Get Schooled

By jennifer

October 19, 2005 11:54 AM | Link to this

Yes, field trips are absolutely necessary. Especially for children who do not live in Atlanta who will most likely not be able to visit the Center of Puppetry Arts, The Atlanta Ballet, The Symphony, Botanical Gardens, the Fox Theater, etc. These are important resources for children and I believe that children need this type of exposure in order to broaden their minds.

Before moving to Atlanta the only option my children had as a field trip was the local public library. Year after year they went until the schools put a stop to it. It was ridiculous. Now I am lucky enough to live in Atlanta where there is a lot of culture and my children have flourished since moving here. They love the things Atlanta has to offer.

It makes me sad to think other children will not have the privilege of going on field trips.

I think it best the admistration rethink their plan of action and allow children to attend such wonderful places.

I think we have taken more than enough away from education. Let’s not take away more.

By dgr

October 19, 2005 12:13 PM | Link to this

Yes, children need field trips! You will be amazed at the absolute joy you will give some children who might not have the opportunity. Currently, I’m organizing a field trip for my students to the theater - some of my students have never been to Atlanta?! (I teach in Rockdale) That is truly amazing to me. It is nice to expose the children to the outside classroom! As far as money is concerned, you will be amazed at what child pays for field trips, usually my students who are considered “poor” pay the voluntary fee associated with it, it is my students whose parents drive the Benz and the trucks that do not feel they have to contribute the field trip, I had one parent tell me that they should not have to pay!

By Amy

October 19, 2005 12:21 PM | Link to this

As a homeschool mother, I consider field trips to be essential. I think it’s sad that public school kids are missing out on some of these great opportunities. Some venues can come to the schools but it is not the same as going off-campus. Going to a museum or play offers kids the chance to learn in a new environment, enjoy a new experience and learn how to behave in a non-school setting. It is definitely more exciting to kids to go out to a museum than have a traveling exhibit come to their school.
That said, I do think it’s a good idea for venues to look at other ways to reach these kids. If the schools aren’t going to come to them, then taking the play/exhibit to the kids at least gets them exposed in some small way.
I think venues should also consider their pricing, if they are having problems filling up. Is it better to cancel a performance or sell the tickets at a reduced rate?

By oldteacher

October 19, 2005 12:31 PM | Link to this

One of the problems with some field trips is that the school system cannot get the parents to help pay for the trip. If the school offers it, everyone has to be allowed to go, so the school ends up picking up the tab not only for the gas but for the tickets of those who cannot pay. If the teachers plan lessons around the subject of the event, that helps to justify any trip.

Do I think field trips should be dumped? It depends on the field trip.

By Jake

October 19, 2005 12:56 PM | Link to this

Once again the schools are taking on more responsibility for the parents that can’t or won’t. How and when did it become the school’s job to expose kids to the Symphony or the Fox? The only field trip I really thought was a good idea was a three day trip to St. Simons, Jekyll and Cumberland for the Venture students. Nice to see the best and brightest rewarded for once. As for the rest, school resources (time and money) should be directed to improving Johnny’s CRCT scores, not taking him to the Lion King.

By oldteacher

October 19, 2005 01:16 PM | Link to this

Thank you, Jake. You have made my day.

By Ken

October 19, 2005 01:21 PM | Link to this

I grew up in rural / small town Georgia in the fifties and sixties. The only school field trip I ever went on was to see the cotton field behind the school. However, my parents went to great lengths to take me to the nearest city for cultural events, music and art classes, and to use a good library. A lot of the kids who did not have those advantages have spent their lives working in carpet mills, etc., while I have enjoyed the advantages of education and a professional career. Certainly there are many more factors than exposure to things not available in the local school, but I do think it is important to make sure that even kids from deprived backgrounds have broader cultural exposure.

