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Bruce Taylor

Arts education should focus on academics
January 09, 2013
By: Bruce Taylor

In the ongoing fermentation that represents CPS’ efforts at transformation, one ingredient ardently stirred into the mix is the role of the arts in public education.  As a catalyst for discussion and debate, I’d like to offer some thoughts and observations informed by 30-plus years of dealing with this issue.

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Arts education essential for city's future
April 09, 2012
By: Bruce Taylor

In the recent series of neighborhood cultural conversations convened as part of the Chicago Cultural Plan 2012, the theme of “Ensuring K-12 Arts Education” was a dominant topic of discussion. Yet, the majority of attendees expressed their consensus regarding the dismal record of Chicago Public Schools in this area by giving it an overall grade of “D” in terms of its support of the arts for Chicago’s students. In spite of assertions made that the extended school day would result in expanded time for the arts, in reality it appears that the reverse is projected for the next school year.

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Arts education: Teaching what technology cannot
September 18, 2011
By: Bruce Taylor

Recently, Paul Sznewajs and Nick Rabkin made an introductory case for restoring the arts into Chicago Public Schools. They noted that past research has shown the positive benefits of arts instruction, especially for low-income students. There is irony here in the word “past.” For, indeed, over the last several decades, reams of research has been produced to validate the role of the arts, while in the same span of time, which Sznewajs and Rabkin make note of, we have seen that very same role significantly diminished.

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Bruce Taylor
September 18, 2011
By: Bruce Taylor

Bruce Taylor

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