Vote Medford 2007

Full Text: (Q6) Arts Education: Funding, Staffing, Quality, Diversity

If asked, most people running for office would state that students should be exposed to the arts as part of a well-rounded education. Is art education in Medford sufficiently funded and staffed? What would you do to improve its quality and diversity across the school system, and how would you do it? Please be specific.

Attenazio: (Q6) Arts Education: Funding, Staffing, Quality, Diversity

The school could use more funding and they need teachers to teach this. However, there is a need to expand, but at the same time, there’s not enough time during the day given math, English, science, so the the schools have been trying to supplement this by adding field trips, after school programs, etc. From my understanding, the resources from 2002 have not caught up with state aid.

Brady: (Q6) Arts Education: Funding, Staffing, Quality, Diversity

Medford has not reduced its commitment to the arts despite tight resources. It would be nice to do more if resources were available and there was more time in the school day. NCLB has forced schools to concentrate resources on core academic subjects. Medford has done so but has not eliminated the arts. Expansion is more problematic. We certainly can encourage more exposure to the arts by working with area artists,schedule special field trips to performing arts programs and museums and by emphasizing the arts in an interdisciplinary manner .We have great new facilities for the arts in our new buildings and we want to use them to the fullest extent possible.

Cugno: (Q6) Arts Education: Funding, Staffing, Quality, Diversity

First, I would like to state that I do believe in a well rounded student. With four children of my own I could honestly say that education and sports are important to them but they have also been very fortunate to incorporate the arts in their lives. Though we would like to staff and fund more, we have been very lucky in the sense that we have not cut any of our arts programs and have been able to still provide art, music, and drama. Unfortunately, that is something some of our nearby communities have not been able to state. A way that I have seen diversity across the school system is seeing some of the schools take the initiative by putting on their own plays, musicals, and talent shows. It is a great way for the students to come together. Whether they participate on stage or behind the scenes, it is a pleasure to see students work on a project that under normal circumstances you would not see. Another positive is the partnership we have with Tuft’s University. Their generosity the last few years is providing our elementary schools with field trips for our students so they may attend their orchestra production. One aspect that made my decision in sending my first son to Medford High School was how the sports program does support our arts. With that said I am in the process in working with the athletic department, arts department and headmaster in bringing both departments even closer.

D'aveta: (Q6) Arts Education: Funding, Staffing, Quality, Diversity

Art funding is a perennial topic of debate and I, for one, believe that we cannot expose our students to too much art, just as we cannot expose them to too much in the area of mathematics or ELA. However, there seems to be a gap in how art is taught across the different schools and to the extent that it does not impinge on the stated mission of a particular school (and it should not, in practice) it should be fairly applied across the district and the curriculum.

DiGiantommaso: (Q6) Arts Education: Funding, Staffing, Quality, Diversity

I have always strongly supported the Arts Programs. I believe that students who enroll in Art and Music programs attain higher academic scores and are less likely to drop out of school.

Kulik: (Q6) Arts Education: Funding, Staffing, Quality, Diversity

Currently the arts programs in Medford are not sufficiently funded or administered. I give credit to the current staff for doing as much as we can with what we have. Still, we need better funding of art supplies, more frequent music classes, including full instrument instruction, not just violin, in grades 4 & 5. We should explore elementary bands and chorus at individual schools. We also must make sure that students have time in their schedules to participate in these activities.

We should explore linkage to Berklee or Longy music schools and to metropolitan programs like Handel & Hayden Kids Chorus, The Revels, and Springstep so that students can attend programs there, or performers can come here.

Similarly we should like to metropolitan art colleges and area museums which could bring programs to the schools. We could also tap members of Medford artist community to teach kids in seminars or after school classes.

O'Keefe: (Q6) Arts Education: Funding, Staffing, Quality, Diversity

Arts is an important element in the drive for further education. As a school committee person, I would support community initiatives and work with the school district to explore opportunies by thinking outside the box. I would propose researching what other communities are doing in this venue. Many members in this community have proposed solid ideas that should be reviewed and evaluated. I will do whatever it takes to see every child develops to their fullest potential. To determine if art education is properly funded, it would be important to interact with those that believe it is not and find how they can begin to expand those options and identify what programs are available both locally, statewide, and federally. Diversity is an ongoing topic and various programs have been presented to the schools and community that have been both rewarding and positive. With diversity: awareness, education, and communication must continue with appropriate speakers both from Medford and outside Medford to cultivate the expression of these issues. There is so much happening in Medford schools. As a School Committee member, we need to explore ways to centralize and maximize the messages to the public at large. Various organizations from churches, clubs, civic groups, parent volunteers, and schools provide an abundance of activities. The Medford Family Network is growing and has proven to be an excellent source and model for other communities. We need to continue to build on what is working with short term and long term goals for various areas both in school and outside school while canning the message cost effectively so that all can view and have the opportunity to be engaged.

Pompeo: (Q6) Arts Education: Funding, Staffing, Quality, Diversity

Art education in Medford, acknowledging budgetary limits, is sufficiently funded and staffed. Improving its quality and diversity would require additional staffing and funding.

Skerry: (Q6) Arts Education: Funding, Staffing, Quality, Diversity

Medford has not cut Art Education despite severe budget constraints.

Further, the requirement of MCAS and NCLB have made it imperative that we schedule sufficient time in each of the core academic subjects.

There is no extra funding to expand the regular school day in a reasonable fashion at this time. However, we can expand after school arts education opportunities to students at a reasonable cost.

Our new schools have provided us with excellent facilities and equipment to encourage the arts. We employ a very good art/music faculty.

Here are some short-term ways to expand art/music opportunities in our schools:

• Increase the number of after school activities in the arts
• Bring in artists in residence to share their skills and experience with students
• Schedule some extra filled trips to performing arts presentations and/or to museums, etc.
• Collaborate with organizations like Springstep and the local arts council
• Sponsor a limited number of scholarships for specialized lesions to identified gifted artist
• Integrate artwork (interdisciplinary) into projects assigned by the core academic teachers