By RF

October 19, 2005 01:35 PM | Link to this

I grew up in a rural area south of Atlanta, and our school took us to see the symphony in our upper elementary years. My parents also tried to expose us to culture. I think the schools should at least try to offer kids experiences that they might not otherwise have. But, with the price of field trips and the unwillingness of many parents to pay, it’s almost impossible for schools to be expected to foot the bill. If people pay, then surely the kids benefit from educational field trips. No, we shouldn’t take them to see “The Lion King”, but I know that most kids will never go to the symphony or have any idea how to behave in a cultural event unless we show them. I teach in a poor school, and we took our kids to see a play in Atlanta. It was a wonderful experience, and an awesome opportunity to expose our deprived kids to something more than their lifestyles generally afford them. They learned a lot about how to behave in that setting, and I firmly believe are better for the experience.

By Marney

October 19, 2005 02:23 PM | Link to this

We have slowly been striping from school everything that keeps kids engaged and curious. Field trips, recess, talking with friends at lunch time, discussion instead of “drill” in class. Is it any wonder why they are defiant and disengaged by middle school?

By jakesdad

October 19, 2005 02:29 PM | Link to this

this probably won’t come as a big surprise to anyone who’s read many of my posts but I tend to support field trips that are tied to “hard” subjects (history, science, civics, etc.) more so than arts. we went to some performances too but the ones I remember most are:

make the trips relevant to things kids actually NEED to know about.

By SWC

October 19, 2005 03:01 PM | Link to this

Jake - Do you mean to tell me that you never went on a field trip as a child? Were you cooped up in a classroom all day? Why can’t our children continue with the same traditions that our generation benefited from?

Last year only the “PC” students got to go on a field trip. Is that fair? My kid got straight A’s (in advanced subjects) which was better than a lot of the “PC” kids got. The rest of the school got the Science museum visiting the school for their “field trip”.

The lack of emphasis on culture, or any out-of-the-classroom learning in Georgia public schools is misguided at best, and the route to ignorance at worst.

I’m really getting tired of hearing that schools should be veritable bootcamps. That was NOT how I, my parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents were educated (and educated they were).

One other point - as a Northerner, I find that Southern kids are TOO afraid of “authority”. I find it very difficult to have a conversation with my sons Southern friends because they are so afraid to talk, all they can do is say, “Yes M’am and No M’am”. His “Northern” friends are FAR more articulate and a joy to be with. Good manners is one thing (and I’m a stickler for good manners), but scaring the heck out of kids is another! A U of West Georgia professor told me just yesterday that her students were “afraid” to express opinions about things. I agree and I think I know why (in part)!

By CR

October 19, 2005 03:11 PM | Link to this

SWC, who are the “PC” students you refer to? Is that a special program at your school?

By Jake

October 19, 2005 03:14 PM | Link to this

Marney - What do you want, development of critical thinking skills? Public schools haven’t been in that business for a long time. Enlightenment and exposure to culture are good things, but I really don’t want my tax dollars used to take Jamal to the opera when he can’t read at grade level. I like jakesdad experiences, like the one I related, of field trips as rewards for academic achievement. And RF, if they’re never going to go to the symphony otherwise, then they don’t have to know how to behave there. Even if they do, shouldn’t their parents teach them how to behave?

By Amazed (Independent Woman)

October 19, 2005 03:18 PM | Link to this

SWC - what is a PC Student? I

By A Boy's Mom

October 19, 2005 03:24 PM | Link to this

This may be a little off topic, but how come weverything has to do with poor families and welfare families. The responsibility of the school is to help educate children to become future leaders, business owners and responsible citizens in the community. I don’t see where the school is responsible for taking the poor kids to the symphony. They generally don’t know how to behave because they have never been in the situation. I think a field trip to the zoo, is good because they get to see animals that they possibly read about in their science books.

In school assemblies, in house field trips seem like a better use of county money and gas. My son has complained that they haven’t gone to Fernbank as much as they used to, but guess what, I’ll take him. I think parents have to be accountable for taking their kids to the symphony or braves games or the center for puppetry arts…

By SWC

October 19, 2005 03:30 PM | Link to this

Marney: EXACTLY!! CR: “P.C.” stand for “Program Challenge” i.e. “gifted”.

