Strong Arts, Strong Schools: The Promising Potential and Shortsighted Disregard of the Arts in American Schooling [Paperback]

Charles Fowler (Author)

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Product Details

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; New edition edition (July 15 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0195148339
ISBN-13: 978-0195148336
Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 16.2 x 1.8 cm
Shipping Weight: 272 g

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,147,852 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

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Education, like so many other aspects of our society, is defined more and more narrowly in terms of economics. As school budgets are slashed, arts programs are all too often judged expendable, as though creative writing, music, the visual arts, media, dance, and theater are somehow frivolous or, worse, suspect or decadent. Fowler, a music educator and arts activist, explains--explicitly, forcefully, and convincingly--why the arts are, in fact, crucial not only to education but to the health of society as a whole. The arts help us understand our experiences; they teach compassion and empathy and inspire creative and critical thinking. Fowler provides numerous examples that substantiate these claims, then reminds us of all the students that public schools fail. It is often the case that arts classes offer children the only form of education they can relate to, the only conduit to their private lives, dreams, and aspirations. And if this sounds too idealistic, Fowler also presents evidence of the economic importance of the arts, to both schools and American culture. Donna Seaman --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Mr. Fowler's opus, Strong Arts, Strong Schools, is an erudite and passionate testimonial from a man who made service to arts education his life's work. His words and wisdom inspire us to continue the fight to insure that every child has access to world class instruction in the arts."--Michael Greene, President and CEO, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc.

"A compelling case for arts education for every child, Strong Arts, Strong Schools should awaken the business world as well as educators. Charles Fowler reflects on the startling consequences of American education devoid of the arts and presents a realistic reform. This inspiring book encapsulates his impassioned commitment to the arts and to the quality of human life. His legacy to us is a call to action."--Dorothy A. Straub, MENC Past President

"Fowler is a superb writer and a convincing one. He is one of the best in the field. The readership of this book will be the zillions of individuals who have worked so hard in recent years to insure that the arts are basic, that arts instruction be evaluated, and that the arts become more visible."--Richard Colwell, New England Conservatory of Music

"Charles Fowler's style is readable and interesting, and I particularly like his use of vignettes from real school situations. Fowler convincingly lays out the argument for the need and benefits of strong arts education."--June Hinckley, Arts Education Specialist, Florida Department of Education

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
The arts have enormous educational potential, presenting a multitude of learning and teaching opportunities. Read the first page

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Handbook for War, Jun 12 2004

Lori "Lori" (wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strong Arts, Strong Schools: The Promising Potential and Shortsighted Disregard of the Arts in American Schooling (Paperback)

The No Child Left Behind Act lists the arts as a core subject, but many school districts are cutting arts programs in an effort to deal with dwindling budgets and curricular time that is increasingly being devoted to math and reading-the subjects school districts must begin assessing yearly in grades 3-8 beginning in 2005-2006.
Charles Fowler has written an excellent book to combat this
trend. He organizes the book into four parts: Conditions, Justification, Curriculum and Reform. His concise chapters deal with expected issues- the arts as forms of intelligence;and the noted correlation with academic achievement, including detailed charts of SAT scores that show strong evidence that students involved in arts are academically stronger than those not involved. However he goes a step beyond, showing educators examples of schools that integrate the arts in all subjects and the effect this has on attendance, attitude, parent involvement and achievement.
He calls on music educators to step out of the traditional box of band, orchestra and choir, which typically
enroll about 15-20% of a school population, and reach out to all students in a school through cross-curricular and culturally based lessons. He challenges arts educators to include creativity in their daily lessons, rather than just teach towards performance. With many districts getting on the vocational education band wagon, he lists the many opportunities for employment in the arts and the economic impact
of the arts in our whole society. This book is invaluable for any arts educator or administrator that finds themselves in a position of defending or promoting their work in the public schools.

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Amazon.com: 5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ideas for rescue the arts, Oct 12 2005

By Edilberto Torres Santos - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Strong Arts, Strong Schools: The Promising Potential and Shortsighted Disregard of the Arts in American Schooling (Paperback)

The best from this book is the idea to let the industry people to understand the importance of the arts for the job scenario. Mr. Fowler is very focused and well centered in his proposal. As an educator-artist, I have been talking about the same idea but few understand the point; the idea of pushing the arts and it's uniqueness to the academic structure can be a self destructive idea. Let's open our minds and put the effort where it's neccessary. Just read and follow the instructions!

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