A Rich Dialogue on Arts Education

I have made a commitment to follow a discussion on the Arts Journal Web site that is happening this week (http://www.artsjournal.com). Sixteen bloggers with expertise in arts education policy and practice are participating in a "Debate on Arts Education." The main question is "Will our culture suffer if we don’t do more to teach the arts?" The catalyst for the dialogue is Cultivating Demand for the Arts: Arts Learning, Arts Engagement, and State Arts Policy, a report by RAND.

Laura Zakaras, one of the authors of the RAND report kicked off with a list of questions. Some of the first day's discussion goes beyond the usual reasons for valuing the arts—those that are most frequently discussed by insiders. The discussion is rich and I would encourage arts education advocates and those interested in innovation to read it.