ALL: Here is a wonderful quote I found this morning from the eponomously titled artbook, “Georgia O’Keefe” where she describes life at The Chatham Episcopal Institute in Virginia:

“Every day during those two years the students took and afternoon walk in a line headed by a teacher out across thi hills and woods. I loved the mountains - calling - as the distance has always been calling me…Those walks over the Virginia hills and through the woods were the best things that happened to me in those years - because I never did like school”.

Georgia O’Keefe - painter and writer! How did she ever manage to survive without being forced to follow the modern Georgia method?

BTW, I started reading this book because my 6th grader is FINALLY taking a real art course (“visual arts) at school where he was shown a film about Georgia O’Keefe. Up until now his Georgia school-sponsored arts education has been “Mr. Rogers” songs for “Music” class and pre-school level art “projects”.

P.S. Jakes-Dad: I say give the kids exposure to the arts! A coal plant? And the point is? And this inspired who? Not all kids are scholars, or future plumbers - we can’t ignore those who might be artists too.

By Robert

October 19, 2005 03:45 PM | Link to this

Some field trips are worthwhile and some field trips are a waste of time and money. In these times, it is more and more important for administrators to grant permission to the worthwhile ones and deny permission to the wasteful ones.

By Amazed (Independent Woman)

October 19, 2005 03:56 PM | Link to this

A Boy’s Mom - middle class and wealthy kids do not behave any better in public, than poor or welfare children.

I was at Bloomingdales on Saturday, when a well dressed lady was embarrassed by her two well dressed children. The little boy told her that when he arrived home “I’m going to tell my dad”, because she wouldn’t allow him to play hide and seek in the store. He has really good vocal range and will one day be a long distance runner.

By A Boy's Mom

October 19, 2005 04:08 PM | Link to this

Amazed, I wasn’t trying to insinuate that poor or welfare children were bad, I was just saying that they don’t know how to behave in that setting… I feel sorry for that woman, but two quick pops on his little legs would have certainly slowed him down.

By Jake

October 19, 2005 04:12 PM | Link to this

SWC - I went on field trips to the Cleveland symphony, art and health museums, among others, from my inner city public school. I also took field trips to plays in Maine and Cambridge during my summer school session at Phillip’s Exeter. So what? Your most interesting comment was, “Is that fair?” This is not a socialistic society where deprived 80 IQ Roberto is entitled to the same experiences as wealthy 140 IQ LaQuinta. School should be preparing all students for life based on their abilities, needs and reasonable expectations. The symphony is grand, but I don’t think we should take Roberto when he doesn’t even read very well. While LaQuinta goes to the symphony with her peers, Roberto and his should be learning to write well enough to fill out a job application so they can become a productive members of society. Taking Roberto to the symphony just gives him unrealistic expectations and, by paying for the experience for him, reinforces his belief in the entitlement society.

By SWC

October 19, 2005 04:19 PM | Link to this

A Boys Mom: Field trips have NOTHING to do with poor versus not poor kids. It has to do with giving our children a liberal arts education - something that used to be valued in this country. Children need to be inspired - to see art, and nature, to hear music, to see beautiful architecture, to marvel at man’s accomplishments and endless search for beauty.

Do you think that Thomas Jefferson could have written The Declaration of Independence, or built Monticello and its gardens, or founded the University of Virginia if his education had been limited to passing math tests? The 18th century education far surpassed the 21st century - although fewer people were educated then. We have to invest in our children. As taxpayers, we pay for all sorts of things that do not directly benefit us. Why on earth are we so stingy and mis-directed with our children’s education?

dsmooth - say what?

By SWC

October 19, 2005 04:32 PM | Link to this

Jake -Nw you want to deny kids the same opportunities that you had?How magnanimous of you!

Some of these kids - from rich and poor families alike are not scholars, or future I.T. folks. They might be incredible at noble non-scholarly pursuits, but they need some inspiration or other outlets for their talents.

If you had attended Exeter full time you might have gotten the message - prep schools excel at teaching “liberal arts”.

P.S. I’m most definitely NOT a socialist. I abhor socialism and all the isms for that matter!

