The Huffington Post – Doug Israel
“After years of budget cuts, and a narrowing of curriculum at public schools across the country, urban school districts, such as New York and Chicago, are taking bold steps to expand the school day curriculum and once again invest in arts education…In announcing New York City’s new initiative, Mayor de Blasio spoke of the spark that the arts light in students, but importantly noted that, “The investments we are making here won’t just help our students explore music, dance and the arts. They will help these children grow in a way that helps them succeed in school and in life.” In fact, according to a 2012 report by the National Endowment for the Arts, students who have access to the arts also tend to have better academic results overall, better workforce opportunities, and more civic engagement. And these benefits are most pronounced for students of low socioeconomic status.”(more)