Reply to Help keep quality arts education alive at Fillmore

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[quote=Anonymous]We have two children who have had terrific experiences at Fillmore. One has gotten really into theater and his Fillmore theater class has gotten to perform Shakespeare on stage at the Folger Theater during each of the past two years. The other discovered ceramics and digital arts at Fillmore and is really into both.

This is the value of Fillmore: the kids are exposed to a far greater variety of arts than they ever would get a chance to try with a single on-site art teacher at their school. Fillmore has a lab for digital arts, a black box theater, dance and ceramics studios and all sorts of other facilities that no single elementary school can provide. If my school goes back to having one, on-site art teacher (as it used to), it means my kids are going to see that teacher about once a week in their own classrooms. No kilns for ceramics. No musical instruments to try playing in a band. No computer lab for digital arts.

Our school is budgeted 1.5 positions for art -- and my understanding is that the school gives up that funding to participate in Fillmore. The alternative is one and a half teachers handling 350 kids for art each week. And that translates into a teacher moving from room to room, giving the kids little art projects they can complete in a single class. Is Fillmore perfect? No, we've had  some teachers who weren't great. But it's a lot better than the alternative, and it sounds like it would be even better if DCPS wasn't starving the program for money. Everyone who cares about a really full, diverse arts education should sign the petition!
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