By Sarah

October 19, 2005 04:34 PM | Link to this

I have to disagree - the decision to continue to include field trips DOES have something to do with the poverty level of your students. Fair or not, PC or not, everything costs money and budgets cannot stretch any further. Like anything else, field trips must be evaluated on their value - and arts and science are equally valuable (a trip to a science museum is no more valuable than a trip to the theater), on their cost, and on the resources availble.

How do you determine the value of a trip? My children’s middle school takes field trips to Washington DC in the 7th grade and to the NC Outer Banks in the 8th grade. Is the trip valuable, and do they learn on these trips? Absolutely, and they learn things they could not learn in a classroom. Should the trips be continued? I have to say no - the cost per child including spending money is upwards of $400 per student per trip. What happens is that the students whose parents would provide these experiences anyway go, while those whose parents cannot affort the cost stay at home with substitute teachers for a week.

By CR

October 19, 2005 04:47 PM | Link to this

SWC, I agree with you completely. I’m completely confused by the idea that the arts constitute nothing more than frivolous extras to education, and therefore can easily be cut. And the idea posted earlier that a child with an IQ of 80 can’t benefit as much from a live classical music performance as a child with an IQ of 140 is simply ridiculous! Music, literature, and visual arts all enhance reasoning and critical thinking skills. And math and reading skills for that matter. And science. Before going to the symphony, I think a lesson on how different instruments use moving air or vibrating strings to create different pitches would be a great tie-in to science class.

It seems that the arts are constantly being dropped in favor of “real world” skills, yet oddly, “real world” skills more and more are being defined in terms of what can be bubbled in on a test sheet. In my everyday life, I use broad-based critical thinking skills far more than I use test-taking skills. An amazing amount of time is spent on teaching kids how to take standardized tests (bubble in darkly and completely, go ahead and guess if you don’t know an answer, watch your time) in addition to the actual information that suppoedly is being tested. What’s real world about that?! My life rarely seems to be multiple choice.

Bottom line: kids do need field trips to supplement their education whether that trip is to a science museum for wonderful hands-on learning or to the symphony to hear the beautiful sounds that sadly are rarely taught in a classroom.

By SWC

October 19, 2005 04:56 PM | Link to this

Jake - I re-read your post - I can’t decide if you are a facist or just a bigoted elitist! You sound like the stern kommandant in the Kommissar:

” Don’t let the peasants get an education! Can’t read, Roberto? No music for you! You are unworthy of finer things. We will punish you until you learn and throw you away like garbage if you fail”.

Quite frankly, your comments are disgraceful.

P.S. Who do you think paid for your education? (Not that I think you actually learned anything - you certainly failed “wisdom” and “humanity”

By SWC

October 19, 2005 05:11 PM | Link to this

CR - Absolutely - Its critical thinking not facts that sustain us in life. And the IQ idea was not only ridiculous, it was positively hateful. By that logic we should just send these low IQ kids to asylums to rot and fester because they are just a drain on society.

Sarah - We’re talking about a day in Atlanta not a trip to North Carolina! The average field trip costs between $6.00 and $12.00 per child (ticket price). Volunteers accompany the children. The school pays for the gas. Big deal! If they care so much about fuel and energy costs, then why do we start school in August?

Only “Gifted” kids can go on field trips and be exposed to the arts?? That sounds SICK!

Maybe we should just start aborting kids with low or less than genius IQs, because we’re just going to throw them away once they are born anyway.

This is getting frightening!

By Jake

October 19, 2005 05:11 PM | Link to this

CR - I guess we should be teaching AP Algebra II to the special ed kids too, since they’ll benefit just as much from it. You want to believe an 80 IQ individual has the same experience visiting the High that you or I have, go ahead. But that’s not my argument. Culture and a liberal arts education have value for everyone. And I’m not depriving anyone of those experiences. I just think their parents should take them, and I don’t think that’s the best allocation of scarce resources in school systems that are failing minorities and special ed based on CRCT scores, failing the gifted, and failing just about everyone else based on the dismal SAT scores. Teach Roberto to read, then you can take him to the symphony. You and SWC seem interested in preparing kids for the next Enlightenment. I see a little darker future requiring a more pragmatic curriculum. Today’s sudents will mature in a world where 8-10 billion people are competing for scarce resources, not just oil/energy, but food and water in many cases. Art appreciation, as much as it has enriched my life, won’t prepare my daughter to compete with the Chinese, Pakistanis, Indonesians, Indians and others in the coming global economy.

