Where are our priorities as a society and what are we offering to our children if we take away the arts?

It's a pretty insane idea, since it has been proven that we need to use both the right and the left side of our brains.

Do we no longer value qualities like imagination, vision, dreaming the future into reality? Who do you think offers that but artists. Everything we use was designed by someone, using ART.

I have been an artist for over 30 years, and I know firsthand how it enhances lives, makes people happier, creates beauty and hope and pleasure in lives.

Where are we if we take art out of our schools? Haven't we learned from the past, that societies don't prosper when the arts are taken away?

Get with it School System. Who makes these insane choices anyway????? Not parents, teachers or artists, that's for sure.

There will be a protest on February 14th afterschool to protest the cuts to the arts program, as well as adult education and early childhood education.  The protest will be at the LAUSD Admnistration Building - 333 S. Beaudry starting around 3pm.

I finf it deeply Ironic and disturbing that this is even remotely considered in a city that THRIVES on the talents of creative artists, musicians, dancers and other gifted individuals. This is a direct threat to the future of a city's children.

Worst idea EVER!

More music=better grades and motivation!!!

Hi folks,

Thanks so much for all of your comments.  Use the link to the Action Center to send them directly to the School Board and Superintendent!  Trust me, we already agree with you. 

- Camille Schenkkan, Development & Communications Manager

I'm a student. 15 years of age and a lover of comic art. I design my own comics, and have been developing the storylines and characters for my comic for the past 7 years. I practice for an average of 5 hours a day, spend all my money on pencils, lead and ink refills, and have no other goal than to become a comic artist. Taking arts out of schools is like clicking the delete button on all this work. LAUSD, from what they are planning to do, would be clicking the delete button on thousands of young potentialist's work. They would bring along a generation which has no new artists, poets, authors, musicians, ect. In other words, LAUSD, do you REALLY want to bring a doomed youth upon yourselves?

I am a product of the L.A. school system, and my love for my clarinet began at Glassell Park Elementary when I was 10 years old. Please do not cut the arts. I am 45 and still play--kids need the arts.

Taking the arts out of school is like taking the enjoyment and creativity out of life. We would never consider taking gym out of the school curriculum, even though it is not a core school subject, because it encourages physical health. So why would we consider taking the arts out? The arts, the abliity to create and imagine, encourage emotional and mental health and make us human. Without the arts kids will not have the opportunity to learn how to express themselves and talents may never be discovered. Most may not even find joy in school without the arts. Intelligence is more than IQ; it is being able to create new ideas and cultivate the imagination while learning. There would be no advancement to society without these qualities. Eliminating the arts in school limits the kids' futures. I hope some kind heart at the meeting will realize there is something more important than money: the kids' futures.

Noooooooooo!  Shortsighted?  Definitely.  We are doomed if we turn out kids who have no experience with the creative parts of themselves.  Who will be the inventors , the artists, the poets, the geniuses who think beyond the world of rote learning and studying to pass tests?  We need joy and creativity to survive as humans and be able to deal with the changes that come faster and faster in our world.  This is a grim proposal. Arise and protest, all who care about love and beauty.

SHAME on LAUSD! In all the years our students are dropping out at MORE-than-alarming rates--haven't you figured out that ARTS Education is what many other countries who consistently surpass the USA in ed-levels have figured out? Education in the ARTS is not "fluffy" or expendable! education in the Arts--ALL the Arts--is what builds better brains, better math & science abilities, better abilities to express oneself, & better well-rounded human beings! BRING BACK ARTS EDUCATION for the BENEFIT of OUR CHILDREN & ALL of US--our CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE! SHAME SHAME SHAME!

4 THE LOVE OF ART!! WE CAN NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!! I WILL BE ON THE FRONT LINE....EVE KEMP JOIN ME N VENICE 2NIGHT!FEB 7TH EVEKEMP "ART SALON"1320 MAIN ST (AT WESTMINSTER) 6:30 TO 10:30>>and HELP SUPPORT THE ARTS!!! arrowspace11.com

If true, this is a very sad day for Los Angeles and California.  There are so many studies that show arts education, in addition to being fun and interesting for the students, helps them in the core curriculum classes.  Having served on a school board, I understand the difficulty in making choices.  But this is a very bad choice.  For kids today and for society in general for a very long time.

What!?!  Are they insane? It's so...supremely imprtant for our kids to have arts education in the school. Please please don't strip our kids of that joy and creativity!

Dani Shear

So let me get this straight, the LAUSD allows their students get molested, but they WON'T teach them arts?!?!

I don't even live in California and I sent the message to the superintendent... Getting rid of all arts programs is a terrible idea. Completely ridiculous. Studies prove that children involved in the arts actually make better grades and are more focused and involved in school. So ultimately, they would be hurting themselves even more in the long run...

When I was in high school I was going through depression and I was living in a level 12 group home because I had triggered a clause that allowed me to stay in the school I was attending where I was enrolled in choir and play production. Throughout my time living in the group home I was dealing with crippling depression so severe that I didn't wanto get out of bed, and in one instance even made me physically ill with a 104 degree fever. And the one thing that kept me going was knowing in the morning (even on Saturday) at 6am I left the building where the group home was and went to school for 8 amazing hours dduring the day. And being involved in the arts introduced me to people that had the same interests as I did. Being able to release these emotions that crippled me through the arts that was provided through the LAUSD school district. Getting rid of the arts is counterintuitive because sometimes the arts are all that are keeping kids in school, and keeping their inner demons away and giving them a reason to dream. Please reconsider this drastic budget cut, especially when things like choir and theater really don't account for much money. Instead, maybe you should turn your attention to the $250 or more a book price you're are paying for the district if you are losing money. End two wrongs at once.

Are you kidding me? What is more inportant to the wellbeing of a child than creating art?

What is the reason given for Dr. Deasy's recommendation? Is it purely financial?