Every child should have high-quality arts education
The numbers say it all. Across all grade levels, Texas students who are highly engaged in the arts attend school more regularly, are twice as likely to earn exceptional scores on standardized tests, 19 percent more likely to graduate high school, 20 percent more likely to attend college, and 42 percent more likely to attend a four-year institution than those who complete only the minimum requirement. And as the associate director of education and community engagement at the Houston Ballet, I witness every day, year after year, how a diverse and comprehensive arts education provides the bedrock for a child’s success. Yet, in our public schools, when cuts need to be made, arts funding is the first thing to go.
I’m a product of HISD, and my first true love, besides dance, was the violin. Because my father was the first assistant principal of the High School for the Performing Arts, he picked a public school for me that had music classes and was near the ballet. I was fortunate in that I had access to an arts education that is noticeably absent at many of the area high schools I’ve since visited as a guest speaker. These schools often have a “cafegymatorium,” a place with a stage and a basketball court where students eat lunch. Visual arts classes with specially trained teachers, music lessons and dance are rarely offered.
The emphasis in the Texas public school system is instead, at least for now, on testing. Teachers and parents often pull students out of existing classes to receive tutoring in or to study for standardized tests. Given recent data, this makes little sense.
The Texas Cultural Trust, a statewide nonprofit that gathers leading researchers to quantify the social, educational and economic impact of
the arts in our state, recently published its biennial State of the Arts Report. As a board member of the trust, I can report that the findings reveal not only a direct correlation between a child’s access to the arts and his or her academic outcomes and achievements, but also the extent to which an arts curriculum aids in the development of core competencies and interpersonal skills. These include creativity, innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and collaboration — all of which better prepare Texas students for the 21st century workforce and enhance the likelihood of career success.
The Houston Ballet and the Texas Cultural Trust attempt to share this data with as many people as possible, particularly the principals of schools in underserved communities with no or limited arts curriculum. It gets their attention.
The same data has also gotten the attention of the Legislature, which is currently reviewing House Bill 323, requiring fine arts as part of the foundational curriculum for public schools, and HB 3829, which would provide much needed financial support for arts courses. And HISD is working toward having art teachers in every single school, but they’re not there yet.
As is also reflected in the State of the Arts Report, there are significant disparities in arts access across the state. Suburban and low-poverty students have far greater access and offerings in their schools than rural and high-poverty students living in high-risk neighborhoods. Yet, for some children, arts access could be lifesaving.
During the last legislative session, a teacher from Yates High in Houston’s underserved Third Ward made this point when testifying on behalf of the performance arts program she led at her school that was at risk of losing its funding. She said, “This is a matter of life and death for my kids. My kids are literally dodging bullets. This program gives them a safe place to go, where they get to be actors and actresses. They’ve found something that not only inspires them but also provides college scholarship opportunities.” It was extremely impactful.
I’ve personally seen the arts transform young lives through the Houston Ballet Center for Dance’s program Chance to Dance, which gives economically disadvantaged children the opportunity to study ballet. One of our students, someone who’d never imagined a career in dance was possible, was recently accepted into the Houston Ballet’s junior company.
But we’re not just trying to create dancers or visual artists, actors or musicians. We’re trying to create better communities. Every child should have high-quality arts education. It is their educational right, not a privilege. The short- and longterm benefits say it all. Again, just look at the numbers.
Lauren Anderson, a former principal dancer at Houston Ballet, was among the first African American ballerinas at the head of a major ballet company. She now works with Houston Ballet's Education and Community Engagement Department and serves on the board of the Texas Cultural Trust.