Losing a Friend: Mike Kovins
As I can back in from my son's baseball practice there was a message on my answering machine. "Bob, it's Jim. I calling to see if you know anything about Mike. I just heard he died. Call me back." click. And just like that I learned that Mike Kovins, a person who has played an […]
Stanford Prez: Arts a Priority
Looks like we are going to need a bigger bandwagon! In his annual speech to the Academic Council last Thursday, President John Hennessy addressed the role of the arts at Stanford, including the goal of making the arts an integral component of the university's educational mission. This is not because of some warm and fuzzy […]
And the winner is….
Our good friends at Americans for the Arts (Thanks, John!) did a poll of their arts education network to see which blogs the community enjoyed visiting. We are humbled by the results that the Blog of Music for All was the Number 1 choice. This was followed by my personal favorite, Andrew Taylor’s The Artful […]
NJ Survey Hits the NY Times
As media coverage of our work has been building we welcome this new contribution courtesy of the New York Times. This is an excellent and thorough report on our work and what we hope to accomplish. An excerpt: AS fine arts supervisor for this large Ocean County school district, Kim Defibaugh is scrambling to complete […]
No Child Left Behind: 2001-2007 R.I.P.
Five years ago I wrote a somewhat controversial essay called The Perfect Storm where I predicted that the combination of proposed federal laws, now known as No Child Left Behind, and an eroding economy meant we would face the loss of programs in the coming years. I am not happy that I was right… Nor […]
Swimming Against the Tide
A great story about the music program in Lynn, MA and how the school district is bucking the "narrowing of the curriculum trend! What Lynn is getting is one of the most integrated performing and visual arts curriculums in the state. What Lynn is doing is swimming against the tide. According to a nationwide survey […]
MUSIC EDUCATION RESOLUTION PASSED BY U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Another arrow in our quiver to use to help advance the role of music in our schools Members of Congress voiced their support for school music today as the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Concurrent Resolution 355 that recognizes the benefits and importance of school-based music education. The Resolution was debated on the floor […]
Podcast and Media Coverage of our Announcement
We have posted a podcast of the press conference with Secretary of State Wells and Acting Commisioner of Education Davy regarding the launch of the New Jersey Visual and Performing Arts Education Survey. Great, passionate comments by all. Includes the Question and Answer session with the members of the media. To listen it go to: […]
SECRETARY OF STATE WELLS AND ACTING COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION DAVY ANNOUNCE STATEWIDE ARTS EDUCATION SURVEY
Trenton – New Jersey Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells and Acting Commissioner of Education Lucille E. Davy announced today the launch of a month-long online survey to evaluate the status of arts education in every public school in New Jersey. During the news conference held at the Mott Elementary School in Trenton, Secretary Wells […]
Gov. Huckabee on the Narrowing of the Curriculum: “It’s Stupid”
Our champion lends his voice to the national debate on NCLB. The end of the first paragraph is my favorite quote on this issue ever made by an elected leader! Schools Need the Arts Published: April 2, 2006 To the Editor: Re "Schools Cut Back Subjects to Push Reading and Math" (front page, March 26): […]
