NYC Public Advocate Run-Off Candidates Respond to First-Ever Arts Ed Questionnaire

NEW YORK, NY -- September 21, 2009 -- The two candidates for the Office of New York City Public Advocate who made the run-off election have responded to a candidate questionnaire expressing deep concern about the overemphasis on standardized testing and test preparation, and a resultant narrowing of curriculum in city public schools. They are calling on the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) to take proactive steps to support greater access to arts education.

 

Responding to a questionnaire circulated to all of the candidates in the contested Democratic primary for Public Advocate by The Center for Arts Education (CAE), candidates Bill de Blasio and Mark Green signaled that current trends in public schools are reducing time for arts education and other subjects, and that they would call on the NYCDOE to reinstate a minimum amount of guaranteed funding for arts education in every public school.

 

Richard Kessler, executive director of CAE, was impressed with the candidates’ grasp of the challenges facing the school system and commented that “The fact that these candidates are unequivocal in their support for greater access to arts education, and in many ways are rethinking how we educate the city’s 1.1 million school children, is a very positive sign. The arts are an essential part of a quality education, and as Public Advocate -- a job which provides a citywide platform for monitoring municipal government -- these candidates could help usher in important changes that will benefit public schools across the city.”

 

As described on the web site of the outgoing Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, who has been a strong advocate of arts education, “the Public Advocate answers complaints about people's problems with city government, investigates ineffective agencies and programs, proposes solutions that make government more efficient, and helps communities gain better access to government.”

 

Candidate de Blasio: “We must constantly reevaluate testing, its impact on student learning, and how we can work to achieve a curriculum that is balanced and does not cut critical area like arts, music and other creative pursuits…The DOE should be leading [the] effort to ensure that all New York City public schools are providing every student with the arts education curriculum that will help them to be creative thinkers and engaged students.”

 

Candidate Green: “We must ensure that the Department of Education complies with…New York State Education Law which mandates arts education.”  He continued, “We should bring back Project Arts.  By investing in a strong arts program we can create a new generation of more creative and innovative New Yorkers, strengthening our City economically and culturally, and [giving] our children a more fully rounded education.”

 

Both candidates supported the following policy measures to address the shortage of arts learning opportunities in a great number of New York City public schools:

 

The candidates’ completed questionnaire responses are posted online at:

 

De Blasio and Green finished first and second, respectively, in the Democratic Primary, and will compete again in a run-off election on Tuesday, September 29^th.

 

Doug Israel, Director of Research and Policy for CAE, said, “The near obsession with statewide exams is short-sighted.  We need to reinvigorate education with robust course offerings, teaching that grabs students' attention and makes them sit up in their seats.  The arts provide that essential part of the school day and these candidates get it.  That’s a start.”