I served on the LSRT at a school that goes to Fillmore and I can tell you it's all about the budget.

Fillmore started in the 1970's when there were six elementary schools in Burlieth/Foxhall/Palisades -- Fillmore, Hyde, Hardy, Mann, Stoddert and Key. They were all in buildings that were built in the 1930's, which were very small with no library or gym and no space for art or music. As hard as it seems to believe in this era of school crowding and trailers, they were all under-enrolled, in the early 1970's Key was down to around 40 students. They weren't really viable as schools, but the parents resisted closing them. So they came up with a plan where four elementary schools would stay open. Hardy became a middle school for those four schools (not the current Hardy on Wisconsin, but the old Hardy on Foxhall). And Fillmore became the resource school for all of them. At each school, kids would go to Fillmore one day a week and get all of their specials: they'd get art and music at Fillmore, then go across the street to the Georgetown Library for library, then up the street to the Jelleff Boys and Girls Club for PE.

Fast forward 40 years, and the schools now all have libraries and gyms. But Fillmore endures, and the reason it endures is budgetary. DCPS requires art and music as mandatory components of a school budget. What the schools pay Fillmore is less than what it costs to have their own art and music teachers on staff. Through a historical quirk, Fillmore continues to pay a portion of the salary of PE teachers, even though the schools have their own gyms now. Again, what Fillmore charges the schools is less than what it would cost them directly.

In today's DCPS, schools are required to have art, music and PE, but what principals are evaluated on is test scores. Fillmore allows principals to check the art/music box at minimal cost. Quality doesn't matter to principals because it doesn't matter to DCPS.

I am a teacher at a NW elementary. I will add that while I had high hopes for what Fillmore might add to my students educational experience, they are falling short. It's a bit hard to watch all my K students get ready for the bus on "Fillmore day." Most seem bored by the prospect and drag their heels, and a few outright complain every week. It's also no secret among the faculty at my school that the Fillmore program is not working. I hope that DCPS can turn this situation around.

My now 7th grader hated Fillmore. It's a waste of time. An Art teacher can just come to the Home School and bring their supplies etc.

But there aren't that many teachers at Fillmore, so if PP says "some" haven't been great then what's the average of getting a good one?

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!

My child really enjoys her Fillmore time, especially dance and music.
I don't think our small DCPS would have the space for musical instruments and dance, so I'm happy to see this program continue.

Anonymous wrote:Fillmore SUCKS. My son (in K) came home with a drawing of a house he had done at Fillmore. That's it: a house. I asked him if he ever paints at Fillmore and he said no. In fact going to Fillmore is the ONLY thing he ever complains about.

My Pre K son paints at Fillmore. I also think complaining about the product is not so fair, he may have put a lot of thought and artistic process into his house.

Kids all hate the bus trip I think, so do the teachers, but really, if that is the worse thing in their lives, their lives are pretty good.

Anonymous wrote:Fillmore SUCKS. My son (in K) came home with a drawing of a house he had done at Fillmore. That's it: a house. I asked him if he ever paints at Fillmore and he said no. In fact going to Fillmore is the ONLY thing he ever complains about.

So funny, this sounds like my son. I think they, Fillmore, could save some time and $ by not have Pre-K and K Kids do the bus trip for coloring in, cutting out, sticking things together. This is obvious basic class room stuff their teacher is probably better off having. Pottery, photography, dance, drama, fashion design, all these I think are really important for kids to explore, well it was a very important part of my schooling, and without Fillmore how do older grade children get this in their education without Fillmore?

This thread should have been titled "For the sake of our children, please close Fillmore's doors."

Anonymous wrote:\ Plus, I don't like that my child has to board a bus and spent valuable instruction time lining up, leaving the school, boarding a bus and commuting to Fillmore...and then doing the whole thing in reverse. It seems wasteful and chaotic. I'd much rather see arts education IN the school.

+10000

My child complains every day on Fillmore day. I visited the open house and was not impressed at all, frankly. I would much prefer in-house arts.

Fillmore SUCKS. My son (in K) came home with a drawing of a house he had done at Fillmore. That's it: a house. I asked him if he ever paints at Fillmore and he said no. In fact going to Fillmore is the ONLY thing he ever complains about.

No way. You don't even know how much Filmore costs or how much it would cost to have a "roving" artist come to the schools (as opposed to sending huge school buses to Filmore all the time). I'm not sold on some "Filmore or nothing narritive.
These are elementary school kids. They aren't doing giant installations at MoMa, they need art supplies (which could be easily transported in a car or small van between the school). Hell, outsource it to an enterprising young artist for a fraction of the price. Do anything cheaper and more creative.

DC, PK enjoys Fillmore well enough and we are happy that he has some arts education every week. Instruction at school would be an alternative but space and equipment would be limitations. On balance we would like to see dcps keep the Fillmore program.

I've never been impressed with Filmore and know of parents at my school who refuse to send their kids. Lots of parents have voiced complaints for a loooong time. I've often wondered (and have heard suggestions) that there is a financial benefit to the schools who participate with Filmore. Not sure but something having to do with reduced school budget impact with regard to phys ed or something like that. An incentive system of sorts.
Not surprised there could be 700 signatures on a petition. Think about it, a mom puts a paper in front of you and says, sign this if you want arts education for your kid. You sign it. Much harder to be the parent raising complaints against the interest of the school.