Hollywood resident Alan Reitman is passionate about the arts, not only as a licensed mental health counselor who holds a double doctorate in group psychology and music therapy but also as the father of a young son who loves art.
Reitman, who founded the Cadenza Center for Psychotherapy and the Arts in Hollywood 10 years ago with his wife, Michelle, was stunned to learn last year that his son Sammy’s school, Hollywood Central Elementary, had eliminated its art classes and reduced its formal music program to just 14 hours a year per student.
“Most people who heard about this were absolutely appalled and shocked,” said Reitman, whose office services include both music therapy and art therapy.
He contacted Broward School District leaders about the “woeful lack of arts education” and put together a presentation on the benefits of arts in education for Hollywood Central’s School Advisory Council meeting last December. Reitman also enrolled his son in private art classes and transferred him this year to a Montessori school for second grade.
The watering down – and, in some cases, elimination – of so-called “specials” or elective classes in Broward public schools has become increasingly common in recent years as the district grapples with budget shortfalls. In addition to art, music and drama offerings, physical education classes and media programs have suffered, along with students, Reitman stressed.
One program in particular dealing with budget restraints is the Hollywood Hills High School Marching Band, which has struggled with funding deficits for several years, therefore forcing the band to step up its fundraising efforts.
Linda Bennett, president of the Band Parent Association at Hollywood Hills, said they have had to get creative with their fundraising in order to secure the money necessary to participate in state competitions. She said in addition to traditional car washes and bake sales, the band is also making Spartan Pride afghans and flip-flops to sell to students, parents, alumni, etc.
But the situation is improving at many Broward schools – including Hollywood Central Elementary, which has restored its art and music programs – thanks to a federal education bill approved last month. Broward will receive about $54 million to rehire teachers and other school employees as part of a new federal stimulus package that includes $10 billion earmarked for education jobs, and the School Board mandated the restoration of arts and other school programs that were cut because of funding deficits.
Just days before classes started, the Broward County School Board authorized Superintendent Jim Notter to start recalling nearly 100 laid-off teachers, including many arts and PE instructors. During the summer, 555 teachers in Broward and more than 700 other school system employees lost their jobs as the district struggled with a three-year revenue loss of nearly $140 million.
Reitman would like to see full-time formal art and music programs at all Broward schools. He points to studies that show that participation in school-based arts programs improves attention and reading, math, memorization and problem-solving skills; and provides an opportunity for children to participate in aesthetic experiences, learn to work cooperatively, develop fine and gross motor skills, and prepare for what may be a viable career in the arts.
Moreover, formal arts offerings in public schools raise test scores, lower the dropout rate and reduce youth violence, gang activity and anxiety, Reitman said.
“I work with kids who are violent, who have drug histories and who have nothing better to do after school than go rob houses for drugs,” he said.
High school students are required to take an arts class to graduate, but Reitman said an arts education needs to start much earlier. “Music and art help children express their emotions,” he said, adding that signs of abuse are usually first recognized in a child’s artwork.
Reitman’s investigation into arts education in Broward schools “took me a long time and a tremendous amount of runaround,” he said. “It’s a scam. The wool is being pulled over people’s eyes in the state with regard to the arts.”
Reitman criticized what he calls a “stick-figure art education” that often utilizes general education teachers, lacks any formal assessments to measure students’ initial ability and progress and is not being taught according to the Sunshine State Standards.
“There is no model for using music or art as a core course in the curriculum,” Reitman said. “So why are there Sunshine State Standards when there’s nobody teaching to those standards?”
Reitman said enhanced arts programs would benefit both students and the community in general and should be a top priority in Broward schools. He hopes to encourage other parents to look into their school’s arts offerings, utilize resources from arts organizations such as the Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA), lobby state leaders, elect officials who support arts in education, organize school fundraisers to enhance arts programs and band together to form a countywide nonprofit political action committee. A recently formed Facebook group, Broward Children need Music, Art, and PE!, is already nearly 3,000 members strong.
Reitman’s wish for all Broward students is to be able to “experience the power of the arts,” as he puts it. “Every culture in the world has that. Where’s our culture taking us? These are not fluff issues but extraordinary issues that speak to the core of our being human.”
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Yes, we should act wisely on who we vote for and always fight for our children.
And as always, none of you are rewarded coherently with what you do, but, you have your passion and your little ones ready to absorve all that you have to give.
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Please take a few moments to visit the Home page for the Florida Cultural Alliance where you can help support the arts by finding out where key representatives and potential representatives stand on the issue of arts education BEFORE VOTING IN NOVEMBER! Please read the action alert below: (www.capwiz.com/arsusa/fl/issues/alert)
Florida Cultural Alliance
Legislative Alerts and Updates • Current Legislation • Key Votes • Capitol Hill Basics
Action Alert
Please Contact Your Candidates Now.
Find out where they stand on arts, arts education, and culture issues.
Please take two minutes now to write your State candidates, and encourage them to complete our arts, arts education, and culture online survey. Below, you will find an editable message you can personalize – it includes the link that takes candidates directly to an easy and quick online survey.
It’s imperative we strengthen the awareness and understanding among our policy makers that arts, arts education, and cultural resources are critical to Florida’s economic recovery and jobs. We cannot continue to go backwards year after year with State-arts-and-culture funding and policy development – we must move forward. This critically important communication-and-relationship building with policy makers begins with you.
Do you know that Florida is now ranked 49th in per capita funding for arts and culture in the country? The State has cut its investment from $34.4 million just a few years ago to only $950,000 for State-arts-and-culture grants for 2010-2011 – that is only a State investment of 5¢ per Floridian. This election process provides opportunities for you to communicate, inform, and ask your candidates to engage in issues important to you and others.
We post candidates’ responses to the survey as we receive them at www.flca.net. Go to the 2010 Elections tab and click “Candidates’ Responses.” So, please check our Web site before you vote to see (1) if your candidates took the time to respond to the survey; and (2) if they did, review their positions on arts, arts education, and culture issues before you decide who to vote for this fall.
Take two minutes now to send a request to your candidates to complete this easy and quick online survey. They need to hear from you and others throughout Florida; so, please share this message, and encourage your colleagues, friends, and family to also take action now. Thank you so much for your advocacy efforts to help move the arts, arts education, and culture forward in our State.
Sherron Long
president, Florida Cultural Alliance
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Last year, about the time that Senate Bill 6 (SB-6) was looming, the school board cut budgets to a point that forced most elementary schools, and many upper grades to cut their Art, Music, Media, PE, and Guidance programs. HCE lost 50% of their Music, and more than 50% of their Art. Stirling lost Music & Media entirely and 50% PE.
I was scheduled to become a second grade teacher this year, when an opening for the String Magnet at Bethune opened up. This makes me one of the lucky music teachers who is still teaching music in Broward.
There IS data supporting Art & Music programs from the Florida Department of Education. Check out: http://www.flmusiced.org/dnn/A...fault.aspx
In the link above, you will see strong data demonstrating that involvement in Art & Music helps students in the academics. It's a shame that the politicians up in Tallahassee won't understand that.
SB-6-1 is in the works right now. It MUST be stopped or ALL music and art in Broward will be history. Be VERY CAREFUL who you VOTE FOR!!!
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These activities also increase the childrens' social skills and give them an opportunity to foster interpersonal relationships. It also helps boost confidence and self awareness.