Good Read

The Arts at the Center

Recently on Facebook Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Teacher Leader Janie Snider from Hancock Grammar School shared a link to Mind/Shift with an excerpt from Sir Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica’s book You, Your Child, and School: Navigate Your Way to the Best Education. The book was published on March 13, 2018 by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

The piece talks about schools that are changing and successfully meeting the best interests of their students, families, and communities. Teachers and school leaders are using innovative ideas to envision the school plan.

Sir Ken Robinson

Orchard Gardens Elementary School in Roxbury, MA was one of these schools. In 2010 students were doing poorly by all measures and there was a revolving door of teachers and principals. They spent more than $250,000 a year on security guards. Principal number six arrived and decided to spend that same money on arts education. Together staff and administration established systems to support students as individuals, established a school culture and did all that we know is impactful in the arts. Teaching artists, investment in instruments, displayed artwork in the halls and classrooms, and offered creative workshops for teachers and parents.

Orchard Gardens is one example that Robinson and Aronica outline in the book. The essence of the book is really about how schools can transform. It’s not about the learners in the school, most likely the problem is the system. Change the school and many of the problems will disappear. It is possible and is happening.

You can read the entire article by CLICKING HERE.