Mayor Pledges Arts Programs To Survive Cuts

Despite proposed cuts to the education budget, Mayor Bloomberg says school arts programs will not be shortchanged.

"The arts are not going to get cut in schools any more than anything else," Mr. Bloomberg said yesterday at a press conference at Ft. Hamilton High School in Brooklyn. "What I've said to every agency is we're not going to cancel programs, we're going to have to tighten our belts in every single one." He described arts education as "essential to a high-quality education."

Mr. Bloomberg also released a new annual report on school arts programs, breaking down student access to music, visual art, theater, and dance programs citywide, as well as in individual schools. He said the figures, which are available online to the public, would help hold schools accountable for teaching the arts.

According to the report, the city increased the number of full-time arts teachers in its schools by 9% between 2005 and 2007. Still, many students are lagging behind the state's art requirements, especially in the city's middle schools, where only 29% of seventh- and eighth-grade students have received state-mandated levels of teaching, the report said.

Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said that although "many of our schools are providing an outstanding arts education," some students are being "shortchanged." He added that any lack of arts in middle schools is due to programming decisions and not budget constraints, as the city has focused on helping students struggling in other academic areas.