wsma board perspective The Three “Rs” Are Dead!
Long Live the Three “As”! Robert Hanson, WSMA Board Member
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Since 1852, when Massachusetts passed the first compulsory attendance law, the emphasis has been on teaching our children the basics – the three Rs: ‘readin’, ‘ritin’ and ‘rithmetic. This phrase was absolutely right for that time in our his- tory. By 1919, when every state required students to complete elementary school, the benefits to society of creating liter- ate citizens who could move our country toward economic modernization were widely recognized. With the staggeringly high rate of illiteracy at that time, it was critically important to teach the basics of ‘readin’, ‘ritin’ and ‘rithmetic. That beautifully succinct phrase still summa- rizes the essential beginning of a quality education.
While teaching the basics remains essential, it is no longer enough. We have become a more literate nation, a dramati- cally more complex nation and a nation integrally connected to the rest of the world. We have also come to believe that the purpose of a complete education focus- es on the needs of the individual student as well as on the needs of our society.
I suggest we begin a revolution designed to change attitudes regarding public edu- cation. The new standard must become the “Three As”: academics, arts and athletics. Frequently, these three areas are pitted against one another in the competition for scarce resources. Too often, school boards have determined that the arts have
less value than academics or athletics. Others have concluded that arts are more important than athletics. In my proposed system, each of the As is an equally valu- able leg of the three-legged stool called a complete education.
From a personal perspective built upon over 40 years of public school administra- tive experience, I have observed struggle after struggle to keep quality in education systems while resources dwindle. It is time to give decision-makers a clear framework for such dilemmas. The three As must all be retained. As no one could eliminate one of the three Rs, neither can they eliminate one of the three As.
With the exponential growth of knowledge and technology, few will disagree with the inclusion of academics. The very essence of basic academics will continually need to be redefined.
Even during the great depression of the 1930s the essential nature of the arts in nurturing the human spirit was recog- nized. Over 5,000 artists who created 225,000 works of art were supported by programs like the Federal Art Project. The Federal Music Project promoted the works of many musicians including Aaron Copland, Roy Harris and Virgil Thomson. Music of the 30s brought flocks of young people to hear and dance to the music of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. During the worst economic disaster our country ever faced, the arts were critically important in the lives of our citizens. The Star Spangled Banner was made our national anthem in 1931! Music itself was a unifying force in the face of extreme adversity.
We know that with exposure to the arts life is richer, more colorful and happier. Research has shown that the study of music is related to improved learning
8 September 2010
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