Sanders-Clyde Elementary to become arts-infused school
By Diette Courrégé
Changing the identity of a school doesn’t happen in a day or a week, but downtown Sanders-Clyde Elementary plans to do as much as possible this year to begin transforming into an arts-infused school.
The genesis of the idea to take the highest poverty school in Charleston County and give it an arts makeover dates back about three years to the tenure of former Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson and a partnership she developed with nationally known artist Jonathan Green.
They hatched the idea to give Sanders-Clyde a new arts-related focus that would coincide with the opening of its new building, slated for January 2010.
“I do see this as an opportunity to be at the forefront when people are talking about arts infusion,” said school Principal Melvin Middleton. “I think we’re really on the cusp of greatness.”
The school district hired a consultant, retired fine arts supervisor Barry Goldsmith, who began training teachers in January to use the arts to teach math, reading, science and social studies. He organized a two-day workshop before this school year began on arts infusion, and he plans to offer monthly workshops during the school year.
The school has hired full-time art, drama and music teachers who will help push arts integration. The school’s small enrollment of about 300 means it could only hire part-time teachers for art and music, but district leaders gave the school special permission this year to hire these teachers to help its transition to arts integration.
Read more in Monday's editions of The Post and Courier.
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Comments
voxpopuli (anonymous) says...
Is it me or is "art infused school" the new buzz phrase in education?
August 23, 2009 at 11:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Reader (anonymous) says...
Good grief, this is the sort of educ-speak nonsense that makes people crazy.
First, learning through the arts sounds ridiculous. Why think that the students in a school will be more receptive to learning what the capital of France is through the arts than just by learing it? How is learning through the arts going to make a student realize that the square root of nine is three?
I'm fine with developing schools that have a theme when attendance at those schools is voluntary. Students can self-select a method of learning geared to them. But, students are required to attend this school based on where they live.
Even if you agree that the arts can be an effective, alternative vehicle for teaching substance (which I doubt), is there any reason for thinking that these students will be especially benefited from that tactic instead of whatever they use now?
August 23, 2009 at 3:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlestonnative1963 (anonymous) says...
I wonder when the citizens of Charleston will ever think beyond the end of their nose. Arts integrated schools have proven successful all over the country, but especailly in SC. Nationally we are seen as a leader in arts integration (its a fact). If it works good thing...if not, well let Reader (above) set up the next program.
August 23, 2009 at 9:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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