voiced concerns at that meeting that approval of the recommendation would add additional requirements to middle school students who are already stressed.
But Kathy Grove, assistant superintendent for instruction, said the proposed program would not affect busy students whose parents already have the time and resources to enroll them in after school music and arts lessons. “This is not something that everyone needs to do,” she said. “It’s not something that most people need to do.”
Despite initial controversy, no citizens showed up to voice opposition last week. The only speaker addressing the issue was Anne Timmons, who chairs the arts advisory committee. She defended the recommendation. “What we have come up with is a modest proposal,” she said. “The importance of the arts in the curriculum cannot be overlooked.”
Thursday’s board vote authorized exploration of this pilot program – implementation would first require interest from middle school principals and a separate budget approval from the board later this year. Grove estimated that each after-school elective course would cost schools between $12,000 and $15,000.
Giving a green light on the program with just rough cost estimates troubled board member Dave Foster. He voted to proceed with the pilot but cautioned staff. “We need to do it in a very careful way.”
The program could begin in at least one school as early as next year.
PROPOSED RENOVATION of the board’s meeting room brought a rare split-decision, and a rare rejection of a staff recommendation. When the board is not in session, the board room serves as extra meeting space for other groups.
To better facilitate such meetings, board members considered a proposal to add a partition and replace the rows of benches currently in the room with movable seats. The proposal, which would have cost about $40,000 was defeated by a vote of 4-1, with Frank Wilson the lone holdout.
Furlow said current facilities meet the schools’ needs. “It’s functional, it’s not extravagant,” she said. “I can’t see the justification for [the renovation].”
Local resident Robert Molleur, calling himself “a disgruntled Arlington taxpayer,” urged the board to reject the proposal. Even though $40,000 is a tiny fraction of the schools’ total budget, funds can’t be squandered when it comes to educating young people, Molleur said.
NEXT BOARD MEETING will present members with eight action items, including controversial guidelines for administering the curriculum of Family Life Education, or “sex ed,” textbooks approved last month.
One guideline will prohibit teachers from demonstrating to full classes how to put on a condom, but will allow such demonstrations to small groups. Several parents and representatives of national abstinence-advocacy groups have already approached board members to say the lessons are inappropriate.
The proposal could bring another split-decision from the board. “[Contraceptive demonstrations] should at most be available on a one-on-one basis,” said Foster.