By luvs2teach

October 20, 2005 08:32 AM | Link to this

Hello, folks…Great topic, Patty!

Some personal experiences, some observations, some misperceptions, some thoughts (but no answers, as usual):

First, I grew up in Massachusetts where we had one field trip per year in elementary, none in junior high, and many in high school depending on the classes you were in (Shakespeare for Brit Lit, NE Aquarium for science, etc). The elementary trips were the same for each grade year after year - fourth grade was Lexington and Concord, fifth grade was Historical Boston, etc. You heard from older brothers and sisters about the trips you’d be taking, and it was fun to share with the younger ones about the trips you had been on. I assume that the trips tied into our curriculum - I was too young to care about that, but boy, did I look forward to “The Field Trip” each year.

While I don’t think it’s the school’s job to give a child every experience his parents can’t or won’t, I do believe in the value of experience and enrichment that a good field trip offers. I have been the field trip person for my team every year, and I like to plan field trips - I have done as many as seven in one year (too many - never again). Although I’m a science teacher, I like all kinds of trips - I have planned trips to the theater as well as Fernbank. I have taken my kids to World of Coke and Six Flags as well as up Kennesaw Mountain and down into Kennesaw Quarry - we have even gone caving. I have planned trips that cost as little as $5.00 (venue was free - gas and driver are not - my county does not pay for transportation, SWC) and as much as $65.00. Some were during the regular school day, one went from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM (also, never again, ha ha).

I worked at a Title 1 school, and only had to cancel one field trip for lack of funds, however, I went on several that were only about 40 kids out of a team of 140. My kids were complimented on their behavior in many places including a museum and a theater - they may not act the best at school, but they almost always put their best behavior on outside of it. I valued giving my kids experiences they might not otherwise get. I enjoyed the relaxed conversations I could have during the day with them - we got to see another side of each other outside of school - I often found that I had fewer behavior problems after a field trip.

Some negatives: worrying about funding - I hated canceling or reducing numbers. We padded every field trip price a little bit to help cover the costs of those who couldn’t or wouldn’t pay. My county doesn’t pick up the rest, although the principal could cover a little (about $50) with discretionary money. There are parents who would sign a permission slip and not think twice about sending it in without money. I would send them back and ask for any amount, even if they couldn’t pay the full amount.

I hated knowing that there were well behaved kids on my team who couldn’t afford a $40.00 field trip, and others not-so-well-behaved who would be able to go. I, too, have had parents tell me that they didn’t think they should have to pay. True story - I had a child who failed the CRCT (multiple subjects) AND was failing virtually every class, whose parents paid for him to go on EVERY field trip we had - he didn’t need a trip to Fernbank; he needed reading tutoring!

Big negative - kids who were left back really did not have a “day of learning” - they were often left back with a sub or put in someone’s class with a work packet. If the trip didn’t take up the entire day, there was very little learning that took place when we returned.

I think field trips should be limited to 2 a year - curriculum related and pre-approved. I think one should be science or math related, and the other should be arts or social studies related. There are many trips that cover more than one subject: Dahlonega is both science and history; a play about Harriet Tubman is history and literature - ditto a trip to the Anne Frank exhibit. Although I’ve gone on trips to Six Flags (on “Math And Science Day”) and the World of Coke, I do question their value more than Fernbank, etc. I also think that these two trips could be supplemented with in-house performances and experiences.

