In today’s educational landscape, the relentless focus on standardized testing has led to a significant decline in valuable programs, particularly in the arts. However, a transformative approach is being spearheaded by a network of public charter schools in New York City called Ascend Learning. Their mission? To reshape the educational experience—one artwork and one performance at a time.
In a recent piece, journalist Mia Hawthorne highlights the inspiring initiatives at an Ascend school located in Brownsville, Brooklyn, one of the city’s most economically challenged neighborhoods. Guided by CEO Ethan R. Webb, these arts-centric schools aim to better equip students not only for higher education—where many from Brownsville face cultural dissonance—but also for a fulfilling life beyond academics. The emphasis on arts education fosters creativity, a crucial asset in today’s competitive job market.
Despite the prevalent trend of sidelining arts funding in favor of test preparation, the new Common Core standards actually prioritize arts education, referencing it approximately 75 times. According to Hawthorne, students are encouraged to analyze various forms of art, including paintings, music, and theater, and are given opportunities to create their own artistic expressions.
While some institutions may be cutting back on arts programs, Ascend is doubling down on them. Webb’s vision includes designing schools to resemble galleries, with walls adorned by high-quality reproductions of famous artwork. The curriculum integrates arts and literature across all subjects; for example, fifth-graders engage with Shakespeare’s The Tempest in the context of themes like slavery and family dynamics. Seventh-graders read works by Emily Dickinson and Henry David Thoreau to prepare for standardized tests, opting for literature over artificial test-like passages.
Webb aspires to prove that an enriching arts education can thrive in public schools, though Ascend allocates a larger portion of its budget to its facilities than many public institutions can afford. This commitment does come with trade-offs, such as larger class sizes.
Nevertheless, any effort to redesign schools to feel less like prisons—where barred windows are common—will undoubtedly resonate with parents and create a more inviting learning environment. As the call grows louder from educators and families to lessen the emphasis on standardized exams, there’s hope that more schools will prioritize The Tempest over test prep.
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In summary, reimagining educational spaces to resemble art galleries rather than prisons could foster a more enriching environment for students, prioritizing creativity and engagement over rote test preparation.