The "fine arts subjects" consist of music, theatre, dance, and the visual arts. For the past decade or so, during and post-recession especially, these subjects have been on the hot seat regarding their necessity and worth in a public school setting. Although the arts have proven to have an infinite number of benefits (one being improved academic performance), they are among the first programs to be cut when budgets get tight. This essay will outline, describe, and support the many benefits of arts education and explain why it's a crucial component of a well-rounded public school education. This research will also provide statistics, examples, and opposition to this main point. According to Tim Walker, author of "The Good and Bad News About Arts Education in U.S. Schools," 1.3 million elementary school students receive absolutely no arts education in school. This means that there are 1.3 million American elementary students who could be getting better grades, creating better friendships, going to better colleges, and living better lives if only they were involved in any branch of the fine arts. This essay will address this fact among many others, and explain why including arts education in public schools should be simply non-negotiable. 

To begin, this essay will discuss the scholarly benefits of participating in the arts, along with the impact that arts involvement has on common core classes such as math, science, English, etc. Although art is often thought of as a distraction from the "important school subjects," the majority of people don't know that art has been the driving force behind some of the world's most famous and influential individuals. Albert Einstein was a violinist and a concert pianist additionally to being a world-renowned physicist. He was an avid supporter of the arts, having said, "After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved, science and art tend to coalesce in esthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientists are always artists as well." This quote from Einstein means that a mathematician or scientist can only have so much technical knowledge on their subject or in their field before it's not enough. Sooner or later, a scientist will have to use creative methods to reach their goal, which is exactly the concept that the next, more modern, example embodied. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple computers, phones, iPods, etc., claimed that technology alone is simply not enough to succeed in business or in our increasingly technological world. He said, "It's technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that make our hearts sing." Much like Einstein's quote, Jobs is stating that ideas cannot be realized, technology cannot be created, and goals cannot be achieved if not for the arts. If a customer just wanted a computer, they could go out and buy any clunky old machine, but there's a reason why Apple sells more computers than Windows. When a customer buys an Apple computer, iPod, or phone, they aren't just paying for the device itself  --  they're also paying for the simple, slender design, the sleek metal exterior, and the aesthetically pleasing operating system that the device runs on. Steve Jobs found a way to use art to create a product that is visually appealing in order to make it sell better, and therefore increase business. 

Vice-versa, this principle also works with the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math), supporting the arts. Leonardo Da Vinci, the painter of the world famous Mona Lisa, was a practicing mathematician, using extremely advanced mathematical formulas to create the Mona Lisa. He made use of the idea of the "golden mean," which is essentially the mathematical formula for beauty. Using these formulas and equations, he created one of the most famous pieces of art the world has ever seen. The "golden mean" or "golden ratio" is a number found using advanced mathematical equations, and is represented by the Greek letter phi. This number represents a visual that looks like a large curve turning into a smaller spiral, and is used in the architecture of many ancient monuments, artifacts and landmarks such as the Great Pyramids and the Parthenon. Through his advanced knowledge of math, Da Vinci was able to apply this idea to his painting to create the appealing facial features of the Mona Lisa along with the ratio of the background, etc.

On a related note, Oceane Boulais' TED Talk sums up the idea of merging art and STEM subjects using the term "STEAM." She emphasizes the fact that the arts and STEM subjects simply cannot stand alone; they must go hand in hand. We can't let ourselves forget the "A" in "STEAM," because it has clearly proven to be the major supporting force behind the world's great inventors and influential figures. Letting the arts fall by the wayside in public schools deprives our future of the next generation's great minds, ideas, and advancements. 

This being said, it is obvious that not every child will be the next Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein, or Steve Jobs; however, the arts do have a positive impact on any students' everyday life, whether they realize it or not. Sara Neufeld, a reporter for the Hechinger Report, wrote an intriguing article titled "Do the Arts Go Hand in Hand with Common Core?" in which she goes in depth about a New York City school that has completely integrated the arts into their students' everyday lives. The Ascend Learning network has built seven unique, accessible charter schools in less fortunate neighborhoods in New York City. Each of these schools was designed to look like an art gallery, with high-quality replicas of famous paintings and sculptures lining the hallways. Among these famous works is Georgia O'Keeffe's "Brooklyn Bridge," Albert Bierstadt's "In the Mountains," Aaron Douglas' "Song of the Towers," and many more. 

Allowing children who live in crime and poverty-stricken areas access to such phenomenal works shows them that there's much more out there than they may be used to. Exposing them to some of the world's most successful artists promotes goal setting, provides inspiration, and surrounds the students with an atmosphere of success. All of these things along with being immersed in the arts all day helps at-risk kids stay clean, sober, and safe by providing alternative activities for them to participate in. This is just one of the many reasons why all schools need arts programs, and funding them is a small price to pay to keep young students safe. 

Additionally to music and visual art, theater and dance provide another creative medium for students. Patti Gillespie, author of "Cultural Literacy and Arts Education," argues for theater advocacy. Her article first explains that theater education was first realized to be an important component of a well-rounded education during the Renaissance era, because of its ability to teach virtue and vice. She argues that theater has great benefits through assisting the learning of languages and literature, promoting personal development and boosting memory capacity. A big step forward for theater arts occurred in 1915 when the first theater production course was formally recognized in a college setting. Following this, in 1920, theater was finally formally recognized as a college major. Since then, having worked in the theater world for decades, Patti Gillespie has observed the fact that theater is the most neglected of the fine arts programs. She claims that theater education programs are rarely the focus of attention and receive very little funding or other resources, even though theater programs are excellent teachers of other subjects like linguistics and grammar, many different skills, and ethical values. Funding for theater programs is necessary because it provides costumes, makeup, music or musicians for shows, lights, staff to run the lights, and so much more. It takes a village to put on a show, which is why Patti Gillespie is raising awareness and bringing attention to the fact that theater programs in school need just as much funding as music and art. Running a theater program in a school is a big undertaking, but like many other aspects of the arts, it's completely worth it to immerse students in the world of ethics and an infinite number of other cultures.