Addressing some comments:

SWC - I don’t know what county you are in, but in my county, the advanced kids’ teachers plan their field trips separately from the team field trips, and for some courses, field trips are mandatory. I had some advanced kids go on both mine as well as the advanced trips; some parents would only pay for one or the other. Chances are it was the PC teachers’ work and planning, and the regular ed team made different choices (a big reason being number of students). Grades rarely, if ever, play into field trip decisions. Fair? Perhaps not, but then life’s not either. Not an excuse, just a possible explanation. If you are that concerned about your child having a field trip, then I would suggest that you talk to the teacher at the start of the year, find out what field trip requirements are for your school (we had to do at least one), and find out who is planning it. Offer to help make phone calls to venues, create the permission slip, or volunteer to chaperone. Chances are, the teacher will welcome your help and your child will end up with a better experience.

Jakesdad - I had to laugh about the coal plant! In the sixth grade, I was in an accelerated class and we got TWO field trips that year - our extra one was to a WATER WASTE TREATMENT FACILITY! Ha, ha, to this day, its biggest impact on me was the SMELL! But, I do remember it, and it was interesting.

Robert - absolutely!

A Boy’s Mom and Amazed - Amazed is 100% on target regarding poor kids and behavior - my kids were fabulous at a play (putting kids from an obviously wealthier school to shame), complemented by the folks at the World of Coke (“one of their best school groups EVER”), and absolutely delightful at a restaurant where the kids, all in one room, were led in saying grace by one of the kids - unprompted by ANY adult. This is from my 70% free/reduced, Title 1 school!

Jake - most of your points are valid (outside of “unrealistic expectations”)…I think everyone jumped on you because you worded it pretty brutally, but sometimes truth hurts…

CR/SWC - not to burst your bubbles (and I do agree that the arts are important), but when questioned about prior field trips, the majority of my kids said that they HATED the symphony, and that it was boring. I, too, would like my kids to see the beauty in things, and be inspired, etc, but without some kind of base on which to build, the kids have very little appreciation for the “finer things.” My personal theory: it’s because they are not valued in our pop-culture society as much whom Jennifer Anniston is dating and what Paris Hilton wore last night. No answer, just commentary…

That’s my novel! Sorry so long - that’s what happens when I read the blog at night, and compose my response in leisure at home - thanks for reading it if you did! That’ll do it for me today - too many young minds to reach!

By RF

October 20, 2005 09:11 AM | Link to this

I absolutely believe, after taking a group of “underprivileged” kids to a play in Atlanta, that ALL kids do, in fact, benefit from cultural experiences. Even if they are bored, as I was at the symphony as a child, the experience is well worth it. I still remember some of the symphony, and much of the trip and walk downtown. We learned a lot about socially acceptable behavior. Nowadays, I believe we MUST do whatever we can to offer some counterpoint to the “Jerry Springer” mentality that it overrunning our society, especially among our poorer, less educated groups. I will continue to work for trips for my lower-level and higher-level students. They all need it. I just pray we don’t let money and testing force us to cut out field trips all together.

By Marney

October 20, 2005 09:26 AM | Link to this

Jake-my kid’s public school does develop critical thinking skills by having recess, field trips, and discussion in 40 languages both at lunch and in the classroom, music, art, and PE. They also went to the center for pupettry arts using Marta(before gas was an issue) and will be going to the Pow-wow at Stone Mountain Park next week. Both trips were related to the IB theme being studied at the moment.

This is a school where 80% of the kids qualify for free or reduce lunches and yet our test scores beat the socks off the “drill and kill” schools with similar poverty rates.

By Alan

October 20, 2005 09:44 AM | Link to this

How many people on their deathbeds will say, “If only I’d done better on the CRCT test when I was 11?” Also, it boggles my mind the way that many people simply assume that a field trip is the antithesis of learning! The Center for Puppetry Arts, for example, provides correlated GA QCCS (as well as the new GA Performance Standards) for all grade levels for every possible activity they offer. Teachers need only point and click to justify their field trips in the context of the state-mandated curriculum. Many of the Centers shows like “Rainforest Adventures” are science-based, btw. The Center makes learning exciting for kids. Let’s give the cultural arts in Atlanta the credit they deserve. Our kids would miss them if they were gone. Let’s hope none of us ever never find out what that is like.

By Karen Armsby

October 20, 2005 10:42 AM | Link to this

AAAHHH, Enlightenment. I watched a show Tuesday evening that was very enlightening. Go to the PBS website for NOVA Science Now. Basically, it showed that scientific research can be, and is inspired by the arts. Check it out.

