L. P. Skeen on thu 24 aug 00
> How very illuminating. Just a couple of weeks
> ago, someone in New York said they were
> allocated $3 per child for the whole school
> year.
Well, that was me, but I'm in NC. WISH I was in NY right about now.....in
any case, guess what? I only get $3 per kid because I have 7th and 8th
graders. 6th graders only get $2. per head.
> If the real cost is from $5 to $10 per child for each one-and-a-half
hours, I guess the moral of the story is, that clay is entering that
elitist zone where only the well-heeled can afford their children to
indulge.
>>>At my school, I get the band "rejects"; the ones who wanted to be in band
but couldn't get an instrument. When the band director figures out that a
kid can't get an instrument he is allowed to kick 'em out. I have been
given to understand that because this director has good bands that win
contests (who ever heard of MIDDLE SCHOOL band contests?), he is allowed to
do basically whatever he wants.
WORSE news: The county school system I work in has been re-segregated.
Just about the only white kids in our school are in an "academically gifted"
program, and they are brought in from wherever they live (certainly NOT in
the neighborhood where my school is!) to attend this school. Somebody check
the calendar for me; is this not the year 2000? I think I've slipped back
to 1964.....
>
> We are already suffering because music is an
> optional fee-paying extra and therefore only
> available to those who can afford it within the
> public/state school system, so is art and design
> going the same way?
>
> Janet Kaiser
> The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
> HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
> Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
> E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
> WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> > When I have had groups come to my studio, I
> have charged $5. (school
> > field trip), $8. (25 girlscouts), and $10 (6
> kids for a "grandparent
> > camp") for a 1 and 1/2 hour session. Birthday
> parties are $10 per
> > child and the family brings refreshments and
> decorations. If I am
> > lucky, the adults do some shopping and perhaps
> become regular
> > customers. I would prefer to keep the cost
> pretty low and make a
> > lasting contact.
> >snip<
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
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>
Janet Kaiser on thu 24 aug 00
How very illuminating. Just a couple of weeks
ago, someone in New York said they were
allocated $3 per child for the whole school
year.
If the real cost is from $5 to $10 per child for
each one-and-a-half hours, I guess the moral of
the story is, that clay is entering that elitist
zone where only the well-heeled can afford their
children to indulge.
We are already suffering because music is an
optional fee-paying extra and therefore only
available to those who can afford it within the
public/state school system, so is art and design
going the same way?
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
----- Original Message -----
> When I have had groups come to my studio, I
have charged $5. (school
> field trip), $8. (25 girlscouts), and $10 (6
kids for a "grandparent
> camp") for a 1 and 1/2 hour session. Birthday
parties are $10 per
> child and the family brings refreshments and
decorations. If I am
> lucky, the adults do some shopping and perhaps
become regular
> customers. I would prefer to keep the cost
pretty low and make a
> lasting contact.
>snip<
Diane G. Echlin on fri 25 aug 00
Yes, Janet, it very well may be that art is being phased out as unnecessary. At
our local school in a wealthy suburban New England town, the art teacher, who is
part time, wheels a cart around to the classrooms. She is stocked with crayons,
paper, and a few bottles of tempera paint. She doesn't have her own art room, and
it send chills down mine spine when I hear the kids say "we had art on a cart
today" like it was served up with a cheeseburger from McDonalds. Ugh. Meanwhile,
the town is repaving a road that didn't need it because if they didn't use the
money that the state slid their way this year, they would get less money for
improvements next year. Go figure. Sometimes I just hate the government!
Diane in CT
Janet Kaiser wrote:
> How very illuminating. Just a couple of weeks
> ago, someone in New York said they were
> allocated $3 per child for the whole school
> year.
>
> If the real cost is from $5 to $10 per child for
> each one-and-a-half hours, I guess the moral of
> the story is, that clay is entering that elitist
> zone where only the well-heeled can afford their
> children to indulge.
