Thanks to Jim Strickland for his musings on “The public purpose of our schools” last week. We need this discussion, all across America.

Jim listed many valuable and worthy purposes for schooling, public and private. I would, however, respectfully disagree with his main focus, which is to teach democracy. I completely agree with him about it’s importance, but, in this increasingly global community, though we as Americans might wish that all countries were democratic (although we are a republic, a democratic republic to be sure), perhaps the higher value would be that we equip and educate thinking, responsible citizens and all that portends.

As our students enter their own self-sufficient lives, they will be living among and next to citizens whose values are at odds with our own. Would it not be a higher value that those we produce (education does have a product) be equipped to engage those of a different, perhaps even angry, nationalistic/fanatic culture who have been taught to disdain/despise or even hate anything American? Democracy may be of value to their former homeland. We are even fighting two wars with that as our stated goal. But in a clash of cultures, transcendent and timeless values that help us to dialog and understand each other will be our lingua franca.

Aristotle, Cicero, Plato, Socrates, Michiavelli and a host of others whose intellect and philosophies have guided nations for millennia, all understood the practical benefits of studying and applying dance, theater, visual arts and music critical thinking skills. To that end, the easiest and most effective method to transmit values of culture and understanding considered and inculcated in formal education is, to quote Washington State Supervisor of the Arts AnnRene Joseph, “more Arts.”

Prof. James Zull in The Art of Changing the Brain states: “Creating takes place in the front cortex … where the process of creativity is located and how it seems to work.” It brings us face to face with one of the teacher’s greatest challenges — the necessity of giving control over to the learner. If we can’t do that, we can become an impediment to learning rather than a support. Zull states that all classes /disciplines should be taught the way the Arts are taught for a list of reasons, and creatively makes his case.

That said, how could parents or students continue to learn critical thinking skills while the schools were busy eliminating that which would best help them acquire them? This has occurred at Cedarcrest, elementaries and, worst of all, M-PHS. The Arts in Marysville used to be open to all. If plans were allowed to continue, less than half of the M-PHS students would have had access because they were not in one of the number-limited SLCs which contained arts, taught by certified, highly qualified instructors. State law also states that arts classes are non-substitutable, that is, students may not substitute a different class for Dance, Theater, Visual Arts or Music and get a graduation credit. In 2006, before the misguided move to SLCs and the massive administrative increase needed to manage them, the M-PHS Principal’s budget was $982,900.65. By 2009 it had grown to $1,425,723.52, an increase of $442,822.87 in three years. So, clearly, money is not the issue — priorities are. The Arts, and with them, critical thinking skills were not dwindling away, they were being systematically excised.

This year, parents facing even fewer options for their students spoke up. All music ensembles are, despite plans to close them, open to all students on campus. Amazing. And do we have any idea what will happen at M-PHS when Getchell opens? No plans have been revealed, and given the propensity to close arts options rather than open them, the future does not look bright for those who have already lost much. The de facto “solution” has been more zero-hour and seventh-hour classes so kids from all SLCs can have music, but that doesn’t really solve equal access. There is no bus transportation for zero hour, for example, so are these classes really “equal access?”

Whatever happened to “high school,” where a kid could explore, be well-rounded, and find curricular and co-curricular areas where his talents could blossom, and where any student could explore the hopes and dreams they’ve acquired all their lives to shape their character, instead of fit into someone’s idea of yet another failed educational experiment to “reform education,” in this case rejected by the Gates Foundation, who initially funded the SLC experiment because, in their words: Based on analysis of our own work, the foundation found that changing the structure of schools (from large schools to small learning communities) wasn’t enough to generate the overall changes in quality of education. Based on this period of analysis, the foundation decided that grantmaking should take a different approach.” Do you suppose the Gates Foundation might have a wider/clearer view of education and what will be of greater benefit to all?

Hasn’t Marysville been through enough drama the past 10 years? Unless and until the community wakes up and stops marginalizing and gutting what used to be a wonderful pool in which thousands of students could explore and learn from the Arts, democracy/citizenship/careers, et al will also be substantially less than they could because the full capacity of their creativity was never explored. The Arts are the crucible in which creativity bubbles.

In Ian MacEwan’s book Saturday, we come across this passage:

“There are these rare moments when musicians together touch something sweeter than they’ve ever found before in rehearsals or performance, beyond the merely collaborative or technically proficient, when their expression becomes as easy and graceful as friendship or love.” This is when they give us a glimpse of what we might be, of our best selves, and of an impossible world in which you give everything you have to others, but lose nothing of your self. Out in the real world there exist detailed plans, visionary projects for peaceful realms, all conflicts resolved, happiness for everyone, for ever mirages for which people are prepared to die and kill. But only in music, and only on rare occasions, does the curtain actually lift on this dream of community, and it’s tantalizingly conjured, before fading away with the last notes.

This is life-changing. This transcends nationality, age, race, religion, or political philosophy. This is not democracy. It is the power of art to bring humanity to those who will make a difference in our world for centuries to come. This is how students learn to think.

Stuart Hunt, educator, conductor and arts supporter can be contacted at Northernsound@wavecable.com.