No discipline exists in a vacuum. Math studies are aided by listening to classical music, and Erich Jarvis’s bird brain studies were enhanced by his dance abilities. Dr. Jarvis attended the New York city high school for the performing arts (the one featured in the movie FAME) and upon graduation he was offered a place with the Alvin Ailey dancers, but he chose to go into science and has excelled. With his artistic insight, creativity, and scientific hard work, he brought together a divided community of bird neurobiologists and together they remapped the bird brain.

Children need a balanced education that includes the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, and they need P.E. and music and the visual and performing arts, and a variety of cultural and scientific and social field trips and exposure to many experiences beyond their borders.

Enlightenment, critical thinking, and creative development go hand in hand with academics to create a successful student.

By Who will tell the truth...

October 20, 2005 11:10 AM | Link to this

Atlanta Public Schools spent how much on a convocation for Superintendent Beverly Hall…busing in all the teachers to the Georgia Dome. APS has an internet system and the best high tech equipment … enough to run a small city…accomplished with shady Erate money. They could broadcast their event to the teachers from their illustrious new offices at APS. No money for field trips??? Come on…Who will finally tell the truth. Wealthy Northside schools will fund their field trips through the PTA. The only children in the system that will suffer are those on the south side…Business as usual in the minority run city.

By TC

October 20, 2005 11:56 AM | Link to this

The arts are not just about music, performances, or a visual product of expression. The arts are used in schools to enhance learning opportunities through cross curricular activities. The arts are also used as a way of teaching students to “think outside of the box.” Research and studies have shown that children that are exposed to the arts score higher on proficiency testing as well as become more well-rounded adults. Many schools have focused only on reading, writing, and arithmetic and that may be why we have so many kids who think two dimensionally rather than more critically and logically. The arts are essential to humanity. Arts and the opposable thumb are oftentimes the only two things that keep us from being on the low end of the intelligence pole.

By Kym

October 20, 2005 12:35 PM | Link to this

Well, I guess I am old school. I am shocked that public schools, dont take the kids to the ASO, or other cultural events. We went to Fernbank, Zoo Atlanta, ASO performances, and even the Circus when I was in school. I now do that stuff on the weekends with my son so that he gets what I think is a well-rounded education, not only learning about music,animals,and space but actually experiencing these things in person.

By SWC

October 20, 2005 01:02 PM | Link to this

To all the recent pro-Field Day entries: AMEN!

I am absolutely DUMBFOUNDED by the idea that we “don’t have time to teach kids anything beyond the 3Rs because they need to pass the CRCTs or whatever” AND by the idea that field trips are exclusively reserved for kids with high IQs, or who excel in some manner.

To expound on Karen Armsby’s comments - I watched “Einstein’s Big Idea” on PBS NOVA last week. Why (in part) did Einstein discover the theory of relativity? Answer: Because he was fascinated by the properties of light which he observed, not in a classroom, but outside, in nature. What 18th century woman’s scientific theory provided a link between Lavoisier (matter), Faraday (electro-magnetism) and Einstein? Answer: Mme de Chatelet, a brilliant, well-rounded woman, who was as well-versed in art and literature and music as she was in science. Her translation of Newton’s law is used to this day. And, speaking of Newton - How did he discover the law of gravity? Answer: By watching apples fall from a tree. Come to think of it, how did man discover fire? Was it by staying in a cave and learning to count?

You cannot separate science into a little box. Or math. Or art. Or music. Or philosophy. They are all interrelated and are necessary to feed our souls, if nothing else! We are stifling our children’s spirits and imagination by forcing them to sit interminably in dreary classrooms, where they rarely see the “light” of day because some genius decided that it was more important to spend time with flash cards.

If we fail as a nation, it will not be because we didn’t spend enough time in the classroom; it will because we didn’t spend enough time outside of the classroom.

The value that Americans place on liberty and the pursuit of happiness and free expression and the humanities is far more powerful than anything that Communist China will ever produce.