Unfortunately, as schools become overcrowded many principals have to make tough decisions regarding allocation of space. In a growing number of schools, music rooms, dance and performance spaces and art studios have been divided, walled, and converted into academic classrooms. A recent survey of NYC principals revealed that 25% reported losing art, music, dance or drama spaces to general education classrooms. Extrapolated to the whole system, that’s close to 400 schools that have lost their art room!

In New York, the cultural capital of the world – renowned for its Broadway theaters and world class museums — public schools are failing to provide the infrastructure, and even instructional time, to provide students with a world class education in and through the arts. While easing overcrowding and providing adequate classroom space for public school students should be a top priority for the city, this should not be done by seizing and converting dedicated facilities necessary to support learning in the arts. Parents and decision-makers should urge the Department of Education to ensure that arts spaces in public schools are preserved and reclaimed where they’ve been lost and that children have access to a well-rounded education that includes the arts.

Doug Israel
Director of Research and Policy
The Center for Arts Education