National Art Education Association

[To the Editor]Author(s): Bob LloydSource: Art Education, Vol. 47, No. 5, Interpretation (Sep., 1994), p. 7Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193495 .

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more K-12 arts programs would be lost without this powerful symbol of and mechanism for inclusion.

Beyond gratitude for a new type of chance to build general visual arts com- petence, art educators have important roles to play. Individual communities and states will be responsible for developing the action agendas and curricula they intend to use in helping students meet the standards. Individual teachers will be creating lesson plans to the same end. Our responsibility is obvious. We can build on tremendous work that has been done already. There is no need to start from scratch. But we do need to keep constant a vision informed by interrela- tionships between work in and work aboutart.

Higher education has an obvious responsibility with respect to teacher preparation and professional develop- ment. Here again, there is a strong foun- dation. But in order for the standards to have full effect, teacher education must enable prospective art teachers to become increasingly proficient at inte- grating content from various visual arts specializations to meet specific pedagogi- cal needs.

The field also has a strategic role to play in policy analysis that supports wise decision-making at all levels. American K-12 education is often faulted for being far more interested in matters of power and process than in matters of content and substance. Consistent with this tradi- tion, many ideas are already in place and others are on the horizon that could do great damage to conditions necessary for the standards to have a chance. Spin-

more K-12 arts programs would be lost without this powerful symbol of and mechanism for inclusion.

Beyond gratitude for a new type of chance to build general visual arts com- petence, art educators have important roles to play. Individual communities and states will be responsible for developing the action agendas and curricula they intend to use in helping students meet the standards. Individual teachers will be creating lesson plans to the same end. Our responsibility is obvious. We can build on tremendous work that has been done already. There is no need to start from scratch. But we do need to keep constant a vision informed by interrela- tionships between work in and work aboutart.

Higher education has an obvious responsibility with respect to teacher preparation and professional develop- ment. Here again, there is a strong foun- dation. But in order for the standards to have full effect, teacher education must enable prospective art teachers to become increasingly proficient at inte- grating content from various visual arts specializations to meet specific pedagogi- cal needs.

The field also has a strategic role to play in policy analysis that supports wise decision-making at all levels. American K-12 education is often faulted for being far more interested in matters of power and process than in matters of content and substance. Consistent with this tradi- tion, many ideas are already in place and others are on the horizon that could do great damage to conditions necessary for the standards to have a chance. Spin-

masters and illusionists from many quar- ters will attempt to deflect attention and resources from substantive learning and focus them on symbolic gestures that feed an image-devouring press. Costs, time, and global competitiveness will be cited. Critics will rise to damn the stan- dards because of their failure to support or endorse a particular "thing." The stan- dards and their motivation will be misun- derstood and then critiqued on that basis. Complex issues such as the extent to and the ways in which the arts and other disci- plines should be combined will be con- tested vigorously. All such issues need the most thoughtful analysis and atten- tion.

In short, the opportunity, the intellec- tual challenge, and the potential benefits seem equally great. Our creative, critical, and evaluative faculties need to be brought to all K-12 standards questions with the full force of our intellectual and artistic powers. But in doing so, it is extremely important to begin by under- standing the context for this effort, what the standards are supposed to do, and what they are not supposed to do; and developing thoughtful appreciation of the possibilities the standards effort holds for the future.

If we believe that basic formal visual arts study for all is central to the kind of American culture we wish to see in the future, these standards provide the best starting point ever available to the visual arts community nationally. The stan- dards have application not just to school- based programs, but to all efforts to teach young people in whatever setting. Although time will tell what happens, let

masters and illusionists from many quar- ters will attempt to deflect attention and resources from substantive learning and focus them on symbolic gestures that feed an image-devouring press. Costs, time, and global competitiveness will be cited. Critics will rise to damn the stan- dards because of their failure to support or endorse a particular "thing." The stan- dards and their motivation will be misun- derstood and then critiqued on that basis. Complex issues such as the extent to and the ways in which the arts and other disci- plines should be combined will be con- tested vigorously. All such issues need the most thoughtful analysis and atten- tion.

In short, the opportunity, the intellec- tual challenge, and the potential benefits seem equally great. Our creative, critical, and evaluative faculties need to be brought to all K-12 standards questions with the full force of our intellectual and artistic powers. But in doing so, it is extremely important to begin by under- standing the context for this effort, what the standards are supposed to do, and what they are not supposed to do; and developing thoughtful appreciation of the possibilities the standards effort holds for the future.

If we believe that basic formal visual arts study for all is central to the kind of American culture we wish to see in the future, these standards provide the best starting point ever available to the visual arts community nationally. The stan- dards have application not just to school- based programs, but to all efforts to teach young people in whatever setting. Although time will tell what happens, let

us not make the mistake of convincing ourselves at the outset that the whole pro- ject will not work. Many young people who study art seriously are meeting or surpassing most of these standards already. If we do our part to keep the effort focused on development of knowl- edge and skills in students, and if we bring our expertise to the broad range of intellectual and policy questions present- ed by the standards effort and the stan- dards themselves, we can be assured that the future will become brighter. If we do not each do our part, we can be sure that this critical effort for content and sub- stance will be seriously damaged or fail altogether.

Samuel Hope is Executive Director of the NationalAssociation of Schools of Art and Design and an Executive Editor of Arts Education Policy Review magazine.

Dear Editor, We seem to be agonizing too much

over these "standards." Just teach the language of vision. If a color relationship is right, it's right for all ages. Complements will always seek one anoth- er out. Give problems that are sufficiently difficult to sustain interest. And, remem- ber that moving towards a clearly defined aim is considered by some Art Educators to be non-creative behavior. The truth about art is not the pragmatic truth that the academic community prefers to retain. If this letter seems contradictory, it's meant to be because we should also have surprise and ambiguity.

Sincerely yours, Bob Lloyd

us not make the mistake of convincing ourselves at the outset that the whole pro- ject will not work. Many young people who study art seriously are meeting or surpassing most of these standards already. If we do our part to keep the effort focused on development of knowl- edge and skills in students, and if we bring our expertise to the broad range of intellectual and policy questions present- ed by the standards effort and the stan- dards themselves, we can be assured that the future will become brighter. If we do not each do our part, we can be sure that this critical effort for content and sub- stance will be seriously damaged or fail altogether.

Samuel Hope is Executive Director of the NationalAssociation of Schools of Art and Design and an Executive Editor of Arts Education Policy Review magazine.

Dear Editor, We seem to be agonizing too much

over these "standards." Just teach the language of vision. If a color relationship is right, it's right for all ages. Complements will always seek one anoth- er out. Give problems that are sufficiently difficult to sustain interest. And, remem- ber that moving towards a clearly defined aim is considered by some Art Educators to be non-creative behavior. The truth about art is not the pragmatic truth that the academic community prefers to retain. If this letter seems contradictory, it's meant to be because we should also have surprise and ambiguity.

Sincerely yours, Bob Lloyd

SEPTEMBER 1994 / ART EDUCATION l SEPTEMBER 1994 / ART EDUCATION l

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