No matter how long this list of benefits may be, there are still countless school administrators who don't believe in, don't condone, and don't support these necessary programs. Carlos Abril and Brent Gault published the results of a large study in the Spring of 2008, in which they sent out a survey to 1,000 secondary school principals. They achieved a 54% response rate, and of the administrators who responded, 64% did not require participation in a music program. (Although music is only one branch of the fine arts subjects, it is one of the most studied in surveys such as these.) Through their study, Abril and Gault were able to identify that the difference in course offerings was due in most cases to differences in socioeconomic backgrounds  --  they found that poorer schools had fewer and lower quality arts programs. While this seems logical, it's a fact that needs to be reversed sooner rather than later. Children who attend schools in less fortunate districts are the students who need arts programs the most. 

What are some of the reasons why 64% of school districts don't require music? The arguments against arts education consist of factors such as resources, financial support, concern about the distraction from core subjects, or a lack of time in the school day. The recession in the years surrounding 2008 forced many schools to cut budgets and teachers' salaries, resulting in the loss of countless arts programs around the country. Arlee Bird, author of "Tossing it Out," reflects on his time taking arts classes in school. He refers to them as "goof-off classes," and explains that he believes they are superfluous. He claims that this is the reason why they are the first programs to be cut  --  because even the students don't particularly care about them. Many administrators, parents, and non-arts teachers see the STEM subjects and other fact-based classes as more important, making it easy for them to wave goodbye to the "whimsical and unnecessary" arts classes. 

Another major setback in the world of arts education surrounds one of America's largest and most important education acts  --  the No Child Left Behind act. Laura Chapman's article "Status of Elementary Art Education" goes in depth regarding this act and its failure to support the arts. "No Child Left Behind" is defined as, "an act to close the achievement gap with accountability, flexibility, and choice, so that no child is left behind." Sadly, this act does not hold up its end of the deal on all fronts. While No Child Left Behind encourages success, achievement, and high standards, it falls incredibly short when it comes to supporting music, art, theatre, and dance. Failing to support the arts with a lack of funding and policies without a doubt results in children left behind. While No Child Left Behind is incredibly focused on supporting students as much as possible in their academics, the act ignores the fact that performance in these subjects could be so greatly increased if all students had access to arts classes. Chapman claims that No Child Left Behind is an example of micromanaging schools by the federal government. No Child Left Behind expects standardized test scores to increase so greatly that by the year 2014 (this article was written in 2005), 95% to 100% of all students score "proficient or above" in three subjects. Chapman explains how this expectation puts teachers in a tough position when it comes to managing time in a school day. Every child is expected to score "proficient or above," which means dedicating lots of time to and putting lots of effort into core classes, but doing so makes it incredibly difficult to section off any time for the arts. 

This being said, finding time for arts classes amid a busy school day has been a challenge in many areas of the country, especially in places where their worth is not realized and they are not considered a priority. Additionally to allocating sufficient class time, the question of implementing a "fine arts requirement" is raised. If a school has located the many resources and financial assistance needed and has managed to find the time in a school day, should students be "forced" to take arts classes? Wayland High School in Wayland, Massachusetts has recently put a fine arts requirement in place. The policy states that by the time they graduate, students are required to have taken at least one fine arts class. Sarah Mitty and Caroline Mellen, students at WHS at the time, claim that the requirement "seems highly unnecessary." They argue that the fine arts requirement forces kids who have no interest in the fine arts to suffer through an art, theater, or music class  --  and that they bring other students down with their unenthusiastic attitudes toward the subject. While it is a valid point, this argument fails to reference the academic, mental, and creative benefits that fine arts classes have on students. The article suggests that schools should ignore the fine arts subjects out of fear of a few students with bad attitudes, when the reality is that participating in an art form can free the mind, body, and spirit, altering one's attitude altogether. Granted it requires an open mind, which may be difficult for those with little prior experience in the arts, but the benefits of a fine arts requirement clearly outweigh the downfalls. Additionally to concrete benefits, participating in a fine arts subject in high school can open up new possibilities and uncover new interests for students. While they might not have elected to take Chorus or Intro to Art on their own, being required to enroll in one of these classes can help a student discover a passion for something they never knew they loved.

To conclude, it is imperative that the arts be included in every child's upbringing and education. Public schools provide the perfect environment and opportunity to include students who may not have access to outside arts programs, and schools possess the power to introduce a student to a new life passion or career through implementing fine arts requirements. There is more work to be done and more progress to be made regarding policies such as No Child Left Behind, but every step made no matter how small is a step in the right direction. The arts are capable of improving grades, helping students stay safe, and they're even capable of helping a child find him or herself through self-expression. We experience art every single day  --  through T.V. commercial jingles, architecture, elevator music, our favorite T.V. shows, and so much more. Depriving students of arts classes in schools robs future generations of the next great creative minds, however; even if they don't become their generation's "next big thing," the arts support students in their everyday classes, showing them that they can (at the very least) make a difference in their life, their family, and their community. 

