To the editor: “I'm very excited to take my painting home.”
“I want to take my family to the art gallery.”
“I'm going to write a story about the mural we visited.”
These are just some of the comments I heard from students during their visit to the gallery and cultural center where I am an art educator. That's why I'm pleased to read that the Los Angeles Unified School District has added $30 million to its budget for elementary arts education.
Last year, LAUSD students came to our center through the Cultural Arts Passport program. For most of these students, it was their first visit to a small community art gallery.
Not once did I see the cell phone scrolling during the three hour visits. I witnessed how students engaged in dialogue about art and culture with classmates and teachers. They created their own art, free of judgment or creative restrictions. Isn't this what we want our students to experience?
I was an elementary teacher for many years in underserved areas. I would have loved to have a program like the Cultural Arts Passport for my students. I hope LAUSD does the right thing and restores Proposition 28 funding for arts education.
I am looking forward to facilitating future art-focused field trips with the 2024-25 classes.
Julie Greenberg, Long Beach
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To the editor: It is disturbing to read that LAUSD's chief academic officer rationalized field trips to theme parks and televisions.
The recurring theme in Proposition 28 is the creation of a “high-quality course of study” in the arts. The clear intention is for students to actively participate in artistic activities. They need to be the creators of art, not the passive observers.
I sit on the board of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, founded by an LAUSD alumnus who was upset when he returned to his alma mater 20 years later and saw the decline of music education at his school. There is still much work to be done.
Joseph Braun, Los Angeles
