BATs Pledge to Preserve the Arts in Our Schools
BATs will be 2 years old on Sunday, June 14th. Over the 2 years of BAT existence we have seen the Arts slashed and cut.
1. Atlanta School District cut 18 Music/Orchestra positions http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/atlanta-schools-cut-music-teachers/nmRGP/
2. Funds have been cut in more than 80 percent of U.S. school districts since 2008 http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2014/04/28/music-art-and-language-programs-in-schools-have-long-lasting-benefits
3. Detroit's Renaissance High School may lose music program http://archive.freep.com/article/20140821/NEWS01/308210056/Renaissance-High-School-teacher-cuts
Research shows that children who are exposed early to music have a boost in their brain development https://www.mcgill.ca/channels-contribute/channels/news/early-music-lessons-boost-brain-development-224936
Neuroscience research is revealing the impressive impact of arts instruction on students' cognitive, social and emotional development http://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=7378Our very own BAT Dr. Yohuru Williams wrote an amazing piece in September of 2014 in which he said,
“The intangible benefits of public education will never appear in the sterile strips of data represented by tests scores. The high school band members who play in churches, parks, parades and festivals, the young thespians and dancers who share their talents in shows, and the artists who paint murals on the sides of buildings bring a splash of life and color to an otherwise desolate urban landscape -- they put the public into public education.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yohuru-williams/rhythm-and-bruise-how-cut_b_5838406.html
We are asking all BATs to please sign onto the BAT Pledge to Preserve the Arts in Our Schools!