Teaching To The Test - Sad, But Too True

A few weeks ago I blogged about Arts Advocacy (http://www.theatreface.com/profiles/blogs/advocacy-for-the-arts-do-it) and how it can affect you and your job. Since that time the budget short-falls in many states have become more visible in the news. Locally, I've witnessed public school districts announcing teacher lay-offs that are upward to 25%, and sometimes higher in Arts Magnet Schools. When it was once unthinkable to have more than 20 students per teacher, they are now looking at upwards of 60 students per teacher. This kind of teacher : student ratio isn't that big of a deal at the college level, but at the K-12 level this can lead to total chaos in the classroom, let alone a complete failure of a school. I'm even curious as to where they will find teachers that will do this for little or no more pay.

I recently received an e-mail from James Clarke, the Executive Director for Texas Coalition for Quality Arts Education (www.TCQAE.org) and in it he included a QuickTime movie by Tom Chapin. He pretty well sums it up in a great little music video 'Not On The Test'. You can see this at Tom's Web Site (www.notonthetest.com). It also has the source video (better quality than the web site player file) that you can freely download, link to, or play for your local administrators; and there are several pages of other Arts Advocacy links. Give the site a visit and share it with those that can make a difference. Be like Howard Beale in the 1976 movie Network and let them know "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"