Mr. Ken Busby

Living the Dream

Posted by Mr. Ken Busby, Jan 19, 2016 0 comments


Mr. Ken Busby

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” As we reflect on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week, I was reminded of this one of many, but not often cited, quotes by Dr. King.

Recently, the Arts Education Advisory Council of Americans for the Arts met for its midwinter meeting in Los Angeles. We spent much of our time discussing equity and the need for access to the arts for all students, pre-K through high school. We took a tour of the Colburn School, an outstanding music conservatory with numerous community engagement programs. The mission of the Colburn School is to admit students who have tremendous artistic promise and provide them with full tuition, including room and board, so that they can focus solely on their musical careers.

As we toured the school, we were aware of the commitment by the administration to provide the highest-quality learning environment possible–from dedicated faculty to a state-of-the-art facility. The school’s primary benefactor, Richard Colburn, had a dream and a vision for how to transform a community–through music, especially education.

As a nation, we are faced with the challenge of how to transform the larger community. As Congress just completed a comprehensive reform of No Child Left Behind–establishing the Every Student Succeeds Act–the arts finally have a prominent, recognized role in the development of a well-rounded, well-educated student. Funding this initiative now becomes the challenge.

With the price of oil below $30 a barrel and uncertainty in world markets, funding government operations becomes more and more difficult. Education is often on the chopping block, and arts education is usually at the head of that list.

However, making the case for education, and arts education in particular, is critical if we are to maintain a workforce with the necessary 21st Century skills. Employers consistently cite critical thinking and analytical skills as essential characteristics of the employees that they wish to hire. Nothing provides a better foundation for developing creative, analytical, critical thinkers than the arts.

Our charge is to spread this message to our local, state, and federal legislators. Research shows us that students who receive regular arts education instruction are four times more likely to stay in school and attend college, three times more likely to participate in a math or science fair, and four times more likely to volunteer in a community program. The arts make well-rounded individuals who are engaged in the world around them. What better citizen could we produce to ensure a positive future for our country?

As we begin 2016 in full campaign mode for the run to the Whitehouse, we need to stay focused on local and state politics which, at the end of the day, is the more critical when it comes to funding education initiatives and impacting our future workforce. Please visit http://www.artsactionfund.org/ and consider becoming a member so that you can receive regular updates about state and federal issues that impact arts and education. It’s free to join, and you will have access to tools and information to make you better informed about what’s happening in the legislative realm.

As you read the headlines in the news, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the challenges that we face as a nation. Remember the saying that “all politics is local.” Be engaged. Get to know your local and state legislators. Be familiar with local issues affecting arts education funding. Make your voice heard. As Dr. King noted, “You don't have to see the top of the staircase to take the first step.”

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