>
> We are already suffering because music is an
> optional fee-paying extra and therefore only
> available to those who can afford it within the
> public/state school system, so is art and design
> going the same way?
>
> Janet Kaiser
> The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
> HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
> Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
> E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
> WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> > When I have had groups come to my studio, I
> have charged $5. (school
> > field trip), $8. (25 girlscouts), and $10 (6
> kids for a "grandparent
> > camp") for a 1 and 1/2 hour session. Birthday
> parties are $10 per
> > child and the family brings refreshments and
> decorations. If I am
> > lucky, the adults do some shopping and perhaps
> become regular
> > customers. I would prefer to keep the cost
> pretty low and make a
> > lasting contact.
> >snip<
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
laura on fri 25 aug 00
>
> If the real cost is from $5 to $10 per child for
> each one-and-a-half hours, I guess the moral of
> the story is, that clay is entering that elitist
> zone where only the well-heeled can afford their
> children to indulge.
>
> We are already suffering because music is an
> optional fee-paying extra and therefore only
> available to those who can afford it within the
> public/state school system, so is art and design
> going the same way?
>
Another option is to not have art or music available at all. This is
practiced way too often in my area. Although chorus programs are often
implemented in the school (we were fortunate to have an exceptional band
program as I was growing up. Unfortunately, the director has retired) art
takes up too much room and too many resources. Our art education was limited
to the last hour of the week during grade school only, when we got to get
out the supplies we brought from home, color xeroxed images ("stay between
the lines!"), cut and paste ("No, that doesn't go there!") and still it was
the highlight of my week. How did I survive? My parents bought pads of
paper for me, and I drew with everything I could get my hands on.
Unfortunately, too many people (and not just administrators) see art as a
luxury rather than a necessity in a person's development. My own mother sees
what I do as "magic," and not anything she could attempt.
Lo -- now buying paper and clay for my own children
Earl Brunner on fri 25 aug 00
I would not consider $5.00-10.00 per session, (especially in
this context of a one time activity) to be elitist, or even
exclusionary.
It costs that much or more to go to a movie, MUCH more if
you buy a hot-dog, popcorn or a drink, Kids at my school
ALWAYS have money for snacks at the student store, but can't
seem to find it for a Scholastic Book Fair order. It's a
question of priorities. If you give yourself away free,
people will consider the value received accordingly. They
value what they pay for.
The kids on free lunch waste the food and lose their free or
donated clothing.
It has no value to them.
Are there children that cannot afford the cost of the
experience? Probably.
Could arrangements be made for them? Again, probably.
Art has always been elitist, even poor elitist artists.
They will cut the arts before they will cut sports any day
of the week.
Fair? Who said life was fair?
Teach priorities.
laura wrote:
>
> >
> > If the real cost is from $5 to $10 per child for
> > each one-and-a-half hours, I guess the moral of
> > the story is, that clay is entering that elitist
> > zone where only the well-heeled can afford their
> > children to indulge.
> >
> > We are already suffering because music is an
> > optional fee-paying extra and therefore only
> > available to those who can afford it within the
> > public/state school system, so is art and design
> > going the same way?
> >
--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net
BobWicks@AOL.COM on fri 25 aug 00
In a message dated 8/25/00 10:25:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
dechlin@CONNIX.COM writes:
<< Diane >>
I taught art in New York State for 20 years and I was a member of the State
Teachers Art Association. We had a statewide study on the average cost of
art supplies per student for the school. I based my ordering for the year on
this figure by multiplying the school enrollments times the average cost per
student. In 20 years I was never turned down. I suggest that you get in
touch with your State Teachers Association and put the pressure on your
school administration to at least meet the average cost per child for the
state. No one wants to be below to average and this could be a very
embarrassing situation for your administration if they were listed as below
average.
I can appreciate your situation. If you can approach your administration
with the facts on what the average annual cost per student for art supplies
is in your State, I do believe you will have a more attentive response from
you administration. I wish you lots of luck.
Bob Wicks, Prof Emeritus HAC College
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