Houston Public Media – Laura Isensee
“In 2015, thousands more Houston students started to experience music, dance, theater and other fine arts at school, thanks to a partnership between the Houston Independent School District and the nonprofit Arts Access Initiative. Arts advocates and educators wanted to fill a gap. The year before, a survey of Houston middle and elementary schools revealed that about a third didn’t have a full-time art teacher. Many districts around the country have seen arts programs cut because of budget restraints and a greater focus on standardized testing. Douglas Torres-Edwards, who was then with the Houston school district, also wanted to integrate the arts into core academic subjects, like science and math.” (more)